Summit Lake in Mono County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Mono County in California is where Summit Lake sits. It stands 10,604 feet above sea level. This is a pocket water of some 3 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Mono County. 20 miles away sits Mammoth Lakes, the nearest town. Clovis sits 76 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Summit Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. County-wide records name brook trout, rainbow trout and brown trout. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. On Summit Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put August near 51°F and February near 20°F. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Ice-out usually falls in early June, and the weeks after it fish hardest. The lid tends to go about early June and return around mid November. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. Time your trip to Summit Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. For a change of water, Upper Sardine Lake is 0.6 miles distant. The position on Summit Lake is worth confirming on the day.