How Convict Lake Got its Name

Unlike many drive-to lakes in the region, Convict was created naturally. It sits snuggled in a box canyon, some 7,583 feet high in the Sierra Nevada. Just south of Mammoth Lakes and a measly couple miles from Scenic Highway 395, Convict Lake has long been popular with anglers and photographers; both pastimes being easily rewarded by the gorgeous alpine lake teeming with trout.

Peoples of the Paiute tribe have lived in the region since long before Thomas Buoyant lures or digital cameras were around. And these local Native Americans were once known to call the lake “Wit-sa-nap.” They believed that lake Wit-sa-nap was created by the Great Spirit as a safe haven for the magical fish—infused with the spirits of children—that swim through the surrounding mountains streams.

The relatively small lake covers around 170 acres and is still known for producing some of the largest and healthiest trout you’ll ever see. And, they’re pretty easy to see: It’s usually possible to see halfway to the bottom of the oblong lake since the water is so clear. One of the deepest in the region, Convict Lake has a low of 140’ and averages 100’ in depth. Its depth allows the water to remain cold and ideal for trout to live long, happy and well-fed lives. There are even tales that Convict Lake is home to a monstrous brown trout named ”Horgon” that few have seen and no one has ever landed.

After miners discovered the area, Convict became known as Monte Diablo. Calling the lake and the creek that runs to and from it “Mountain of the Devil” seems rather odd. You’d think that’s what they would have called the steaming and boiling Hot Creek just a short horseback ride down the Long Valley. Perhaps whoever gave it that name knew a bit about its future, for the devil would rear his ugly mug at the lake in 1871.

In September of that year, a group of convicts escaped from Carson City, Nevada, and were cornered by a local posse by the lake. A shootout took place and two members of the posse were killed, including Benton merchant Robert Morrison. The biggest peak above the lake, Mount Morrison, was named in his honor and the lake was renamed after the incident.

The convicts were eventually caught and two were brought to frontier justice. Several movies have been made about how Convict Lake got its name, and even more movies, commercials and ads have been shot at the picturesque lake. Beauty is just part of its appeal. Convict Lake, however, calls to people with more than just its looks. The unique character of the place has a pull, too

The Convict Lake Resort, which originally opened in 1929, and the nearby campground are always full of folks who return to the place year after year, generation after generation. As Brian Balarksy, whose family has owned the resort since 1982 explained, people love the traditions of fishing and visiting Convict Lake and return with their family and friends each season.

While the Convict Lake is as pretty and as easy to get to as any place you’ll ever find, it’s the character of the lake and its unique history that really resonates with folks, and call them back again and again.