Photo of Fourth Recess Lake, CA

Fourth Recess Lake Fishing
John Muir Wilderness


Fourth Recess Lake Fishing

John Muir Wilderness - Fresno County

Map

Along the Mono Creek drainage, which flows into Lake Thomas E. Edison, are four recesses, or side canyons, carved out by glaciers. Each is an adventure, but the largest lake rests in the Fourth Recess. The quickest way to reach this beautiful Fourth Recess Lake is to hike from the eastern side of the Sierra at Rock Creek over Mono Pass and down into the Mono Creek drainage. It's a strenuous single-day trek, well worth the effort. Fishing around the lake is excellent, both for fly fishing and spin casting.

Sidetrips

Nearby Pioneer Basin, with its half dozen lakes, makes an excellent day-long sidetrip from your base camp at Fourth Recess Lake. The lowest of these lakes is only 1½ miles from Fourth Recess Lake. It has a meadow setting. We passed it up and did our fishing in the next three lakes. The most successful fishing was in the largest of all the Pioneer Basin lakes, 3 miles and 1,000 feet up from Fourth Recess Lake. Although the fish were only pan-size, they were so thick it was hard to cast without getting a strike.

Fourth Recess Lake, Fresno County, California

Fourth Recess Lake

Other Featured Trips in Inyo County

  • Big Pine Lakes - backpack up to this series of lakes amidst spectacular soaring peaks.
  • Chickenfoot Lake - one of many in the Little Lakes Valley
  • Marie Louise Lakes - great little lakes near South Lake
  • Hungry Packer Lake - spectacular scenery, top fishing spot
  • Baboon Lakes - beautiful lakes to explore, days of good fishing
  • Bull Lake - an easy hike out of South Lake takes you to this often-overlooked gem a half-mile off the main trail

Ruby Lake, Inyo County, California

Ruby Lake


In My Creel

  • #16 Blue Olive Parachute
  • #16 Adams Parachute
  • #16 Red Quill
  • #16 Creamy Yellow Soft Hackle
  • Rooster Tail
  • Panther Martin
  • Daredevle Skeeter

Having never been to Fourth Recess Lake, I was unsure of what I would find and carried a variety of flies and lures. Sometimes windy conditions made fly fishing challenging, so on those days I stuck to spin casting with good results. Fourth Recess Lake is 0.6 miles long and at its widest point 0.2 miles across.

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Recommended Books, Maps, Lures, and Flies for Fishing the John Muir Wilderness




Mono PAss, John Muir Wilderness, California

Mono Pass


Pioneer Basin, Fresno County, California

Pioneer Basin

Fishing Supplies

If you are in need of fishing supplies, try one of these places:

  • Rock Creek Lodge
  • Rock Creek Resort
  • Brock's Flyfishing Specialists, Bishop
  • Sierra Trout Magnet Fly Shop, Bishop
  • High Sierra Tackle, Bishop
  • The Trout Fly and Troutfitter, ShellMart Center, Hwy. 203, Mammoth Lakes
  • Performance Anglers, 26 Old Mammoth Rd., #L2, Mammoth Lakes
  • Kittredge Sports, 3218 Main Street, Mammoth Lakes

Taking the Trail to Fourth Recess Lake

Find the turnoff to popular Rock Creek along Highway 395 at Tom's Place, 25 miles north of Bishop. A paved road leads 10.5 miles up the valley past Rock Creek Lake to a trailhead parking area at Mosquito Flat. There are campsites and vault toilets at the trailhead. It's a popular trailhead for both backpackers and day hikers, most headed up Rock Creek to numerous lakes scattered along the valley. (See our Chickenfoot Lake trip for details about Rock Creek and Little Lakes Valley.)

The trailhead is at 10,250 feet in elevation and begins its climb up to 12,000-foot Mono Pass almost immediately. Plan an early start to avoid heat along the exposed switch-backs. Water is available part way up at the Ruby Lake turnoff. Beyond that, the only water for some time is at Summit Lake, which by summer has no inlet or outlet. Plan at least 3 hours to reach the top of the pass and another 3 to descend the northern side into the Mono Creek drainage. For anyone wanting to camp along the way, Trail Lakes, halfway down the north side of the pass offer a reasonable stopping place.

At the bottom of the pass the trail intersects the Mono Creek trail. Turn west (downhill) and in less than a half-mile you find a sign marking the trail to Fourth Recess Lake. From there it is only a 15-minute hike to the lake.

Alternate Approach Route - Western Side of the Sierra

An alternate way to reach Fourth Recess Lake is to take the water taxi from the Vermilion Resort on Lake Edison to the upper end of the lake and hike up the Mono Creek valley. The 12-mile hike begins at 7,700 feet and ends at the lake at 10,100 feet. The main advantage of coming this way is a virtually all-downhill hike out. A disadvantage is the long, twisting drive into Lake Edison.

Lodging and Camping

Lodging can be found at nearby Rock Creek Resort and Rock Creek Lodge, both of which rent cabins from one bedroom to multiple rooms. A complete selection of motels can be found to the south in Bishop. To the north at Mammoth Lakes, condominiums are available. It's best to make reservations ahead of time there.

Trailhead campgrounds abound along Rock Creek: French, Iris Meadow, Big Meadow, Palisade, East Fork, Pine Grove, and Rock Creek Lake. Mosquito Flat Campground is designated for one night stays for backpackers before setting out on the trail.

At Fourth Recess Lake good backpacking camps can be found on either side of the lake, up among the trees, close to the lower end of the lake. Other sites are available nearby along Mono Creek.

California's Best Camping

For complete information about campgrounds along Rock Creek and beyond, see

California's Best Camping website logo


High Sierra Trails

Graveyard Lakes, John Muir Wilderness, California

Lower Graveyard Lake

High Sierra Trails website logo