| Convict Lake | |
|---|---|
_(30501371946).jpg) Convict Lake, with Laurel Mountain in the background | |
  Convict Lake Location within California  Convict Lake Convict Lake (the United States) | |
| Location | Mono County, California |
| Coordinates | 37°35′20″N 118°51′29″W / 37.589°N 118.858°W |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Max. length | 0.9 mi (1.4 km) |
| Max. width | 0.4 mi (0.6 km) |
| Surface area | 170 acres (69 ha) |
| Max. depth | 140 feet (43 m) |
| Surface elevation | 7,850 ft (2,393 m) |
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.