The Ansel Adams Wilderness starts at the edge of the June Lake Loop, and its lakes hold brook trout, browns, rainbows and, in some high basins, goldens. Fern Lake is a steep walk from the chalet's back door. Agnew and Gem lakes are a climb from Silver Lake. Lakes are open all year under general rules, but most are snowbound until summer. Overnight trips need a wilderness permit.
- Water type
- Alpine lakes
- Fish
- Brookies, browns, rainbows; goldens in some high basins
- Best months
- Jul, Aug, Sep
- Drive from the chalet
- About 5 minutes
- Regulations
- General lake rules (open all year, 5 trout) unless posted. Parker Lake 14-inch minimum, 2 trout, artificial lures.
- The one thing
- Walk the shoreline, stay back from the edge, and drop a small dry where the cruisers turn.
From the back door: Fern Lake
Walk out of the chalet, about a mile down-canyon to the trailhead, then straight up: about 1.6 miles and 1,600 feet to a small cirque lake on the shoulder of Carson Peak. Brook trout, cruising the edges, eating dry flies with the enthusiasm of fish that do not see many. A half day, and you never touch the car. See the hiking notes.
Parker Lake
Short, easy and pretty, with a twist: Parker Lake has its own rules, open all year, artificial lures only, a 14-inch minimum and two fish. The browns and brookies have had time to grow. Parker Creek below it is catch and release all year.
Agnew, Gem and beyond
From the Silver Lake trailhead, the Rush Creek Trail climbs hard to Agnew Lake, then on to Gem and Waugh lakes, and eventually into the high basins around Thousand Island Lake below Banner and Ritter peaks. The higher you go, the fewer people, and the more likely you are to meet brookies, rainbows and, in some basins above 10,000 feet, goldens. Overnight trips need an Inyo National Forest wilderness permit.
We are not naming the basins. If you look at a map, notice which lakes have no trail to them, and start walking before sunrise, you will work it out.
Flies and gear
| Rod | 8 to 9 ft, 3- or 4-weight, a four-piece that fits a pack |
| Dries | Parachute Adams 16, black gnat 16, elk hair caddis 16, stimulator 14 |
| Subsurface | Hare’s ear 16, zebra midge 18, a small bugger for the deep edges |
| Pack | Water filter, rain shell, bug spray, a permit for overnights |
The one thing
Stealth. Alpine trout cruise the shallows in the open. Stay back from the edge, keep low against the sky, and cast to the fish you can see.
Common questions
Can you fish Fern Lake from June Lake?
Yes. Fern Lake is about a mile down-canyon from the chalet’s back door to the trailhead, then about 1.6 miles and roughly 1,600 feet of climbing to the lake, which holds brook trout that take dry flies.
Are there golden trout near June Lake?
California golden trout were stocked into high lakes throughout the Sierra Nevada decades ago, and some high basins in the Ansel Adams Wilderness hold them. Finding them is part of the deal.
What are the rules at Parker Lake?
Parker Lake has special rules, open all year, artificial lures only, a 14-inch minimum size and a two-trout limit. Parker Creek below the lake is all year, barbless artificial, catch and release.