Dave's Sierra Fishing

Fishing Buck Lakes

Buck Lakes Overview

Buck Lakes are hidden away deep in the Emigrant Wilderness, with 20 other lakes within a three mile radius. Sure, some of those other lakes require a lot of up-and-down and round-about hiking, but Buck Lakes will provide enough great fishing to keep you busy for a long weekend in the back country. If you should seek other waters, nearby Emigrant Lake should be just what you were seeking.

Two Approaches to Buck Lakes

The Gianelli Cabin Trailhead

You can approach Buck Lakes from several different directions. Probably the most direct route is to hike the 12-mile trail from Gianelli's Cabin near Burst Rock. To reach Gianenlli's Cabin trailhead, leave Highway 108 on the Crabtree Road just a short distance east of Cold Springs. The last part of the road is gravel and makes for slow travel.

Numerous side trails and the lack of high peaks to serve as guides make path finding a little difficult. Good maps and a GPS are advised. Follow the trail over Burst Rock and out to Whitesides Meadow, about 6 miles. Then make Deer Lake your destination, staying on that trail for another 5 miles. From Deer Lake it is only another mile over a ridge and down to Buck Lakes.

It is also possible to find a similar route from the Crabtree Trailhead.

The Kennedy Meadows Trailhead

An alternate route to Buck Lakes begins at the Kennedy Meadows trailhead high on Sonora Pass. Although the trail is 6 miles longer (18 miles altogether), it takes you past spectacular Emigrant Lake along the way. This was the route I used on my most recent trip to Buck Lakes. Being a two-day hike, you can find good campsites along the way at Sheep Camp, Lunch Meadow, and Emigrant Lake, among others. The total climb is about 3000 feet. A great alternative is to be packed in from Kennedy Meadows by the Kennedy Meadows Pack Station.

The upper and lower Buck Lakes are completly different in character. The upper lake is more of a meadow lake with shallows and swampy areas near its upper end, while the lower lake is deeper and is ringed with rounded granite that offer great places from which to cast. Because other well-known lakes are closer to the trailheads, Buck Lakes don't see as many anglers such as the more popular Emigrant Lake. You'll find lots of coves and inlets around the shores and plenty of good places from which to cast.

In My Creel:

Since I planned to fish Summit Creek along the way as well as giant Emigrant Lake, I brought along a lot of different flies and lures that I thought might work out well. As it turned out, on my last trip in late August 2011 mosquitoes were swarming at the highest lakes because of the late spring and gnats did well, as did anything that resembled a little mosquito. Panther Martins were the best lure I tried.

Recommended Books and Maps for Buck Lakes

• Sierra North: Backcountry Trips in Californi's Sierra Nevada, Kathey Morey, Thomas Winnett. A standard wilderness hiking guide by outstanding authors. Has a whole section on trips beginning in Kennedy Meadows. A back country resource you will use again and again.
• High Sierra Fly Fishing, Basics to Advanced Tactics, Billy Van Loek. This is the book I go back to again and again to improve my technique fishing the high Sierra. A great resource on which flies to use and how to fish the high lakes and streams.
• National Geographic Map of the Carson-Iceberg, Emigrant, and Mokelumne Wilderness. A good overview map of the area.
• Spinner Fishing for Trout: A Proven System of Tackle, Techniques, and Strategies for Catching Trout, Jeff Deitrich. Learn how to cast, retrieve, and how to strike, play, and land trout on spinning equipment.

Accommodations and Supplies:

Good backpacking campsites are plentiful around Buck Lakes, especially in the area between the two main lakes. A few places are marked for site restoration.

If you are seeking campgrounds to spend the night before your trip, you can camp at either trailhead before setting out. Otherwise there are numberous Forest Service campgrounds around Kennedy Meadows and Pinecrest Lake. For lodging, consider the Pinecrest Resort, the Strawberry Inn, Dardanelle Resort, or Kennedy Meadows Resort. For more information about camping and lodging on Sonora Pass, see Sonora Pass Vacations.

Fishing supplies can be purchased locally at the following places:

• Strawberry Store, Strawberry
• Rich and Sal's Sport Shop, Pinecrest
• The Sportsman, 90 S. Washington, Sonora
• Mountain Liquors, 18711 Tiffeni Dr., Twain Harte
• Dardanelle Store, Dardanelle
• Ken's Sporting Goods, Bridgeport