Upper Sardine Lake in Mono County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  The Mono County end of California holds Upper Sardine Lake. The water sits 10,387 feet up. Surface area runs to about 8 acres — small enough to read in one session. Mammoth Lakes is the closest place, 19 miles off. Beyond it, Yosemite Valley at 22 miles and Oakhurst at 44 miles. Others worth noting: Lower Sardine Lake just 0.4 miles, Summit Lake (0.6 miles), Parker Pass Lake just 1.4 miles, Spillway Lake (1.7 miles) and Helen Lake just 2.1 miles. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Upper Sardine Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Fish documented in Mono County include brook trout, rainbow trout, brown trout and owens sucker. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Anyone new to Upper Sardine Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put August near 51°F and February near 20°F. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. Count the season from break-up, usually early June. Ice clears near early June and comes back about mid November in a typical year. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. On Upper Sardine Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Should this one be busy, Lower Sardine Lake is 0.4 miles off. Treat Upper Sardine Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.