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

• Overview

  California holds Tamarack Lake, in Mono County. The bank is 9,662 feet above sea level. It covers about 15 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Yosemite Valley is the closest town at 30 miles. For a city, Clovis is 93 miles off. More in the same country: Hunewill Lake 0.9 miles off, Glenberry Lake 2.3 miles away, West Lake 2.4 miles off, Bergona Lake 2.4 miles away and Turquoise Lake 2.7 miles off. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Tamarack Lake

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Reported across Mono County: brook trout, rainbow trout, brown trout, owens sucker and california golden trout. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. The near bank of Tamarack Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 55°F at the top of summer and 23°F at the bottom of winter. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Count the season from break-up, usually mid May. Averages place the thaw at mid May and the freeze at late November. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. Expect Tamarack Lake to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Hunewill Lake at 0.9 miles is the sensible second choice. Nothing here settles the position at Tamarack Lake for certain.