Catching Trout in Desolation Wilderness
Fishing in Desolation Wilderness had been on my radar for some time now. This gem just outside of Lake Tahoe features over 63,000 acres of pure, backcountry hiking, camping and fishing. Brown trout, rainbow trout, and brookies? Sign me up.
That's not to say Desolation Wilderness is some perfect fishing wonderland. With multiple trout populations removed from lakes via gill nets for the Sierra Nevada Yellow Legged Frog Restoration Project, the fishing has declined in some areas. Certain areas, like Lake Aloha, can also draw quite a crowd. But if you throw on a pack and do the work to get out there, you can find some seriously pristine fishing holes miles away from the next fisherman.
How to Access Desolation Wilderness to Fish
If I were to do this trip again, I would hike in at the Eagle Falls trailhead instead of Bayview. We chose to start at the Bayview trail, which presents an extreme challenge in over 2000 feet of elevation and switchbacks right off the bat and bypasses Eagle Lake. The fishing in Eagle Lake, albeit drawing crowds due to close proximity to trailheads and civilization, is known to be relatively good. Next time I'd hike in from Eagle Falls but keep in mind you need the right permit and parking is horrific.
As this was a first backpacking trip for some of us, we packed way more than we needed for three days. Desolation Wilderness' bear canister requirement did not make this easy, as all food needs to be stored in these canisters lest you face significant fines. Pack light if you're going to be mobile - the terrain can be rocky and difficult off trail.
Be sure to get the necessary permits if you're going overnight or just hiking in. You can check out the National Forest Site for more info. They checked us entering the parking lot so don't skip out on this, the permits also help keep this place awesome.
What Fishing Gear to Bring to Desolation Wilderness?
In the spirit of backpacking and conserving weight, I had to make some tough calls when packing for this trip. Mainly - do I bring the fly rod or a spinning rod. Since we were going to be fishing lakes and I didn't want to invest in a whole ultralight fly fishing setup I opted the way of the spinning reel. I kept it cheap and easy with a telescopic spinning rod off of Amazon and a Kast King 500 reel. Lightweight and no worries if I snap it when I throw down my bag.
That being said, if you were to do this with a light fly rod you would probably have a field day with all the brooks and streams running through the area.
For tackle I brought an assortment of rooster tails and hooks in hopes of finding some live bait like crickets and worms. After hearing about the Sierra Nevada Yellow Legged Frog project, I also threw in a lifelike frog lure which will come into play.
The Fishing in Lower Velma Lake
We hiked directly to the Velmas on the first day to set up our backcountry fishing base camp. This small chain is made up of Upper Velma, Middle Velma, and Lower Velma, all of which are connected via small brooks and streams. Historically these lakes were stocked, but there is not much reliable information on whether they still are or have been in recent years.
So what fish can be found in Lower Velma Lake? According to my source, brook trout can be found in all of these lakes but only Lower Velma has the trifecta of rainbow, brown, and brook trout. Rumor has it that golden trout can be found in Desolation Wilderness, but I can't say whether these are present in the Velmas.
We set up on the cliffs overlooking Lower Velma as you approach from the southwest, featuring some pretty majestic views with easy access to both the lake and a small stream leading into it. I fished all around this area, mainly in the stream and where it meets the lake.
As the sun began to set, I could actually see brook trout moving about the stream. I put on a rooster tail and got a couple follows in some of the deeper holes within the stream. I also managed to get a hit wading out where the stream meets the lake, but alas was unable to get a good hook into the fish.
Two of my friends actually saw success using salmon eggs. They set up to the right of where the stream meets the lake in a shallower area with good access to deeper water. Both of them had the same bait and wait setup with a bobber and these salmon eggs, and both of them actually caught good looking brook trout on the retrieve. At this point it was night so we practiced some catch and release here instead of cooking them up. We were also a little paranoid about bears so we decided to call it here and live to fish another day.
The Fishing by Dick's Lake
This crater lake is situated near the Velmas and Fontanillis Lake off of the Pacific Crest Trail. Fishing at Dick's Lake was the next stop on our fishing tour of Eastern Desolation Wilderness.
Unlike Lower Velma, the good fishing spots here are much more accessible. The Northeastern side of the lake features steep drop offs within casting distance of shore. I actually met another hiker who told me about an article he read, where the fisherman had gotten skunked on rooster tails, powerbait, and flies. He finally through on an "inflatable worm" and started catching fish. Having no luck with the rooster tails I decided to throw on a couple salmon eggs and got a follow by a large trout on a retrieve, but alas my skunk continued.
My group decided to explore down the river running from Dick's Lake to Fontanillis and wow, what an experience. It felt like with every bend in the river or rock I clambered over, the further downriver I got the cooler the area got. We fished the river and several holes with the salmon eggs but there were no bites all around. That's when I switched over to my frog lure.
On one of my first casts in a large pool, I got a follow by a large trout. I was encouraged. About 30 minutes later, bam! I got a massive topwater hit from a big trout, but I didn't set the hook. Devastating. With the sun starting to set and realizing we were a long way from camp, we started heading back. I couldn't believe I had come all this way to be outplayed by brook trout. In frustration I continued casting along the river as we walked back until, finally, I brought in a trout off a topwater hit. At the last possible moment I had avoided the skunk and caught my first Desolation Wilderness fish.
You're going to have to take my word for it since my phone had been long dead at this point. But it was a decent looking brook trout, and it was so cool to have caught the hoss using a frog.
To summarize, Desolation Wilderness is a backcountry paradise. Is it a fishing paradise? Maybe not. But man there are definitely fish there. I took comfort in knowing I wasn't the only one having a hard time catching fish there, but with the right research and bait it's most definitely possible.
Want to catch fish in Desolation Wilderness? My final recommendation would be to drop the rooster tails for more specialized lures like frogs and worms, or live bait like crickets and real worms if you are using a spinning rod. If you are on the fly I can't make an accurate recommendation, but the fish sure were jumping in the evening. Dick's Lake got extremely windy in the evening, and with the thousands of big ants around that could be a good starting point.
Best of luck to those heading here to hike or fish. Feel free to send us a message if you have any questions!