Hyas Lake

[FishinManiac]

I've been searching for a hike to lake with decent fishing. I found Hyas Lake and have been doing some research to no avail. Has anyone fished there? If so, what kinds of trout are up there and how many people are around? Any piece of information is more than welcome as well as other suggestions for hike to high lakes/streams.

[Mike Carey]

Hyas Lake - 1.5 mile hike at 3550 feet, 124 acres, holds eastern brook trout. Source - Washington State Fishing Guide, 7th Ed.

I added it to our database:

http://www.washingtonlakes.com/LakeInfo ... d=9001&t=1

Looks like an easy hike, and a nice view of Cathedral Rock above it. Here is a link from my favorite hiking trails web site for Washington:

http://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/hyas ... =Hyas+lake

I'm going take a guess that the lake may be kind of shallow based on the topography, and as such may warm up quicker than other lakes, offering earlier season opportunity. I'm also thinking it would be worth bringing waders to get out away from shore to cast into the deeper middle. But this is all speculation on my part.

Because of the ease of the hike, I would expect it to be incredibly crowded, especially on the weekends.

[FishinManiac]

Are there any other lakes in the area that would have less people without a very long hike? Two to three mile hike would be perfect. Or are there going to be a lot of people regardless because of the area?

[Mike Carey]

I think regardless due to the close proximity to I-90. If you can hike during the week that helps a lot. And start early in the day, like be on the trail around 8am. Look for hikes that have more distance and elevation gain if you're up to it. Nice as Hyas may be, with minimal distance and elevation gain it would be on everyone's short list for an easy hike.

One area that is an outstanding place to hike to is Rachel and Rampart Lakes. I saw a lot of fish in these lakes. The high country is beautiful. To get up to Rachel (the first lake) is a bit of a workout, at least for me it was. There is a spot that has significant elevation gain for about a mile prior to hitting the lake. That will thin out the crowd a bit.

[FishinManiac]

Would you say it's a long hike? I watched the video and you said it was almost 11.5 miles round trip to Rampart Lakes. So hike to Rachel Lake is about 10 miles or a little over 10 miles?

[Mike Carey]

Would you say it's a long hike? I watched the video and you said it was almost 11.5 miles round trip to Rampart Lakes. So hike to Rachel Lake is about 10 miles or a little over 10 miles?

Yes, that's about right. Long, depends on your conditioning. I did the hike as a day hike with a couple hours of relax/fish time at the top, starting 8am, ending around 3:30 I believe. For me it was on the long side, especially coming back.

[FishinManiac]

Is it a good trail? And would you suggest going up and fishing the Rampart Lakes over Rachel Lake?

[Mike Carey]

Is it a good trail? And would you suggest going up and fishing the Rampart Lakes over Rachel Lake?

The trail through Box Canyon is very nice. Going the last mile to Rachel there are some rough spots that are quite steep (but still is a trail, not a climb). It isn't pedestrian but not impossible, just grueling for a quarter mile or so. Rachel is great, but if you have the time press on to the Ramparts, it's breathtaking. Just plan on a full day trip. Even better, do an overnight at Rampart.

[stryker17]

Be careful there are a lot of auto break ins at the Rachel Lk trail head, sheriffs report very often.. Always someone ruining the weekend....

[cwbraue]

I went to both of those lakes last September and didn't see any signs of fish in either. I did see a ranger leaving Hyas though , and he said there are fish in there, including some good sized ones, but they're hard to catch. It is a shallow lake, it looked like the far end might be a little deeper, I only went part way up the lake.

As for Rachel, I saw zero evidence of fish and I circled the entire lake fishing in my raft. According to the WDFW alpine stocking report it hasn't been stocked in years. It is a fairly grueling hike at the end so I was quite disappointed to find no fish there, but it is scenic.