Fishing Willow Lake in Inyo County, California

• Overview

  Look for Willow Lake in Inyo County, California. The setting is pine and birch on every side. This is a tiny water, and one quiet approach covers all of it. On size it sits at the modest end of our Inyo County list. Nearest place of any size is Big Pine, 10 miles away. Further out sit West Bishop (18 miles) and Bishop (19 miles). No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Willow Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Across Inyo County, recorded fish include california golden trout, brook trout, rainbow trout, brown trout and owens sucker. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Willow Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, August reads 52°F and January reads 20°F. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly early June. The water is typically free of ice between early June and mid November. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. The season on Willow Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. The map shows no ramp or car park nearby, so this is a walk-in water. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Brainerd Lake sits 0.7 miles off and takes the overflow. Treat access at Willow Lake as something to verify.