Fishing at Upper McCabe Lake, Mono County, California

• Overview

  Upper McCabe Lake sits within Mono County in California. Everything around it is mixed forest. The water covers some 65 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. On our Mono County list it sits near the top for size. Yosemite Valley sits 22 miles from the bank. Further out sit Mammoth Lakes (31 miles) and Midpines (45 miles). No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Upper McCabe Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Public occurrence data for Mono County names brook trout, rainbow trout, brown trout and owens sucker. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. On Upper McCabe Lake the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give August about 51°F and February about 20°F. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. The lid usually goes in mid June, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Open water usually runs from mid June until about mid November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. It sets the rhythm of the year at Upper McCabe Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Cascade Lake, 1 mile away, makes the obvious fallback. Ask locally about Upper McCabe Lake if anything is unclear.