Fishing Vidette Lakes in Inyo County, California

• Overview

  Vidette Lakes stands in Inyo County, California. The setting is rolling bush on every side. It covers about 6 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. It is high ground by California standards. Lone Pine lies 21 miles from the water. The big place round here is Visalia, 57 miles distant. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Vidette Lakes

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Inyo County records list california golden trout, brook trout, rainbow trout, brown trout and owens sucker among the fish reported. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. The shape of Vidette Lakes rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 49°F in August and bottoms out near 18°F in January. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around mid June. The season between ice runs from about mid June to mid November. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. The season on Vidette Lakes rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. 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. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Should this one be busy, Bullfrog Lake is 2 miles off. Nothing here settles the position at Vidette Lakes for certain.