Third Lake Fishing in Inyo County, California

• Overview

  Third Lake is one of the Inyo County waters in California. What surrounds it is pine and birch. It covers about 13 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. 12 miles away sits Big Pine, the nearest town. After that come West Bishop at 17 miles and Bishop at 18 miles. Near neighbours: Second Lake after 0.4 miles, First Lake lies 0.7 miles on, Fourth Lake after 0.7 miles, Black Lake lies 0.7 miles on and Summit Lake after 0.9 miles. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Third Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Public occurrence data for Inyo County names california golden trout, brook trout, rainbow trout and brown trout. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. Third Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 20°F and August at about 52°F, the water has a wide range to work through. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around early June. Averages place the thaw at early June and the freeze at mid November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. The season on Third Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. A campsite lies half a mile away for anyone staying over. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. State or provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Second Lake sits 0.4 miles off and takes the overflow. What applies at Third Lake may have changed since it was mapped.