Steelhead Lake near West Bishop: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  You will find Steelhead Lake in Inyo County, California. The surface lies 11,371 feet up. It runs to roughly 57 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. The whole outline is near 1.1 miles, and most of it is walkable. It is among the larger waters listed here for Inyo County. The nearest place of any size is West Bishop, 15 miles away. The big place round here is Clovis, 64 miles distant. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Steelhead Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Species logged across Inyo County include california golden trout, brook trout, rainbow trout, brown trout and owens sucker. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Treat Steelhead Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put August at about 50°F and January near 18°F. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Count the season from break-up, usually mid June. Averages place the thaw at mid June and the freeze at mid November. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. Steelhead Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. The nearest alternative is Lower Petite Lake, 0.4 miles out. Ask locally about Steelhead Lake if anything is unclear.