Author Topic: Best backcountry trout lakes? (Read 17288 times)

coldsteel3d · « **on:** August 25, 2015, 05:59:55 PM »

Hey guys I am trying to get my fiance into backpacking with me. Not necessarily for hunting but maybefor some conditioning trips throughout the year. She loves to fish so I am thinking if I got a couple pack rods and found so high country lakes full of trout I could get her out on the hills with me. I am thinking lakes that we can hike into in 8 hours or less, stay for 2 or 3 days and hike out. Problem is I don't really know many places like this so I was hoping you guys could give me a few suggestions. Maybe post some pics if you got any. I showed her a couple threads with pics on this forum and she is really excited to give it a try. I am in vancouver but can and will travel a little ways if needed.

Wolfdog2314 · « **Reply #1 on:** August 25, 2015, 06:52:30 PM »

Check out Indian Heaven Wilderness, Blue Lake. North of Carson.

http://iheartpacificnorthwest.com/indian-heaven-blue-lake/

Utah · « **Reply #2 on:** August 25, 2015, 07:22:05 PM »

jstone · « **Reply #3 on:** August 25, 2015, 08:12:11 PM »

What would you use for bait at Dewey lake?

Naches Sportsman · « **Reply #4 on:** August 25, 2015, 08:20:41 PM »

Check out the lakes off the PCT between white and Chinook pass. Notellum lake is the best lake I have ever fly fished. It involved a lot of bush waking and a good adventure.

WapitiTalk1 · « **Reply #5 on:** August 25, 2015, 08:26:24 PM »

Montana 😁

jstone · « **Reply #6 on:** August 26, 2015, 02:53:33 PM »

Cant find NOtellum lake. Must be gone

HUNT-HARD · « **Reply #7 on:** August 26, 2015, 02:57:20 PM »

I second the Indian Heavens!! Used to spend a lot of time up there finding un named lakes that got stocked by mistake.

CoryTDF · « **Reply #8 on:** August 26, 2015, 03:01:33 PM »

Here is Eagle Lake in the Eagle Cap Wilderness. There are 58 named lakes in the ECW. This one is off the main eagle trail. It's really a cool hike. Hit me up if you wan t more information.

2labs · « **Reply #9 on:** August 26, 2015, 03:14:54 PM »

My favorite is Edds off of the Pacific Crest Trail. Get to cross the Kendall catwalk.
Awesome lake and campsite at outlet. Has Golden trout. Tough hike, might not be your fiancé after you get back.

Bill W · « **Reply #10 on:** August 26, 2015, 03:42:34 PM »

Quote from: 2labs on August 26, 2015, 03:14:54 PM

My favorite is Edds off of the Pacific Crest Trail. Get to cross the Kendall catwalk.
Awesome lake and campsite at outlet. Has Golden trout. Tough hike, might not be your fiancé after you get back.

I try and send people to Edds also to separate the men from the boys.

2labs · « **Reply #11 on:** August 26, 2015, 03:46:30 PM »

Try the burnt boot creek route! BWAHAHAHA. Very funny story to this that I can't tell to protect the Stupid oops I mean innocent
B.B.Q. Shaken bake and golden trout, nuttin better.

coldsteel3d · « **Reply #12 on:** August 26, 2015, 11:58:15 PM »

Thanks for all the replies guys. I'm really looking forward to getting her out on the trails!

Skyvalhunter · « **Reply #13 on:** August 27, 2015, 05:27:52 AM »

A shout out and thanks to the Trail Blazers for the stocking of the lakes because with out their efforts you wouldn't be catching squat!!

Dslayer · « **Reply #14 on:** August 27, 2015, 06:21:08 AM »

Quote from: Naches Sportsman on August 25, 2015, 08:20:41 PM

Check out the lakes off the PCT between white and Chinook pass.

The Tumac Plateau area between the Deep Creek Trailhead and White Pass/Dog Lake trailheads has a bunch of lakes that should be pretty good between now and when they freeze over. If you go earlier in the season-July/early August most years, the mosquitoes are bad, like really bad, although this year hasn't been as bad. Check out this site for stocking schedules and which lakes have fish.

http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/washington/highlakes/index.html

Bill W · « **Reply #15 on:** August 27, 2015, 11:57:48 AM »

Quote from: Skyvalhunter on August 27, 2015, 05:27:52 AM

A shout out and thanks to the Trail Blazers for the stocking of the lakes because with out their efforts you wouldn't be catching squat!!

A very good post. I've known a number of the Trailblazers who humped waterfilled jugs of fish to backcountry lakes. A lot of which had no established trail to them.

sirmissalot · « **Reply #16 on:** August 31, 2015, 11:40:33 AM »

Its pretty remote and a pretty good hike to get to but Turquoise lake in the alpine lakes wilderness is plum full of cutthroat trout, just about every cast you'll get one and its in a pretty amazing basin to glass as well.

Bill W · « **Reply #17 on:** August 31, 2015, 12:04:50 PM »

I was on a trip to Turquoise in the mid-90's and almost got there. Ended up at Cuitan instead. Turquoise was one ridge over. There was no defined trail to Turquoise, only deer paths and prior to handheld GPS's. It was hotter than all get out and the weekend that the fires started in SW of leavenworth.

sirmissalot · « **Reply #18 on:** August 31, 2015, 12:10:51 PM »

Turquoise has a trail now, although its not maintained. I couldn't find a trail to Cuitan other than the old abandoned cuitan creek trail. It was very hot when we were there last too

Bill W · « **Reply #19 on:** August 31, 2015, 12:29:10 PM »

20 years ago that unmaintained trail was a threadlike bunch of aimless deer trails. Icicle Creek fires was what started that weekend. My hiking buddy was a Trailblazer and one of the ones that backpacked trout fry into western WA high country lakes.

The hike up the hill is not one to take on a hot morning. It's 1500 feet of sweat.

fishngamereaper · « **Reply #20 on:** August 31, 2015, 12:33:49 PM »

Been awhile since Ive been up there but Lk Michael used to be loaded with fish. And the basin was full of bears. Long ways in though.

sirmissalot · « **Reply #21 on:** September 01, 2015, 11:09:15 AM »

Quote from: fishngamereaper on August 31, 2015, 12:33:49 PM

Been awhile since Ive been up there but Lk Michael used to be loaded with fish. And the basin was full of bears. Long ways in though.

Was there a trail into Michael? I've been told no more off trail hikes...

crazywednesday · « **Reply #22 on:** September 10, 2015, 09:21:17 PM »

steen · « **Reply #23 on:** September 10, 2015, 10:15:44 PM »

Cornwall Lake at the foot of Remmel Mnt in the Pasayten Wilderness. You catch a cutthroat at almost every cast!

dmv9 · « **Reply #24 on:** September 11, 2015, 01:42:51 PM »

Cornwell Lake

rbi999 · « **Reply #25 on:** September 11, 2015, 02:05:37 PM »

Kind of looks like Four Point lake too. Which is on the other side of the peak. This is one I caught in a lake in the Sawtooth wilderness this summer. Hard to tell without reference, but about 18 inch. One of many that day! Also a pic of the lake.

Skyvalhunter · « **Reply #26 on:** September 11, 2015, 02:18:09 PM »

Let me tell you a little something about high lake fish in Wa. If the lakes have fish in them and are not naturally reproducing lakes, they are stocked by the TrailBlazers or a couple other groups. I know this because I am a member. If you want to know if a lake is stocked all that info is on the WDFW website. Typically a fish has a life span of around 8 years(unless it its a lake was stocked with Atlantic salmon or something different than, Cutts, RB or Goldens). Size of the fish is dependent on age, food and few other variables. So if you catch big fish in a lake 3 years ago its not a given you go back in and will catch big fish again. It depends on the stocking cycle or if its a natural reproducer.

rbi999 · « **Reply #27 on:** September 11, 2015, 02:28:47 PM »

Very true Sky! Last report on this lake was that there were no fish. And I have hiked back into lakes that were great several years before. Only to be skunked after 3+ miles of bushwacking! The features at this lake I believe hold a re-producing population. Good bedding areas and water flow. Plus fish ran is size from 6 to 18.

predatorG · « **Reply #28 on:** September 12, 2015, 07:59:46 PM »

Quote from: Phantom16 on August 25, 2015, 08:26:24 PM

Montana 😁

Ayyye you know it

sooperfly · « **Reply #29 on:** September 14, 2015, 03:59:10 PM »

Quote from: rbi999 on September 11, 2015, 02:28:47 PM

Very true Sky! Last report on this lake was that there were no fish. And I have hiked back into lakes that were great several years before. Only to be skunked after 3+ miles of bushwacking! The features at this lake I believe hold a re-producing population. Good bedding areas and water flow. Plus fish ran is size from 6 to 18.

Not sure who you had the report from but the fishing there has been pretty good the last few years. That lake does not hold a reproducing population. The reason it has two size classes of fish are because I planted it in 2008 and then again a few years later. Here's a picture of your 18" - er in 2008 just before it went in the lake!

( I think I've posted this pic before )

packmule · « **Reply #30 on:** September 15, 2015, 07:26:08 AM »

Great pic and thanks for your efforts Sooperfly!

rbi999 · « **Reply #31 on:** September 16, 2015, 02:51:49 PM »

Thanks Sooperfly! I hadn't been into that lake for about 25 years! I was a nice surprise.

MLHSN · « **Reply #32 on:** February 12, 2016, 04:45:57 PM »

Quote from: rbi999 on September 11, 2015, 02:05:37 PM

Kind of looks like Four Point lake too. Which is on the other side of the peak. This is one I caught in a lake in the Sawtooth wilderness this summer. Hard to tell without reference, but about 18 inch. One of many that day! Also a pic of the lake.

Were you on a raft in the bottom picture? I was there in Sept of 2013. Hiked in during a rainstorm wondering what I was thinking. But by nighttime the skies were completely clear and I watched a meteor shower. We hiked up an old trail to a pass above the lake and watched the sunset looking down on the basin over. Didn't see much but a giant hawk floating on the thermals directly above us.

SemperFidelis97 · « **Reply #33 on:** February 12, 2016, 06:17:12 PM »

REHJWA · « **Reply #34 on:** February 12, 2016, 06:56:38 PM »

Quote from: sooperfly on September 14, 2015, 03:59:10 PM

Quote from: rbi999 on September 11, 2015, 02:28:47 PM
Very true Sky! Last report on this lake was that there were no fish. And I have hiked back into lakes that were great several years before. Only to be skunked after 3+ miles of bushwacking! The features at this lake I believe hold a re-producing population. Good bedding areas and water flow. Plus fish ran is size from 6 to 18.

Not sure who you had the report from but the fishing there has been pretty good the last few years. That lake does not hold a reproducing population. The reason it has two size classes of fish are because I planted it in 2008 and then again a few years later. Here's a picture of your 18" - er in 2008 just before it went in the lake! ( I think I've posted this pic before )

Sooperfly,
How do you go about helping plant the lakes?

sooperfly · « **Reply #35 on:** February 12, 2016, 10:20:28 PM »

I was approached by a bio to help out. Most of the folks that volunteer are a member of the hi-Lakers or trailblazers. Here's their website. www.watrailblazers.org

sagewalker · « **Reply #36 on:** February 13, 2016, 08:20:23 AM »

Wea300mag · « **Reply #37 on:** February 13, 2016, 08:22:49 AM »

Quartz Lake in the Pasayten, it's a bit of a trek though.

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Author Topic: Best backcountry trout lakes? (Read 17288 times)

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