Convict Lake
Convict Lake (Mono: Wit-sa-nap) is a lake located in Mono County, California, United States, situated in the Sherwin Range of the Sierra Nevada. Visitors find it 4 mi west of McGee Creek. Further out, Mammoth Mountain is 9.1 mi away.
A lake, 4 mi west of McGee Creek
Winters are cold
January nights drop to 19°. When to go ↓
Crowley Lake is the nearest base
Crowley Lake is 6 miles east, with 6 places to stay. Where to stay ↓
A day trip from Fresno
Fresno is about 76 miles southwest (straight-line). Where to stay ↓
Best months: Jun, Jul, Aug and Sep
June, July, August and September are the mild months, with highs of 72–80°. When to go ↓
An airport 3 miles away
Mammoth Yosemite (MMH) has airline service, about 3 miles from Convict Lake.
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia.
Month by month
Below are typical highs and lows near Convict Lake.
Convict Lake
Convict Lake (Mono: Wit-sa-nap) is a lake located in Mono County, California, United States, situated in the Sherwin Range of the Sierra Nevada. It is known for its turquoise-blue water, the dramatic mountains (including Mount Morrison) that surround it, the trout fishing it affords, and its unusual history. The lake was renamed from its traditional Mono name by American settlers after an incident on September 23, 1871, in which a group of convicts escaped from prison in Carson City, Nevada, and took refuge near the lake. They were pursued by a posse, and after it caught up to the convicts, a shootout followed, in which a number of both posse members and convicts were killed or wounded. The remaining convicts who survived initially escaped but were eventually captured to be taken back to prison. They were lynched instead.
- Type
- Lake
- Area
- 208 acres
- Elevation
- 7,851 ft
- Wikipedia readers
- 21K a year
Rooms near Convict Lake
The closest lodging is in Mammoth Lakes (84) and Crowley Lake (6).
Mammoth Lakes
The closest town with somewhere to stay.
6,867 people · 57% vacation homes
8 mi west of Convict Lake
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From Convict Lake | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mammoth Lakes 57% vacation homes | 8 mi west | 10 min | 84 48 hotels · 2 motels · 5 inns & B&Bs · 16 lodges & cabins · 2 hostels · 10 campgrounds · 1 RV park | 6,867 | $867K | C |
| Crowley Lake 33% vacation homes | 6 mi east | 10 min | 6 2 hotels · 1 motel · 1 lodge or cabins · 1 campground · 1 RV park | 1,069 | $592K | — |
| June Lake 70% vacation homes | 19 mi northwest | 30 min | 25 5 hotels · 1 motel · 9 lodges & cabins · 8 campgrounds · 2 RV parks | 209 | — | — |
| Sunny Slopes | 10 mi east | 15 min | 8 1 hotel · 1 lodge or cabins · 6 campgrounds | 323 | $680K | — |
| McGee Creek | 4 mi east | 5 min | 4 1 hotel · 1 lodge or cabins · 2 campgrounds | — | — | — |
| Bishop | 29 mi southeast | 45 min | 31 14 hotels · 8 motels · 2 lodges & cabins · 2 hostels · 2 campgrounds · 3 RV parks | 3,696 | $386K | D |
| Aspen Springs | 9 mi east | 15 min | 1 1 campground | 325 | — | — |
| Lee Vining 27% vacation homes | 29 mi northwest | 45 min | 9 4 motels · 1 lodge or cabins · 3 campgrounds · 1 RV park | 628 | $435K | — |
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
Pair Convict Lake with these
These lie within 57 miles as the crow flies.
Big draw39 mi National ParkYosemite National Park4.3M visitors a year
Big draw39 mi MountainHalf Dome
19 mi Ski areaMammoth Mountain153 runs · 2,962 ft vertical
31 mi LakeMono Lake
213 mi National MonumentDevils Postpile National Monument100K visitors a year
56 mi National ParkKings Canyon National Park780K visitors a year
56 mi LakeHetch Hetchy
33 mi MountainWhite Mountain PeakPhoto credits
Yosemite National Park: Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Half Dome: Jon Sullivan, Public domain · Mammoth Mountain: Hike395 (talk · contribs), CC BY 3.0 · Mono Lake: File:Mono lake sat.jpg: created by NASA Rotation and crop: Hike395, Public domain · Devils Postpile National Monument: Frank Kovalchek from Anchorage, Alaska, USA, CC BY 2.0 · Kings Canyon National Park: NileGuide.com (Josh Steinitz), CC BY 2.0 · Hetch Hetchy: Vulpinus2, CC BY-SA 4.0 · White Mountain Peak: JonathanLamb (talk · contribs), CC BY 3.0
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Visiting Convict Lake
What town is Convict Lake near?
McGee Creek, CA, about 4 miles east.
When is the best time to visit Convict Lake?
June, July, August and September, with highs of 72–80°.
How far is Convict Lake from Fresno?
About 76 miles southwest of Fresno, as the crow flies.
What is the closest airport to Convict Lake?
Mammoth Yosemite (MMH), about 3 miles away. The nearest big hub is Fresno Yosemite (FAT), about 73 miles.
Where should I stay near Convict Lake?
Mammoth Lakes (8 mi, 84 places to stay), Crowley Lake (6 mi, 6 places to stay) and June Lake (19 mi, 25 places to stay).
Inside knowledge from McGee Creek
There are no tips yet, so start one in McGee Creek’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.