Trout Fishing: The Best Places to Fish in the High Sierra for a California Golden Icon

High Sierra Golden Trout Fishing

One of the main factors in determining my backpacking destinations is fishing for golden trout. California golden trout was designated an official fish of the state of California in 1947. Hatchery-raised fish extended the range of golden trout to many high-altitude waters in the Sierra Nevadas and to other states as well. Invasive species introduction and habitat destruction and their introduction into high-altitude lakes has affected other native plant and animal species.

The coloration of the California golden trout is spectacularly brilliant. The belly and cheeks are bright red to bright orange, the lower sides are bright gold, the central side band is orange-red, and the back is deep olive green.

The first settlers of the Sierra were as in love with the golden trout as the modern fishermen of today. A beauty like this, they reasoned, shouldn’t be limited to such a small area.

Ardis Walker, a Kernville resident from the early 1900s, wrote;

“Many of the pioneer visitors to the golden trout waters reacted with a desire that was almost compulsive; they shared a common missionary drive to spread the golden beauty and life of this native habitat to the barren waters of the higher lakes and the east and north. streams “.

It was common practice for settlers to carry golden trout in buckets of water on mules for up to a week at a time, storing thousands of fish along the way. Some kept meticulous records; others none at all.

Studies on the impact on vegetation and the yellow-legged frog due to the restocking of trout in lakes of the high sierra that otherwise have no fish led to the end of this activity and now the golden trout are found only in high lakes (over 10,000 feet). They are no longer stored and are only found in lakes where they are self-sufficient.

To reverse the damage done to the yellow-legged frog and other non-native trout species of plant life, they have been removed with gillnets. Historically, the best fishing has been on the lakes in or near the Kern Headwaters and to the south. These include Lake South America, Crabtree Lakes, Wright Lakes, Wallace, and Wales Lake, among others. On recent trips, the fishing is not as good in some of these lakes, but still very strong in others.

I release most of the fish I catch because it is illegal to make bonfires at the high elevations where the fish are found and cooking them on a stove is challenging. If you like the taste of fresh trout it is worth it. On a recent trip I spoke with a veteran backpacker and fisherman who said he poached them. That is another option that I have not tried.