The June Lake Loop holds four lakes, June, Gull, Silver and Grant, joined by Rush Creek. The lakes open the last Saturday in April and close November 15, five trout a day. Fly anglers do best at first and last light on Silver Lake's drop-offs, along the tule beds of June and Gull, and on Grant for bigger browns in spring and fall. Rush Creek below Grant Dam is open all year, catch and release.
- Water type
- Lakes and creek
- Fish
- Rainbows, browns, brookies, cutthroat
- Best months
- Apr, May, Jun, Oct
- Drive from the chalet
- About 5 minutes
- Regulations
- Lakes last Sat. in April to Nov. 15, 5 trout. Rush Creek below Grant Dam all year, barbless, catch and release.
- The one thing
- Work the drop-offs at first and last light. Strip slowly; slower than that.
The lakes
Silver Lake is the fly angler’s lake. It drops off fast, the inlet where Rush Creek comes in holds fish all season, and the light at sunrise is reason enough to be there. Strip a woolly bugger, a Hornberg or a Grey Ghost along the drop-offs, or hang chironomids off the edge. Legend says a 9-pound, 12-ounce brook trout came out of Silver Lake in 1932. It gets bigger every year we tell it. The one I lost there was bigger still. Nobody saw it, which is how you know it was big.
June Lake is the big, clear one. Kick a float tube along the tule beds and the inlets early, before the boats are up.
Gull Lake is the smallest and the most sheltered, and the closest to the chalet. When the wind is howling on the others, Gull is still fishable.
Grant Lake is the reservoir at the north end, open and windswept, with the best shot at a big brown on the loop in spring and fall. Fish it early; by mid-morning the wind and the water-skiers own it.
Rush Creek
Between Silver and Grant, Rush Creek runs through meadow and willow, with a mix of wild and planted trout; that section opens the Saturday before Memorial Day and closes September 30. Below Grant Lake Dam, Rush Creek runs down to Mono Lake as a wild trout stream managed by the state, open all year, barbless artificial lures, catch and release. Small nymphs and dries in the undercuts and riffles do the work.
Through the season
| Months | What works |
|---|---|
| Opener to June | Streamers at the drop-offs, chironomids off the edges, the inlets at first light |
| July and August | Dawn and dusk only; caddis and small dries on the creek, buggers deep on the lakes |
| September to Nov. 15 | The best of it: cooler water, browns on the move, BWOs on gray afternoons |
Gear and a guide
Ernie’s Tackle and Ski Shop in the village has gear and a report. For a day on the loop with someone who has fished it for years, call Knot at Sierra Moments, (760) 577-1247. He is excellent with kids, which matters when your kids are the ones holding the rod.
The chalet’s five stand-up paddleboards will get you to water the shore anglers cannot reach. No fishing in the pond on the chalet grounds, though. That fish has suffered enough.
The one thing
Timing. On the loop lakes, the first and last hour of light are worth the other ten combined.
Common questions
When does fishing open at June Lake?
June, Gull, Silver and Grant lakes open the last Saturday in April and close November 15 under current California rules, with a five-trout limit. Rush Creek between Silver and Grant opens the Saturday before Memorial Day and closes September 30. Rush Creek from Grant Lake Dam to Mono Lake is open all year, barbless artificial lures, catch and release.
Which June Lake Loop lake is best for fly fishing?
Silver Lake, for its drop-offs and the inlet where Rush Creek comes in. June Lake is good from a float tube along the tules and inlets, Gull is sheltered on windy days, and Grant holds larger browns in spring and fall.
Where can I buy flies and get a report in June Lake?
Ernie’s Tackle and Ski Shop in June Lake village has gear and current conditions. For fly-specific reports, the shops in Mammoth Lakes are twenty minutes south.