Snowpack and Mountain Lakes

[HammerinHonkers]

Well Guys, I am not sure how many hiking fisherman we have on here, by the looks of the section, not too many. But, I was wondering what your input is on the snowpack this year, and how late this will delay us from getting up into the high mountains for some trout fishing? I have been hiking and fishing for 21 years of my 26 years of life and believe this might be the latest we are ever gonna get started. The snow pack is still just tremendous and I think that it might be aug before we get up into the 4500 ft or higher lakes without camping on some snow. I was just looking at some pics and back in 92' we were up fishing and doing well at a lake that is 4200 ft on fathers day weekend, not this year for sure. What do you gjys think. At the very least the lakes will all be full this year.
HH

[kevinb]

Well Guys, I am not sure how many hiking fisherman we have on here, by the looks of the section, not too many. But, I was wondering what your input is on the snowpack this year, and how late this will delay us from getting up into the high mountains for some trout fishing? I have been hiking and fishing for 21 years of my 26 years of life and believe this might be the latest we are ever gonna get started. The snow pack is still just tremendous and I think that it might be aug before we get up into the 4500 ft or higher lakes without camping on some snow. I was just looking at some pics and back in 92' we were up fishing and doing well at a lake that is 4200 ft on fathers day weekend, not this year for sure. What do you gjys think. At the very least the lakes will all be full this year.
HH

I'm certainly not an expert but my guess would be about the 2nd week of June. If we get those super hot days in a row again,Probably sooner. I want to get up there ASAP

At least by July..right?.....

[HammerinHonkers]

I guess it all depends on what you consider "high lakes" as. And when you are willing to go, snow or no snow. We have always waited until the snow is all gone from around the lakes, and that way the water can heat up some. I know we have gone when the snow is still around the lakes, but it is really not that great for fishing then. You can catch fish, but I much rather prefer the 30-40 fish days rather than fishing for hours to catch 5 or 6. Our lakes that we go to year in and year out are above the 4000 ft line, so i am guessing by how much snow is still on the pass that mid to late july would be the earliest I would go, but I know people go earlier. So that is that, I guess we will just see.
HH

[Coastfishin]

I saw on the news last night that Denny Creek Campground won't open until at least mid June. They said there is still 3-4 feet of snow on the ground there. Sorry, I can't remember Denny Creek's elevation.

[kutthroatkilla]

so i am guessing by how much snow is still on the pass that mid to late july would be the earliest I would go, but I know people go earlier.
HH

To error on the side of conservation I'd go with late July. It's 50F right now in North Bend and there is snow everywhere up in the hills. It will take warm temps and a lot of time. I'd say late July (20-30th). August is prime time for hiking these lakes, and September is amazing as well. June is not good, too much snow and adverse weather and early July can be iffy.

KTK

[SDAngler]

I was thinking the same thing, at least late July. I remember last year I took a trip up to Anderson/Watson lakes (5000s) in late June and there was still a good amount of snow around. Last year was much milder than this year so I am sure I will be waiting a lot longer. All I know is I am really itching to start hiking and it looks like I will be waiting a while longer.

[mallard83]

This last weekend for memorial day some friends and I hiked in to Lake Isabel which is at 2,300 ft elevation and there was still tons of snow. This is a 200 acre 200 ft. deep lake and it still was completely frozen over with 1.5-2ft of ice except for where the outlet creeks are. I wouldn't expect even this lake to be completely free from the clutches of winter until at least mid to late July (weather pending). Here are a few pics from this last weekend.

[kutthroatkilla]

If it's at only 2,300 feet then some of these lakes won't thaw out until September. This very cool spring and summer perhaps may plague those who want to get up there and hike/fish. 2300 feet is very low to see a lake like that frozen over. Here is what I found on Lake Isabel:

"Lake Isabel is elusive, lying at the edge of the Ragged Ridge Roadless Area; it is not easy to get to, but hikers with scrambling skills who persevere find much to satisfy them on this extremely challenging route. Routefinding skills are essential. There are good reasons the hike is not described in many guidebooks. The upper trail is rough, and getting to the lake involves a scramble. The trail has many unmarked junctions that may baffle even the most experienced routefinders. New roads and motorbike trails do not all show on the maps, which adds to the confusion. You cannot totally rely on the map for guidance, though the USGS Index map shows more of the road system. Allow extra time and the flexibility to turn back if necessary. People have gotten lost here. This hike is not recommended for most hikers."

Nice shots you got there. I'm surprised at the stubborn nature of this Spring and the cold temperatures still holding on. As I type this it's 57F right now and cool. It would be in the low 40's up there perhaps. I'm quite interested to see if this melts off quick or not. I love Alpine hikes, and usually make something out of Granite lakes near N. Bend...thanks for sharing this...saves many people a lot of time.

Casting a dry right over those submerged logs would be intresting...maybe an elk harris caddis in black, does Lake Isabel fish well from your experience?

[mallard83]

If it's at only 2,300 feet then some of these lakes won't thaw out until September. This very cool spring and summer perhaps may plague those who want to get up there and hike/fish. 2300 feet is very low to see a lake like that frozen over.

Yeah tell me about it, we thought the same thing when we got to the lake. This was the last thing that we expected. We are going to try again in mid to late July and hope for the best.

[mallard83]

[quote="kutthroatkilla"] Here is what I found on Lake Isabel:

"Lake Isabel is elusive, lying at the edge of the Ragged Ridge Roadless Area]

Oh, and by the way the main trail to this lake is no longer there. Sometime during the harsh winter we had May creek changed course and washed out the 4x4 bridge and the creek now runs directly down the 4x4 trail. It took us nearly 12 hours to get to the lake bushwacking up the mountain. We had to hunker down for the night on friday at about midnight on the most ungodly steep hillside using trees to keep from tumbling down during the night. We made it to the lake saturday morning with a couple of close brushes with death for the less experienced hikers in our group. Where the original 4x4 trail climbed the south side of the creek after it crossed the now non-existent bridge is a 100 yrd. wide swath through the trees that countinues to the top of the mountain that is now barren. I have never seen anything like it. REALLY BAD WINTER. On our way out I was able to find one of the other trails that follows the south side of the creek but especailly now it is very difficult to locate. We made it out to Reiter Road in about 2 hrs. on Monday morning even with inexperienced hikers. The "new" trail is easy for me to find now but I couldn't even begin to explain how to locate it to others because there are a ton of intersecting trails. I have ridden all of my life and still ride dirt bikes in this area and know the trails well so it is a lot easier for me to find. Here are a few more photos of the trip. Last pic is the main falls, kind of hard to tell but there was more water going over them than I have ever seen.

[kutthroatkilla]

Wow mallad83. This is intense stuff. That last picture means serious business. You can just see the power and torrent that those streams can unleash. You definately are far greater than an intermediate hiker. This is some serious territory. Once again, sweet pics, and keep them coming if you make it up that way. I wonder how fishing would have been at the lake where that sunken log was? Did you throw any dries at them? At only 2,300 feet, I can't begin to imagine if lakes near 6,500 feet will ever thaw out over the entire summer and even fall...

[mallard83]

Wow mallad83. This is intense stuff. That last picture means serious business. You can just see the power and torrent that those streams can unleash. You definately are far greater than an intermediate hiker. This is some serious territory. Once again, sweet pics, and keep them coming if you make it up that way. I wonder how fishing would have been at the lake where that sunken log was? Did you throw any dries at them? At only 2,300 feet, I can't begin to imagine if lakes near 6,500 feet will ever thaw out over the entire summer and even fall...

Yeah and that pic doesn't even do th falls justice, they are a 300 ft. verticle drop. I didn't bring a fly rod on this trip but we did try rooster tails and bobber and worm to no avail. Out where that log is on Isabel and to the edge of the ice it is mabey only ten feet deep at the deepest, that was at the main outlet creek, I think we needed to be a lot deeper than that to catch anything with how cold the water still was. Oh well, in July those trout are all mine. I will try to post a few more better quality pics when I download them from my girlfriends camera that is a lot nicer than mine.

Oh and in response to one of your previous posts, Isabel fishes very well when fish at the right time, (when not frozen solid) LOL.

[HammerinHonkers]

I have fished isabel many times years ago, and the fishing was always great. That lake is (i am pretty sure) the only lake in the cascades that you can take a float plane into. The first time we went up there we found a cove that had a 12 foot aluminum boat and oars in it, we did not know what to think. Then on evening magazine one night they flew a float plane into isabel for the closing 5 minutes of the show and then we knew how that boat got up there. We take single man inflatable rafts up there and just hammer the fish. Brook trout are what is in that lake, there are also some lake trout but I have only caught a few. Amazing snow pack this year, just incredible how much snow and ice is still there.
HH

[Rollin with Rolland]

i know most of you are a bit farther south, so think what it's like up here!! i have a 2200'er (lake) out the back window, and that's clear, but 4-5000', no way!! i would guess that some of the north/east exposure lakes in the north cascades at that elevation still have 5-10' of snow on/around them. Last year there was patchy snow at 5000' in july....this year...oh i hate to think about it....

[produce2troutcat]

1-2 feet of snow for elevations above 5500 feet for Thur nite-Sat morningThis could be the summer that never was.

[Fish On!]

Isabel has always been a fav lake of mine with many memories. Most years it would be ice free by mid May as it doesn't get the heavy snow like areas farther east. Not this year from the looks of it. There used to be a good listed Forest Service trail to Isable back in the late 60's and up till the mid 70's you could drive a car to within 1 mile of the waterfall. Excellent fishing if you have a rubber raft. You really need a boat on this lake as the shore fishing is difficult at best and it's just too deep near the outlet shore. This lake once held the state record for lake trout, so there are some big fish in there if you can get down deep enough.

Now that the Wild Sky Wilderness has passed I would bet this area will eventually get a freeway trail and tons of restrictions in place. Much of the upper Reiter will be shut down and there will be hundreds of people swarming this area loving it to death. Get out there now and see a truely wild place.

Mallard, the bridge that washed out was that the upper one? That road is about the worse road you'll ever walk. I always stop in amazement how the 4x4's manage to get up it. I used to 4x4 up that road 20 years ago and it was crazy then, now it's just insane. I've been wondering how the trail bridge faired? Sounds like you found the right trail out? There is a much easier trail out to good parking that will save you about 1 mile and 500 ft. elevation gain.

We had a winter back in the early 70's that was similar to this past winter. The high country didn't thaw out till late summer. I can remember hiking into the Foss Lakes in the first week of August and Copper Lake was 3/4 covered in ice and there were still large patches of snow. We day hiked up to Little Heart and it was frozen solid with 3-4 ft. of snow on the ground. Big Heart didn't open up till early Sept. and Chetwoot stayed frozen all year. Hope this isn't another repeat of that epic year.

[kavykid2k6]

looks like another long winter for the high lakes. i love hiking up to them but i dont think i am even gonna try till the end of july or so. with it still snowing in june-uary i bet it will be better then a month before the low lakes are thawed out. looks like hike in camping is out for a while too, dang.

any one wanna hike up too lake 22 or heather and check it out?

[kevinb]

Looks like we have to pull the snow shoes out..again](*,)

[zen leecher aka Bill W]

take some herring in with you on one of your trips and you might find the "fishing" a bit different. Mooch them like you were out in the salt.

A guy I knew won the "big fish" Hi-Laker contest one year mooching herring up there.

[Rollin with Rolland]

whatcom county 4000' stream...today 6/10.....can't even get close enough to fish (without worrying about falling in)....
















i think it was better before the snow last night...:pale: