 |
Directions:  From Fresno, take Highway 168 up to Huntington Lake, about 72 miles to the east end of Huntington Lake. Turn East on Kaiser Pass Road and continue for 5.5 miles. After the road turns to a one lane road, continue for 4.5 miles to Forest Road 5. Turn left on the dirt road and drive two miles to Lakeshore Trailhead. |
|
Notes:
The Kaiser Wilderness has 19 named lakes and over 22,700 acres. Most of the waters are stocked annually and the lakes provide good fishing for rainbows 7-9 inches.
Lakeshore Trailhead will take you into the Kaiser Wilderness
Twin Lakes: Two lakes, both at 8,550 feet elevation. About 4.2 miles from the trailhead. There is another trailhead off Forest Road 5 which is only 2.7 miles to the lakes with a 540 foot gain. You need to drive about 2 miles off Kaiser Pass Road to get to the trailhead. Lower Twin is about 7 acres with a depth of about 17 feet. The east and southern shores are your best bet with a rock shelf about 10 yards from shore. Upper Twin is about 21 acres with a depth of 55 feet. Best fishing is near the inlet. Both lakes contain Rainbows in the 9-12 inch class but Upper Twin also has Brookies.
Long Lake: Elevation is 9000 feet. About 6.3 miles from the trailhead. The trail closest to Long Lake is Upper Twin and you have to go crosscountry from there. Consists of Brookies.
Kaiser Creek: The creek starts just below Lower Twin Lake and the trail follows the creek for over 3 miles to Sample Meadow just outside the wilderness boundary. Consists of Rainbows, Brookies, and Browns.
Jewel, College, Campfire, and George Lakes: These small lakes are near Kaiser Peak about 4.0 miles from the trailhead. Their elevation is from 9200 to 9800 feet. George Lake is probably the best of three. It is clear and shallow with many granite boulders around the shoreline. There is about .5 miles of shoreline around the lake. The lakes consist of Brookies and Rainbows in the 6-9 inch class.
Taking the Kaiser Loop Trail from Lakeshore Tralhead you can reach the following: Nellie Lake, elevation is 8,900 feet. Consists of Rainbows.Huntington Lake (1,435 acres) is at an elevation of 7,000 feet. The lake was constructed in 1946 by the placement of two concrete dams. The lake is 4 miles long and 1/2 mile wide. There are 5 campground and 5 resorts by the lake. It is a popular summer destination for recreationists and has plenty of seasonal cabins. The lake is well stocked with about 50,000 Rainbows and some Kokanee Salmon each year, as well as it's large resident Browns, and receives heavy fishing pressure. Generally, the rainbows caught are between 11 and 14 inches. The area is full of mosquitos and a dry fly, California Mosquito, works well during the evening hours. Try the areas around Billy Creek and Rancheria Campgrounds. The fishing season is year-round but access is difficult during the Winter with Snow and Ice.
Additional flyfishing opportunities are within the local waters that receive much less fishing pressure. The Kaiser Wilderness has a loop trail that is quite convenient from either the Billy Creek or Lakeshore Trailhead. The loop trail near Kaiser Peak has about a dozen small high elevation lakes with Rainbows and Brookies.
Billie Creek Trailhead will take you around the western portion of the Kaiser Wilderness
Nellie Lake: Elevation is 8,900 feet. About 3.9 miles from the trailhead with a 1,645 feet gain. Consists of Rainbows.
Bill, Bobby, Bonnie, and Line Creek Lakes: These small lakes are near Kaiser Peak about 6.2 miles from the trailhead. Their elevation is from 9200 to 9800 feet. They consist of Brookies and Rainbows.
Mammoth Pool Reservoir was created by Southern California Edison by damming the San Joaquin River within a steep 3000 feet canyon. It lies at 3,300 feet elevation. The reservoir is a popular recreationist destination with campgrounds, store, and boat ramps. The road to Mammoth Pool is often blocked by snow until early April and the lake is stocked with about 24,000 10-12 inch rainbows and brookies each season. The lake and it's tributaries are open year round but from May 1st to June 15th the USFS campgrounds might be closed for deer migration. It is a popular trolling area during the Spring and early Summer. During late Summer, the lake is drawn down considerably for hydroelectric power. The lake is known for it's large Browns up to 15 lbs. The flyfishing opportunities of the lake a quite limited due to the depth and expanse of the lake. Some of these big Browns do get into the San Joaquin River below the dam and the flyfishing opportunites are quite good there as well as other neighboring streams. Rock Creek Campground, off Minarets Road, has a 4 mile dirt road that goes close to the river. From there you can work your way up with a good exit at the dam 3 miles upstream. Also try fishing Rock Creek upstream from the campground. It consists of Rainbows and Browns.
Taking the Cassidy Trail off Minarets Road, you can reach the Middle Fork of the San Joaquin above Hell's Half Acre. The river consists of Rainbows and Browns. From there you can work your way upstream.
Other areas to try are:
Kaiser Creek: Numerous access points along Stump Springs Road. Consists of Rainbows and Brookies.
Chiquito Creek: Off Minarets Road. Consists of Rainbows and Browns.
|
| Fishing Regulations (Effective March 1st, 2021)
Mammoth Pool (Fresno and Madera cos.):
Open all year. No gear restrictions. 5 trout.
Other Rivers and Streams:
From the last Saturday in April through November 15, 5 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.
Lakes within this area:
Open all year. No restrictions. 5 trout per day. 10 trout in possession.
|
