Goddard Creek

Suggested Flies for Goddard Creek area:
Eastern Sierra Hatch Selection
Other Local Favorites:

Dry Flies:
Parachute Adams #16-18
Olive Caddis #16-18
Royal Wulff #16-18
Yellow Humpy #14
Griffith's Gnat #16-18

Nymph Flies:
Hare's Ear #16-18
Prince Nymph #16-18
Pheasant Tail Nymph #16-18

Directions:

I put this region within the East Side maps due to proximity, not to ease of access.The preferred route is often from the West Side, taking the ferry across Florence Lake. It is a 7.5 mile hike to the Kings Canyon Nat. Park boundary with a possible stop at the Muir Trail Ranch and a dip within the hot spring. The end of the trail in Goddard Canyon is 14.25 miles from the ferry dropoff at Florence Lake. An alternative route from the west side is through Hell For Sure Pass from the Courtright Trailhead. It is about a 20 mile hike to Goddard Canyon. The Goddard Canyon trail ends near Martha Lake. Go off trail past Martha and proceed over Reinstein Pass into the headwaters of Goddard Creek.

From the East Side, there are two traiilheads that will get you to Goddard Canyon. One is by way of North Lake going over Piute Pass (11,500') and passing through Humphries Basin and Piute Canyon. This will bring you onto the PCT north of Goodard Canyon, a distance of about 16 miles. This is also the boundary to Kings Canyon National Park. Following the PCT southward for 3.5 miles will bring you to a fork. The left fork continues on the PCT up to Evolution Meadow, going straight will take you up Goddard Canyon. The trail ends 6.75 miles from the park boundary. A total of 26 miles from the North Lake Trailhead. The second way is to take the South Lake trailhead going over Bishop Pass and dropping into Le Conte Canyon where you pick up the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), a distance of 11 miles. But you still have to climb over Muir Pass, so you have two 12,000' passes to cross and it is a 17 mile hike until reaching Helen lake on the Goddard Divide. Some will take an overland route from Wanda Lake to Davis Lake and follow North Goddard Creek to the Goddard Canyon trail. The Goddard Canyon trail ends near Martha Lake. Go off trail past Martha and proceed over Reinstein Pass into the headwaters of Goddard Creek.

Notes:
Kings Canyon National Park encompasses this entire area. Prior to 1988, many of the streams and lakes were planted with trout. This practice had some drawbacks to the native biota such as amphibians. After 1988, all fish planting within the park was discontinued. Park streams and lakes were managed for a sustainable fishery. Those streams and lakes that could not support a fishery were allowed to go fishless. However, by 1990, it was evident that certain amphibians such as the Mountain Yellow Legged Frog (MYLF) had not recovered enough and a management plan was implemented to eradicate certain lakes and streams of non-native fish. By 2013, 15 lakes and ponds were eradicated of fish. Over the next 25 years, the Park intends to eradicate another 70 lakes, streams, and marshes to reach a 15% level of fishless habitat. Most of these fish removals are within the higher elevations of the park and many are fishless due to the unsustainability of fish within these waters due to lack of food source, lack of spawning grounds, and shallow depths lacking winter survival during freezing periods. The Evolution Basin, Ionian Basin, and Goddard Basin contain many of the lakes and streams that will be managed as fishless.
However, there remain a number of good fishing opportunities within this region.

Goddard Creek: The best fishing on Goddard Creek is above the confluence with Tunemah Creek. Below the confluence, Goddard Creek becomes quite steep and the creek rushes downward into a series of plunge pools to the MF Kings river. There is fishable water around the confluence of Disappearing Creek for a mile downstream but no reports of fish. The creek then becomes a very steep gradient just prior to reaching the MF Kings.

Disappearing Creek drops 4,000 feet from its origins at Chasm Lake to its confluence with Goddard Creek six miles down the canyon. The creek was so named because it frequently disappears under giant talus and snow pack, particularly within the upper reaches. The lower reaches is of such steep gradient that it is not suitable fish habitat. No fish present.

Lake 10232: Plenty of Rainbows 10-11"

Lake 9797: Plenty of Rainbows 10-11"

Finger Peak Lakes: The lower lakes below 10,300 most likely have Rainbows but not confirmed.

Blue Canyon Lakes: The lakes above 10,300' are fishless. The lakes below have Rainbows 10-11"

Tunemah Lake: Tunemah has had reports of large rainbows up to 18". Lakes below Tunemah also have Rainbows 12-14".

Middle Fork Kings River: Through Le Conte Canyon and below Grouse Meadows, this water contains Golden Hybrids 4-7 inches. Some up to 11" within the deeper pools of the pocket water between the meadows. Downstream of the confluence of Palisade Creek, the Middle Fork has a steep gradient and is unfishable passing through a narrow canyon until it reaches the confluence of Cartridge Creek. Below Cartridge Creek confluence into Simpson Meadow, the Middle Fork Kings has Rainbows and Brookies.

Ladder Lake: (Elev 10491) No confirmed reports but Cutter indicates that Rainbows are present.

Fishing Regulations (Effective March 1st, 2021)

Lakes within Goddard Creek:

Open all year. No restrictions. 5 trout per day. 10 trout in possession

Middle Fork Kings River:

From the last Saturday in April through November 15, five trout daily bag limit, 10 trout in possession; and, from November 16 through the Friday preceding the last Saturday in April, 0 trout bag limit, artificial lures with barbless hooks only and trout must be released unharmed and not removed from the water.

All creeks and tributaries:

From the last Saturday in April through November 15, five trout daily bag limit, 10 trout in possession; and, from November 16 through the Friday preceding the last Saturday in April, 0 trout bag limit, artificial lures with barbless hooks only and trout must be released unharmed and not removed from the water.