Maltby Lake

Maltby Lake is a lake in Mono County, California and covers about 8.4 acres, reaches about 16 feet at its deepest point and holds roughly 53.8 acre-feet.

One weed edge or deeper pocket can hold much of the day’s activity; work a creek turn before a flat bank, then work each small drop before going deeper.

Fish and Baits

Fish listed for Maltby Lake include Brook Trout, Lahontan Redside, Mountain Whitefish, Speckled Dace, Rainbow Trout, and Tahoe Sucker.

A useful rainbow trout plan on Maltby Lake is to cast a small spoon, inline spinner, light jig, or fly through cool water.

How to Read the Water

Use wind as a clue; a light push can carry food toward a bank, but hard wind may muddy it, so look for a clean edge near a point or protected pocket; test the quiet side before the windy side, then check the first shelf outside shallow cover.

Season by Season

In spring, start with warming banks, creek mouths, and shallow cover; summer usually pushes the better bite toward the outside weed edge or a nearby drop; fall can bring bait back to windblown points, while winter calls for smaller moves and a slower pace; try the windblown bank, then match the hook and line to the named target.

A Simple Tackle Plan

A light spinning rod, thin line, a few small spoons, inline spinners, and jigs cover the listed trout; carry one slightly heavier setup when other fish or windy water call for more control; use wind to narrow the search; check a protected pocket, then separate open water from cover.

Record the wind, water color, depth of the first good pass, and cover after a bite; those four notes are more useful on the next trip than a long list of spots that did not produce; let wind choose the first bank, then work each small drop before going deeper.