Starr King Lake in Mariposa County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  California holds Starr King Lake, in Mariposa County. This is mixed woodland ground. The water measures roughly 7 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. Yosemite Valley is the closest place, 4 miles off. Midpines lies 25 miles off, Ahwahnee another 27 miles. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Starr King Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Mariposa County records list rainbow trout, brook trout and brown trout among the fish reported. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Read Starr King Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 32°F and August at about 63°F, the water has a wide range to work through. The freeze here is occasional rather than annual. It is not guaranteed from one year to the next. Spring and autumn carry the year; summer squeezes it into the ends of the day. It holds true on Starr King Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Failing this one, try Emerald Pool, 1.9 miles away. Confirm before you fish Starr King Lake.