Convict Lake

Convict Lake
Convict Lake, with Laurel Mountain in the background
Location	Mono County, California
Coordinates	37°35′19″N 118°51′28″W / 37.58861°N 118.85778°W / 37.58861; -118.85778Coordinates: 37°35′19″N 118°51′28″W / 37.58861°N 118.85778°W / 37.58861; -118.85778
Basin countries	United States
Max. length	0.9 mi (1.4 km)
Max. width	0.4 mi (0.6 km)
Surface elevation	7,850 ft (2,393 m)

Convict Lake is a lake in the Sherwin Range of the Sierra Nevada in California, United States. It is known for its fishing and the dramatic mountains (including Mount Morrison) that surround the lake. Its surface lies at an elevation of 7,850 ft (2,393 m).

The lake was named after an incident on September 23, 1871, where a group of convicts escaped from prison in Carson City. A posse, from Benton, led by Deputy Sheriff George Hightower, encountered the convicts near the head of what is now Convict Creek. Posse member Robert Morrison, a Benton merchant and Wells Fargo Agent, was killed in the encounter, and Mount Morrison was named after him. It has frequently been noted on lists of unusual place names.

Convict Lake is known for its fishing, including Rainbow trout, German brown trout, and a species of sucker fish. Due to the high demand of fishing in the lake and stream, the lake is stocked once a week during the summer with rainbow trout, supplied by nearby hatcheries. There is a three-mile trail for hiking around the lake and a trail that connects the lake to the Sierra Crest.

In February 1990, Convict Lake was the site of a major drowning. Twelve teenagers and two counselors from a nearby camp were on a holiday outing at Convict Lake. At least four teenagers and both adults fell through the thin ice and into the water. By the time the first rescuer arrived on the scene, only one teenager had been able to pull himself out of the water, but the other teenagers were no longer in sight, having apparently already drowned. In all, three teenagers from Camp O'Neal, an institution for juvenile delinquents located near Whitmore Hot Springs, and four would-be rescuers drowned in the freezing water. Another youth and a volunteer fire chief were rescued. Shortly before their deaths, the youths were warned that the ice was too thin to support their weight but failed to heed the warning.