Camp Lake Fishing Emigrant Wilderness

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Camp Lake Fishing

Emigrant Wilderness

Pretty little Camp Lake is only slightly more than an hour's hike from the Crabtree Trailhead south of Pinecrest. Because camping is prohibited along the shoreline most backpackers continue on another mile and a quarter to larger Bear Lake, leaving Camp Lake to the anglers.

Camp Lake's 7,600-foot elevation makes it a good choice for an early summer trip soon after the snow melts. Hungry trout are feeding all day long, making enjoyable targets for fly fishermen. Shallows, points, and coves offer a variety of places to test your luck for the resident rainbows.

Camp Lake

Sidetrips:

Bear Lake is the obvious sidetrip from Camp Lake, only a little more than a mile of easy terrain separates the two. Fish for rainbows and brook trout. A good spin casting lake.
To reach Grouse Lake, backtrack a mile and a quarter and take the Pine Valley trail. Drop 600 feet over 3.6 miles. Fish for brook trout in Grouse Lake.

Other Featured Trips in Tuolumne County

Buck Lakes - 11 miles via Pine Valley trail from Camp Lake
South Fork Stanislaus River - fish your way from Fraser Campground all the way upstream to Strawberry
South Fork Stanislaus River above Strawberry - fish your way from Strawberry up to Pinecrest Lake.
Herring Creek Reservoir - Enjoyable fishing at a quiet reservoir off Herring Creek Road. A good spot for children to learn to fish.

bridge at Crabtree trailhead, Tuolumne County, California

Crabtree Trailhead Bridge

In My Creel

#16 barbless Adams
#12 barbless Blue Wing Olive
#14 barbless Royal Wulff
Mepps
Thomas Buoyant
Panther Martin

I recently received my new barbless flies from Big Y Fly Company, and I was anxious to put them to another test. So much better than trying to crimp the barbs myself. The Adams, Blue Wing Olive, and Royal Wulff all produced strikes. I did toss in a several lures with my spin rod, but after a few less than encouraging casts I went right back to my fly rod.

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Trout Fishing Best Sellers

Recommended Books, Maps, Lures, and Flies for Fishing Camp Lake

High Sierra Fly Fishing : Basics to Advanced Tactics A great book for fishing Sierra lakes and streams. Covers everything from beginning to advanced tactics.
Emigrant Wilderness Trail Map, a shaded relief trail map by Tom Harrison. Includes contours, camping spots, trails, and more. Scale: 1 inch = 1 mile
Panther Martin Best of the Best Trout Lures Kit. Three of their most popular colors in two of our most popular sizes. Razor sharp treble red hooks mimic wounded fish.
FISHINGSIR Fly Fishing Flies Kit - 64/100/110/120pcs Handmade Fly Fishing Lures - Dry/Wet Flies,Streamer, Nymph, Emerger with Waterproof Fly Box - Large selection of flies includes trusted patterns (such as Adams, Woolly Bugger, Elk Hair Caddis, Griffith's Gnat, Stimulator, Egg Fly, etc.) used by anglers around the world.

Bear Lake

Sierra Fishing Destinations

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Making Your Way to Camp Lake

The Crabtree Trailhead is 10 miles off Highway 108 on Crabtree Road. Crabtree Road cuts off the highway about 3 miles west of Pinecrest Lake. Most of the road is paved and street vehicles can make the trip easily. Along the way the road passes through Aspen Pack Station. A spur off Crabtree Road leads to the Gianelli Cabin Trailhead, another popular jumping off point into the wilderness.

Ample parking is found at the trailhead both for regular vehicles and those towing trailers. Overnight camping is allowed at the trailhead for anyone planning to head off into the wilderness the next day. There is no fee. There are picnic tables, fire pits, and restrooms.

The 2½ mile hike to Camp Lake begins by crossing a small bridge and ascending two short climbs, gaining about 400 feet in the first mile and a quarter. After that the trail eases up and continues over slightly undulating terrain. Two trails split off from the Camp Lake trail. All intersections are marked. The first side trail leads to Chewing Gum Lake and the second to Pine Valley.

Along the way you will pass a shallow pond and then soon afterwards arrive at Camp Lake. A side trail, a short distance past Camp Lake, leads off to an un-named lake 2 miles away and eventually to Piute Lake, 5 miles from Camp Lake.

Lodging and Camping

Backpacking camping at Camp Lake means selecting a site that is not between the trail and the lake. Shoreline restoration efforts have obviously paid off because there is little sign of erosion or trampling of foliage. The sites on the other side of the trail are exposed and not especially inviting. The better choice is to hike the extra mile to Bear Lake where there are many good sites (and more fishing).

Camping is allowed for one night at the trailhead. No fee. Otherwise, consider camping around Pinecrest Lake where there are two campgrounds and plenty of support facilities such as a store, tackle shop, and restaurant.

California's Best Camping

For complete information about campgrounds around the greater Pinecrest area, see

Fishing Supplies

On your way to the Camp Lake trailhead, you can pick up fishing supplies locally at the following places:

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

Camp Lake Fishing
Emigrant Wilderness

Sierra Fishing Destinations