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

• Overview

  Tower Lake is one of the Mono County listings for California. It sits in lake country bush. It covers about 9 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Nearest place of any size is Yosemite Valley, 29 miles away. It is 86 miles to Modesto, the nearest city. In the same area: Lake Helen at 1.2 miles, 1.2 miles away is Mary Lake Ruth at 1.6 miles, 1.7 miles away is Cora Lake and Lake Harriet at 2.1 miles. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Tower Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Across Mono County, recorded fish include brook trout, rainbow trout and brown trout. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Take Tower Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect August to average close to 53°F, with February the cold end at about 22°F. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. Count the season from break-up, usually early June. Average temperatures cross freezing around early June in spring and again near late November in autumn. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. It holds true on Tower Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. It is tagged for fishing in public mapping. There is a campsite 160 yards from the water. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. For a change of water, Lake Helen is 1.2 miles distant. Treat Tower Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.