Cooney Lake Fishing

Virginia Lakes - Mono County

Cooney Lake is an interesting mountain lake set back up the canyon a short distance from Virginia Lakes. Plenty of nutrients help the rainbow and brook trout in the lake flourish, yet the lake is not heavily fished. Other lakes lower on the trail draw most anglers, leaving Cooney Lake for those who make the one-mile hike to its shores.

Sidetrips

On the hike in to Cooney Lake, anglers are tempted by the sparkling water of Blue Lake. Those who fish Blue Lake are rewarded with both rainbow and brook trout. Up the trail beyond Cooney Lake are a cluster of small lakes known as Frog Lakes. Fish them for brook trout.

Cooney Lake

Other Featured Trips in Mono County

Fern Lake - a steep hike rewarded with a beautiful fly fishing lake
Fremont Lake - hike into Fremont Lake and fish for big trout.
Green Lake - near Bridgeport, just 2½ miles from the trailhead to a wonderful lake.
Mammoth Lakes - a dozen great fishing lakes
Conness Lakes - a series of high lakes near Saddlebag Lake

Virginia Lake

In My Creel

#16 gnat
#16 Adams
#16 Blue Olive
#16 Griffith's Gnat
Little Cleo
Panther Martin lures
Mepps lures

As usual, I wanted to be ready for whatever conditions I encountered, so I carried a variety of flies and lures and both spinning and fly fishing rods and reels. As soon as I reached the lake swarms of little black gnats gathered around my feet, so I started off with the #16 gnat and was rewarded immediately.

Recommended Books, Maps, Lures, and Flies for Fishing Cooney Lake

High Sierra Fly Fishing: Basics to Advanced Tactics A great book for fishing Sierra lakes and streams. Covers everything from beginning to advanced tactics.
Fly Fishing Eastern Sierra Streams, Where to Go, What to Use, and How to Get There, Mike Brown. Great book detailing the best streams in the Eastern Sierra. Color Photographs.
FISHINGSIR Fly Fishing Flies Kit - 64/100/110/120pcs Handmade Fly Fishing Lures - Dry/Wet Flies,Streamer, Nymph, Emerger with Waterproof Fly Box - Large selection of flies includes trusted patterns (such as Adams, Woolly Bugger, Elk Hair Caddis, Griffith's Gnat, Stimulator, Egg Fly, etc.) used by anglers around the world.
Panther Martin Best of the Best Trout Lures Kit. Three of their most popular colors in two of our most popular sizes. Razor sharp treble red hooks mimic wounded fish.

Blue Lake

old miners' cabin near Virginia Lakes, Mono County, California

Old Mining Cabin

Sierra Fishing Destinations

HOME

Making Your Way to Cooney Lake

To reach Cooney Lake, head for Virginia Lakes in the Eastern Sierra off Highway 395, between Bridgeport and Mono Lake. The Virginia Lakes road leaves 395 at the top of Conway Summit. A great 6-mile-long road carries you easily to Virginia Lakes. The road turns to gravel the last quarter mile before the trailhead parking lot. Restrooms and picnic tables are located there on the shore of the uppermost Virginia Lake.

With such easy access, many anglers can't resist dropping their lines into one of the lower Virginia Lakes. They are planted with thousands of rainbow trout every year and are also home to brown trout. Within easy walking distance are Red Lake and Blue Lake, both good fishing destinations. Trumbull Lake gets a lot of attention too since it is next to a campground.

Along the Trail

The trail to Cooney Lake leads away from the trailhead parking lot, winds through the trees, and soon skirts along the shore of Blue Lake. Then the trail climbs for a short distance, passing an old log mining cabin before making a final push up to Cooney Lake. The total elevation gain is only 400 feet, but hiking at around 10,000 feet, I took plenty of rest stops along the way.

Fishing at the 10,200-foot high lake was best at the northwestern corner where the inlet stream spills into the lake. The western and southern shores were productive too. It would be easy to carry a float tube up to this lake.

Just a short distance farther up the trail is a cluster of three small lakes known as Frog Lakes. You can fish them for brook trout.

Lodging and Camping

Cooney Lake has some good backpacking campsites along its southwestern side, but only a mile from the trailhead makes it an unlikely place to camp. Back at Virginia Lakes the nearest campground is Turnbull Creek Campground with 33 campsites. Little known Upper Virginia Creek Primitive Campground offers a place to set up a tent, and dispersed camping is allowed on West Virginia Creek.

Cabins are available from the friendly people at Virginia Lakes Resort. The next closest lodging can be found north at Bridgeport or south at Lee Vining. For more information about lodging in Mono County, see
Mono County - California's Eastern Sierra.

California's Best Camping

For complete information about campgrounds near Virginia Lakes see

Fishing Supplies

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

Virginia Lakes Resort
Ken's Sporting Goods, Bridgeport
Beaver's Sporting Goods, Lee Vining
Ernie's Fishing Tackle in June Lake
June Lake Marina
Gull Lake Marina