Mammoth Lakes Basin (Mary, etc.) or June Lake

[HighSierratrout]

Which is better for fishing and camping with a family and friends? I'll be traveling in late June with 7 kids (ages 3-9) and 8 adults. We typically camp at the Bishop RV park and fish Sabrina, South Lake, and all over Bishop Creek. This year we wanted to try somewhere different and none of us have been to Mammoth lakes or June. We want to camp close to water and have easy access to fishing in creeks, with some nearby lakes. We are also planning on fishing creeks in Reds Meadow and at Crowley, but didn't want to camp in either of those areas. Anybody have advice or recommendations?

thanks in advance,

[Joshua]

I know there is a camp ground at Twin Lakes (mammoth) They have small boat rentals. That puts you on a lake. Short drive to mamie, mary and George.


June Loop. Several State campgrounds. The one at the lower end of Silver Lake puts you at Rush Creek. Personally, I think Bishop provides more creek angling really close.

[retired96]

Have you considered Rock Creek, lots of campgrounds on the creek, You can fish Rock Creek Lake, Crowley and the upper Owens are close by..Personally for me Rock Creek is better than the others mentioned...

[Sierra_Smitty]

Rock creek is a great area....so is anywhere in the Loop. You might reconsider camping down in Devil's Postpile, Upper Soda Springs is one of my all-time favorite campgrounds...creek fishing for days and easy lake fishing at Starkweather. Not a terrible drive to the Mammoth Basin from there either.

[gridjockey]

try june lake at least the wives and kids can hang at the swim beach while the men go off fisnin.

[JAG107]

The Loop is more developed and crowded than most other places IMO. Most waters are roadside with lots of anglers and traffic. I really like Rock Creek over Mammoth and the loop. Really though my fav is Bishop Creek drainage, just so many great options there. If you have a boat you may like the loop better than mammoth, but mammoth may be more float tube and shore fishing friendly. Also you'd be a little closer to Bishop and Crowley like you mentioned. Silver Lake campground is pretty cool, right on rush creek and a very short walk to the lake and store...but you're right off the highway. It's been 18 years since I camped at Mammoth, so I can't really recall that much about it other than I preferred Rock Creek over it hands down. At rock creek you have one drive to lake and then past it you can drive up to the mosquito flats trailhead and have a real short hike to endless great wild trout lakes and streams as far as you care to hike. Brookies galore.

[HighSierratrout]

Thanks so much for all the info. We have been going to Bishop creek for years, fishing both forks and South Lake and Sabrina, enjoying ice cold beer at the small bar/restaurant by Creekside RV Park. Thanks for the tip on beaches at June, but only my wife goes and she's a fisherwoman, and all the kids fish or we leave them in the tent, haha. My 3 yr old son caught a 5lb bass last week with his 2ft Cars Movie fishing pole with a piece of worm and bobber, it was awesome.

I'm thinking we're going to reserve a site at Mary that is as close to the water as we can get, then spend one day at the loop and rush creek, one day down by devils postpile and maybe hike to Rainbow Falls and fish along the way, one day renting a pontoon at either Crowley or Convict, and one day fishing the lakes and creeks near Mary. Hoping we can get a good feel for the entire area and then have more info to plan for next summer.

Thanks again for all the tips and info. Hoping this will be a great trip for the kids with them catching lots of fish and seeing some incredible scenery and hiking.

[JAG107]

Sounds like you have a great plan, you're going to have an epic trip with that itinerary!