Skelton Lake Fishing
Mammoth Lakes

Making Your Way to Skelton Lake

To reach the trailhead to Skelton Lake, take Highway 395 to the turnoff to Mammoth Lakes and follow the main road up to Lake Mary. At the southern end of Lake Mary turn into the Coldwater Campground and follow the narrow road all the way to its end. There you will find a trailhead parking lot with restrooms and water.

Set out on the Duck Pass trail (not Emerald Lake). The trail climbs through forest, sometimes reverting to switchbacks. The hike to the turnoff to Arrowhead Lake seemed a lot longer than I expected, but then Skelton Lake came up sooner, so I guess it balanced out. The side-trip over to Arrowhead is worth taking. The trail leads down a steep hillside right to the lake's edge. You could fish easily along the western shore for a while before moving on to Skelton Lake.

But don't backtrack on the trail you came down. Instead, angle slightly uphill cross-country to the south until you intersect an old trail leading from the south end of Arrowhead up to Skelton. If you think you missed it, then simply point yourself straight uphill until you intersect the main trail.

If you find and follow that abandoned trail, you will pass through an old mining camp, complete with a couple of collapsed stone buildings and the remnants of water wheels. Best of all, there is a stamp mill used for crushing ore, still in relatively good condition. Please leave things as you find them. You probably already know that collecting artifacts on federal land is illegal.

Continue up the abandoned trail to where Mammoth Creek is meandering through a meadow. There you will reconnect with the main trail, although you may be tempted to try your luck in that lazy portion of the creek. Only a short distance farther up the trail watch for glimpses of blue off to your left and then soon afterward cut across to the lake. A nice rocky point on the west side of the lake is a good place to start fishing.

I worked my way slowly around the lake counter-clockwise, having especially good success at the upper and lower ends. Naturally I wished I had brought a float tube with me. Only a couple of other people were at the lake and none of them fishing.

Lodging and Campgrounds

Lodging and campgrounds are abundant throughout the Mammoth Lakes area. Visitors will find everything from high-end resorts and condos to reasonably priced motels. Campgrounds are located all around the lakes and back down the road near Mammoth Lakes Village. Many of the campgrounds take reservations while a few are first-come, first-served.

For RV owners, Mammoth Mountain RV Park is located at 2667 Main St. in Mammoth Lakes. Camp High Sierra, operated by the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks, is located at 869 Lake Mary Road in Mammoth Lakes. They offer cabins and campsites.

For complete information about campgrounds at Mammoth Lakes, see

High Sierra Trails

Thousand Island Lake, John Muir Wilderness

Fishing Supplies

Fishing supplies can be purchased locally at the following places:

• The Trout Fly and Troutfitter, ShellMart Center, Hwy. 203
• Performance Anglers, 26 Old Mammoth Rd., #L2
• Kittredge Sports, 3218 Main Street, Mammoth Lakes
• Rick's Sport Center, 3241 Main Street, Mammoth Lakes
• Vons, 481 Old Mammoth Road, Mammoth Lakes
• Reds Meadow General Store, Reds Meadow