How Convict Lake Got Its Name: History, Geology, What to See

Before it was Convict Lake, it was Wit-sa-nap. The Paiute people who had lived in this region long before European settlers arrived believed the lake was created by the Great Spirit as a sanctuary for magical fish, infused with the spirits of children, that swam through the surrounding mountain streams.

Later, after miners discovered the area, it became known as Monte Diablo, meaning Mountain of the Devil. An odd choice for such a beautiful place, especially when the boiling, steaming waters of Hot Creek just a short ride down the Long Valley seemed far more deserving of the name.

Then came September 1871.

A group of convicts escaped from the Nevada State Prison in Carson City and fled south into the Eastern Sierra. A posse led by local lawmen eventually cornered them at what was then Monte Diablo Creek. In the shootout that followed, two posse members were killed: Robert Morrison, a merchant from Benton, and a local man known as Mono Jim. The convicts escaped but were later captured in Round Valley. Two were brought to frontier justice.

The lake was renamed Convict Lake in the aftermath. The towering 12,268-foot peak above it became Mount Morrison in honor of Robert Morrison. The smaller peak beside it was named Mono Jim. The names have stuck for over 150 years, and the landscape carries the history whether you're looking for it or not.

Fishing

Convict Lake has been a destination for anglers for nearly a hundred years, and the reputation is well earned. The 170-acre lake is stocked regularly with rainbow and brown trout throughout the season, running April through November, and is known for producing some of the largest fish in the region. The water is so clear it's often possible to see 30 feet to the bottom. Boat rentals are available at the Convict Lake Resort marina. Convict Lake Resort also hosts two annual fishing derbies: the Round Up at the Lake each spring and the Ambush at the Lake each fall, with prizes, entry fees used for stocking, and plenty of local competition.

Hiking

The Convict Lake Loop is a two-mile trail that circles the entire lake shore, passing through open sagebrush, groves of pine and aspen, and along the base of the canyon's dramatic cliffs. The trail crosses a boardwalk bridge over Convict Creek at the far end and climbs a short hill on the northeast shore. It can be walked in either direction from the marina or the picnic area parking lot, and an ADA accessible paved path connects those two points. For those wanting to go further, the Convict Creek Trail departs from the west shore of the lake and climbs into the John Muir Wilderness toward Mildred Lake and beyond.

Photography

The combination of crystal-clear water, ancient colored cliff faces, and Mount Morrison rising almost 5,000 feet above the lake makes Convict Lake one of the most photogenic locations in the Eastern Sierra. Early morning light on the canyon walls is particularly striking. Fall brings a layer of aspen color along the shore that photographers return for year after year.

Dining

The Restaurant at Convict Lake Resort is one of the most acclaimed dining destinations in the Eastern Sierra, offering continental cuisine and an award-winning wine list in a setting that manages to feel both rustic and refined. It is open year-round, well beyond the fishing season.

If you are making the drive south from Mammoth Lakes along US 395, Convict Lake pairs naturally with a few other nearby stops.

Hot Creek Geologic Site is just a few miles north, where geothermal springs bubble up through a river gorge in one of the most visually dramatic geology settings in the Eastern Sierra. And if you continue north toward Mammoth Lakes, the Earthquake Fault offers a short interpretive walk along a volcanic fissure formed 600 years ago.

For a full day of Eastern Sierra history, the ghost town of Bodie State Historic Park is about an hour north, where gold-rush history and volcanic geology converge in a landscape that looks frozen in time.