Crooked Lake Overview:
Crooked Lake is tucked in among the rocks away from the main trail in the Grouse Ridge area north of Interstate 80 in northern California. While many of Crooked Lake's neighbors are shallow ponds, Crooked Lake is large enough and deep enough to support good size rainbow and brook trout.
Even though Grouse Ridge is a popular destination for people enjoying the outdoors, most don't wander off trail. The trek to Crooked Lake involves a little cross-country travel, but nothing difficult. You will most likely have the lake to yourself.
Recommended Books for the Crooked Lake Area
- 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.
- Trout: The Complete Guide to Catching Trout with Flies, Artificial Lures and Live Bait (The Freshwater Angler) Everything you need to know to successfully choose the right presentation for any situation on the trout stream, inlcuding catching trout with flies, artificial lures and live bait
- Top Trails: Sacramento: Must-do Hikes for Everyone, Steve Evans. Covers hikes from California's Sacramento Valley to the Sierra, including a section on Grouse Ridge.
- 1/6 oz Brown Trout Thomas Buoyant
- Super Duper
- Rooster Tail
- salmon eggs
- Berkley Power Bait
- Mike's Glitter Mallows
- Fordyce Creek - approached from Eagle Lakes or Lake Spaulding
- Glacier Lake - fish for golden trout in the Grouse Ridge area
- Lower Lola Montez Lake - easy hike from I80 near Donner summit
- Milk Lake - excellent fly fishing only a mile from the parking lot
- Penner Lake - one of the best fishing lakes in Grouse Ridge
- Round Lake - a quiet little lake you will probably have to yourself
Approach to Crooked Lake:
To get to Crooked Lake from Highway 80 west of Donner Summit, take the Highway 20 exit and follow it west 4 miles until you come to the turnoff to Bowman Lake. Follow this paved road 8.2 miles to the turnoff to Carr Lake. Travel on a slow, bumpy dirt road for 3 miles to a trailhead parking area at Carr Lake. 4-wheel drive is not necessary unless spring snow is still on the road. (34 minutes travel time from Hwy 20 to Carr Lake.)
The hike to Crooked Lake is 2.5 miles. During the hike you will climb about 200 feet and lose about 200 feet. Begin at the Carr Lake trailhead and hike 1 mile past Freeley Lake to the trail junction near Island Lake. Turn left there and hike 1 mile, past Island Lake and past a small pond. Then turn right off the trail and head for Crooked Lake.
Using a USGS map you can easily identify your destination. It is the largest of the cluster of lakes called Crooked Lakes. Hike cross country downhill about a third of a mile to the lake. There are no maintained trails to Crooked Lake, but use-trails can be picked up and followed. The map shows many other little lakes in the vicinity but all the ones I explored were shallow and filled with water plants. Not so good for fishing. Maybe frogs.
In My Creel:
I tried a variety of lures and baits while fishing at Crooked Lake :
I had the most action with the Super Duper and the Rooster Tail. My next trip I'm going to try fly fishing.
Accommodations and Supplies:
Lodging is available at nearby Cisco Grove, Soda Springs, or Norden. You also could go over Donner Pass to Truckee or Tahoe City. Campsites can be found at Carr Lake, Lake Spaulding, Rucker Lake, and Lindsey Lake. The best backpacking campsite at Crooked Lake is on the eastern side, on a bench overlooking the lake. You might also consider camping at Island Lake since it is so close. There are nice sites all around the lake.
A good selection of fishing supplies, camping gear, and food can be purchased in Nyack, only a few miles west on Interstate 80 from the Highway 20 junction. The store is open 24 hours a day. A gas station and Burger King are located there also.
Sidetrips:
The entire Grouse Ridge area is sprinkled with lakes. Once you enter the region you can fish your way from lake to lake for days without repeating yourself. Other destinations listed in this guide that could easily be reached from Crooked Lake are shown below.
Staying on the right route while moving from lake to lake can be tricky in the Grouse Ridge area, especially if you strike out cross country. Carry good maps and a compass or a reliable GPS.
