Photo of Fern Lake, Monoo County, CA

Dave's Sierra Fishing


Dave's Sierra Fishing

Sierra Fishing at Its Most Spectacular

Dave's Sierra Fishing takes you to some of the best fishing destinations to be found in California's Sierra, places most people have never visited.

The featured Sierra fishing trips in this guide have been divided by counties and then by fishing destinations. (Yosemite has its own separate category.) Each Featured Trip is described in detail on its own page with all the information you need to plan a successful Sierra fishing outing.

Choose any of the counties displayed in the Sierra Fishing Destinations navigation to learn more about that area and to find a list of my Featured Trips. Or pick the County Overview to see a map of all Sierra Nevada counties and a menu of all the Featured Trips.

Some of the best fishing spots in the Sierra require at least a short walk away from the most heavily fished waters. The adventure of seeking out forgotten or overlooked places has kept me happily afoot in the Sierra for decades. I have always found the rewards of tramping in leaves no step had trodden black, along those less traveled paths, well worth the effort; and the morning walk as important a part of the experience as the time spent fishing.

Comprehensive Guides for Over 50
Featured Trips

  • Photographs of the Sierra lakes and streams
  • Trip Guides with detailed directions
  • Custom Maps for every featured trip
  • Accommodations and camping options
  • Fishing Supplies locations
  • Sidetrips to nearby Sierra fishing destinations
Pinecrest Lake, Tuolumne County, California

Pinecrest Lake


Evolution Valley, Kings Canyon National Park, California

Evolution Valley


Some of My Favorite Books for Fishing the Sierra

  • Fly Fishing Eastern Sierra Streams, Where to Go, What to Use, and How to Get There, Mike Brown. Great book detailing the best streams in the Eastern Sierra. Color Photographs.
  • California's Best Fly Fishing, Premier Streams and Rivers from Northern California to the Eastern Sierra, Chip O'Brien. An up-to-date guidebook, complete with maps, detailed descriptions of fishing locations, analysis of the seasonal differences which affect fishing, and fly patterns.
  • Sierra Trout Guide, Ralph Cutter. Undoubtedly the most thorough book on selecting the best flies for the various conditions in the Sierra. A great book on fishing techniques, equipment, and selecting the best places to fish.
  • The Definitive Guide to Fishing Central California, Chris Shaffer. The book details more than 380 lakes, rivers and streams around Central California. The full color guide has more than 500 color photos.
  • High Sierra Fly Fishing, Basics to Advanced Tactics, by Billy Von Loek. Billy details his successful techniques for both beginners and advanced anglers on a wide variety of topics about fishing the High Sierra.

Eastern Sierra Fishing Maps

One of the most popular features here on Dave's Sierra Fishing is our collection of Eastern Sierra Fishing and Camping Maps showing the major fishing waters in the Eastern Sierra. Not only do the maps detail the most popular fishing places along the Eastern Sierra, they provide information about camping, fishing supplies, and state fishing regulations.

Recently Added Trips

  • Loon Lake - trailer your boat to uncrowded Loon Lake in the Crystal Basin
  • Blue Lake - weekend backpack to a beautiful Sabrina Basin Lake
  • Twin Lakes - backpack in for a weekend at these nice fishing lakes in Sequoia National Park.
  • Bubbs Creek - explore upper Bubbs Creek above Vidette Meadow in Kings Canyon National Park.
  • Marble Fork Kaweah River - fish your way up the Marble Fork from Lodgepole Campground in Sequoia National Park

Enjoy the Journey

Even if fishing is not the main thing that draws you to the Sierra, Dave's Sierra Fishing offers great mountain trips for day hikes, backpacking, photography, bird watching, wildflower viewing, and a myriad of similar interests. Dave's Sierra Fishing is as much a Sierra hiking guide as it is a fishing guide.

Each fishing trip described on Dave's Sierra Fishing has been selected because it offers a rewarding experience in the mountains beginning with an interesting approach hike through spectacular scenery and always culminating with great fishing at a magnificent destination. You'll return from every one of these Sierra fishing outings telling yourself, I can't wait to go back there again!



Dave's Fishing Gear Suggestions

Drop in on my Fishing Gear page for suggestions about fishing rods, reels, flies, floatd tubes, and camping gear:

Fishing Gear



California's Best Camping

For complete information about campgrounds in the Sierra and up and down California, see

California's Best Camping website logo

High Sierra Trails

A Backpacker's Guide to the Most Spectacular Trails in the Sierra Nevada

Last updated, January 2024