Dave's Sierra Fishing

Fishing Susie Lake, Desolation Wilderness, CA

Susie Lake Overview:

Susie Lake is great overnight destination in the Desolation Wilderness. There are two convenient ways to approach the lake, one from the head of Fallen Leaf Lake and the other from the Echo Lakes trailhead. Situated at an elevation of 7800 feet, Susie Lake makes a good mid-summer and fall destination for fishing. Excellentfishing is found all around the lake and at several nearby lakes. To enter the Desolation Wilderness you need a wilderness permit. They are required for day hikes as well as overnight trips.

Approach to Susie Lake:

For a single day fishing outing, the Fallen Leaf trailhead makes the most sense. To reach Susie Lake from Fallen Leaf Lake, drive from Lake Tahoe to the upper end of Fallen Leaf and around to find the Glen Alpine Creek trailhead. Hike up the creek past Lily Lake and Glen Alpine Spring. After a little more than 3.5 miles you will meet the Pacific Crest Trail. Head left and up to Susie Lake, about 5 miles total and 1500 feet in elevation gain.

From Echo Lakes take the water taxi to the upper end of the lakes and head for Lake Aloha. Five miles of moderate uphill hiking (1000 feet elevation gain) will bring you to the shores of Lake Aloha. It is a very popular destination and in the fall the water levels drop considerably. Keep on around the lake to the trail junction at its north end and turn right, dropping down past Heather Lake to Susie Lake. In all, it is about a 7 mile hike.

In My Creel:

Since I was carrying both a light spin casting outfit and my fly rod for my fishing in the Desolation Wilderness, I stuffed a number of lures, spinners, and flies into my backpack. Among them I tried my luck with the following:

Desolation Wilderness Sidetrips:

From Susie Lake it is only a short hike up the trail to Heather Lake which offered a host of good fishing along its often rocky shore. A short cross-country jaunt will take you to Lake Le Conte. I would skip Lake Aloha since it is so heavily used. Hardly more than a mile from Susie Lake in other directions are Gilmore, Alta Morris, and Half Moon lakes, all good fishing destinations in the Desolation Wilderness.

Recommended Books for Susie Lake and the Desolation Wilderness

• Desolation Wilderness and the South Lake Tahoe Basin, Jeffrey P. Schaffer. Schaffer, a leading trail author, provides complete coverage of hiking in the Eagle Lake area. A book you will use again and again.
• Lake Tahoe's Desolation Wilderness Fishing Guide, Jermoe Yesavage. Thorough book on fishing in the Desolation Wilderness with information on nearly every lake and stream. Also available in Kindle edition at a greatly reduced price.
• California's Best Fishing Waters. From Wilderness Adventures Press. 182 detailed maps of the best fishing rivers and streams in California.
• Trout Flies for Rivers: Patterns from the West that Work Everywhere, Carol Ann and Skip Morris. (2009) Filled with both hot new flies and proven, reliable standards plus tips on how, where, and when to fish these patterns. Step-by-step instructions for tying the most effective trout flies for rivers across North America. Includes DVD.

Accommodations:

Lake Tahoe is crowded in the summer and on weekends, so be sure to have reservations if you plan to stay in the vicinity. Lodging is available at South Lake Tahoe and Stateline, Nevada. I especially like the Holiday Inn Express in South Lake Tahoe. Some especially good rates at hotels can be found at South Lake Tahoe in the fall.

You can find lodging and vacation rental cabins at Fallen Leaf Lake. Along the west shore of Lake Tahoe look for lodging at Camp Richardson, Meeks Bay, and Homewood. Campgrounds can be found at Fallen Leaf Lake, Bayview, and Eagle Point.

Along Highway 50 on the west side of Echo Summit you will find many campgrounds. You might consider staying at the Strawberry Lodge in Strawberry or the Echo Chalet right at the edge of Echo Lakes.

Good backpacking sites are located in several places around Susie Lake. It can get busy when Pacific Crest Trail hikers are at their peak in mid-summer. That's when I would move up to Half Moon Lake or its neighbor Alta Morris Lake. They both offer scenic campsites.

For more information about camping, lodging, boating, and fishing in the Tahoe area, see California's Greatest Lakes coverage of South Lake Tahoe.

Fishing Supplies:

I like to check out Orvis to get the best deals on quality gear. If you are on your way to Susie Lake you can stop at the north end of Lake Tahoe in Truckee to pick up supplies. Fishing tackle is available at these stores:

• Mountain Hardware and Sports, 11320 Donner Pass Road
• Trout Unlimited, 10356 Donner Pass Road, #3

Closer to the Desolation Wilderness, fishing supplies are available almost anywhere you stop from Tahoe City at the north end of Lake Tahoe to South Lake Tahoe where you will find these places:

• Tahoe Fly Fishing Outfitters, 2705 Lake Tahoe Blvd.
• Sportsman, 2556 Lake Tahoe Blvd.
• Tahoe Bait and Tackle, 900 Ski Run Blvd., #102

Coming up Highway 50 you can stop in Placerville at Off the Hook Fly Shop, 1351 Broadway.