Skelton Lake Fishing near Mammoth Lakes, California

• Overview

  Within Mono County, California, you have Skelton Lake. What surrounds it is mixed forest. About 13 acres of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. The closest town, Mammoth Lakes, is 5 miles away. The nearest city of size is Clovis, 65 miles away. Neighbouring water: Arrowhead Lake out at 0.5 miles, Woods Lakes 0.7 miles off, Emerald Lake out at 0.8 miles, Heart Lake 0.9 miles off and Barney Lake out at 0.9 miles. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Skelton Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Across Mono County, recorded fish include brook trout, rainbow trout, brown trout, owens sucker and california golden trout. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. At Skelton Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 22°F in February up to 53°F in August. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from early June. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about early June until roughly late November. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. It holds true on Skelton Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. Mapping shows an empty shoreline: no ramp, no jetty, no marked entry. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. For a change of water, Arrowhead Lake is 0.5 miles distant. Treat access at Skelton Lake as something to verify.