Looking for a High Lake to hike into?

[flying_soldier]

I am trying to find a nice high lake or possibly a stream that gets minimal traffic to hike in to. I would prefer at least a 4-5 mile hike in up to around 8 miles. I plan on packing in both a spinning and fly rod along with my sleeping back and water. Does anyone have any ideas for me? I have heard there is some decent hike to lakes and streams out past granite falls but am fairly new to the area and would appreciate any ideas from the locals as well as how to get there. Thanks!! PS, I live in Kirkland but am willing to drive

[littleriver]

Past Granite Falls the lakes are small and the hikes are short (Pinnacle, Bear, Boardman, Goat, etc, etc) except for the twin lakes out past Monte Cristo. Go to Barlow Pass (where the road that follows the south fork of the stilly turns to gravel and goes left way out there past the mt Pilchuck turnoff) and park in the designated area north of the road. There's a gated road to Monte Cristo... you hike past the gate and down the 4 miles to monte cristo and then follow the trail up over poodle dog pass and around to twin lakes.... don't neglect the outlet stream flowing from the second lake, that's where I always saw the biggest trout.. could never catch one though cuz I always spooked them before I could get close enough to cast... lots of nice trout in the lakes to cast to though... another really excellent fishing lake is up past index.. Blanca lake is about a 3.5 mile hike, but check road conditions there... I've been hearing rumors that both routes to the trailhead were washed out and impassable at some point many miles from the trailhead.

Also, if you know your way around glacier peak there's a bunch of lakes you can bushwhack into along the ridge that goes from fire creek pass down toward the junction of the suiattle and sauk rivers... Just follow the suiattle creek road to it's end (check reports because it may be impacted by last winters bad weather) and bear right to go across suiattle creek and from there it's about 4 miles up to the junction with the crest trail...follow the crest trail up to mica lake.. from mica lake just bushwhack along the ridge going NNW.. there's about half a dozen lakes along that ridge and I've never been to any but have heard good things from those who say they made the trip.. one thing for sure, you will not have any company at any of these lakes.....


theres some more good ones along the west fork of the Foss river... go up past Skykomish and follow the foss river road up to the trail head.. about 2 miles in you get to trout lake.. that one isn't too good.. but from trout lake you gain altitude fast and get into a bunch of large mountain lakes... (Heart, copper, angeline, and a couple more.. I can't remember all the names)... there is good camping and good fishing here.. you'll do best with a float tube or raft of some kind... you will have company though, but much of it will be mountain climbers (there rocks and cliffs around this area are very popular with the technical climbing community) and granolas... not too many of the visitors to these lakes actually fish them... I've heard that the trailhead is accessible but that winter storms did some serious damage to the trail at least as far as Trout Lake.. expect to wade across the stream in places where bridges were once present to make the journey dry...



there's another good one along the middle fork of the snoqualmie river.. you go about 10 or 20 miles past the spur 10 gate to where Sunday creek crosses the road... go another mile or so to a trailhead and follow trail to sunday lake.... excellent fishing lake... take smaller flies (damselfly imitations are good) and a float tube... shore fishing is just about impossible on this one.. it's about 4 mile hike in...

[The Quadfather]

Not sure if Flying Soldier is Aaron from Kirkland??

But anyway,, a couple of things. I was just up hiking in the area which was spoken about previously, Monte Cristo and all that stuff up on the Mountain loop Hwy. past Granite falls. There def. are a lot of lakes up there and I have fished quite a few of them, and yes aren't usually over 3 miles.
But it's importan to note that this past winter we had all that terrible storm activity around here. I took 3 hikes up there. One of those being the trail into Monte Cristo. Definetly don't go up there right now. That place is like world war 3 hit. The beginning of the trail is a dirt road which crosses the Sauk river. The road is completly washed out, with the remaining road having huge fishers all through it, as it climbs along a hillside,, very dicey. There tons of signs warning not to go. Then there are 3 lakes which are about3-4 miles before the Monte. C. trail head. The turn off is Coal lake road. lt. side of Hwy. The 3rd lake has been very promising in the past. However this was strike out number 2 for me. About 2 miles before the 1st lake, Coal lake. The road again is washed away. It definetly is passable on foot though.
That 3rd lake is called lake Independance lake. Like I said, it has been pretty good for me. There is a log jam at one end, I alwalys love to fish log jams.
Look up in some books a couple of lakes which are off of Hwy. 2 near Stevens pass. lake Josephine..... access this lake from a turn off which is just maybe 1/4 mile down the east side of the pass. It is in an area which back side ski area. Probably 3.5 mile hike. This lake has been best for me the 3rd week of july in the past. As far as not having too much snow to make things are problem. It was July 17th one year that I saw what I think were cuthroat spawing in the outflow creek. Which by the way is the head waters to the icycle (sp?) creek.
Also look up in some books, Surprise lake, heather lake, Lake 22,.

Sorry if I got a little long winded on this.

[duckslayer]

Here's one I have kept in my bag of tricks for quite a few years.Canyon Lake sits on the south side of Green mountain.Directions:Take mountain loop highway out of Granite Falls,turn left at forest service road 41(just after robe valley trailhead)turn right off FR 41 onto FR 4110 (The road Y's here),follow FR 4410 to FR 4111( 4110 takes a hard left up the mountian,almost a hairpin turn don't take it.)follow FS 4111 up until it dead ends,(you have reached trail head.Not marked.No signage.Nice view from here.)Now hike in on the old abandoned logging road to the lake.This is a nice easy hike.It's pretty much flat, and runs along the side of the mountain.It's about 4.5 miles to the lake.This lake has either golden trout or brookies in it and maybe both.This has been pretty good to me over the years.The fish aren't huge but I have caught quite a few in the 9-10 inch range.I haven't been up there in 3 or 4 years, so I hopefully there are no new gates or wash outs,but it sounded like what you were looking for.This is definetly off the beaten path(not an official trailhead)so you are unlikely to run into anyone else up there.Also take lots of bug repellant this time of year,and watch for bears.The mountian usually has purple bear poo everywhere by July from the blueberry's that grow up there.I have never seen a bear up there but they are definetly around.I don't do much hiking these days so I figured I would toss out one of my better kept secrets.

[flying_soldier]

Thanks everyone for your ideas I greatly appreciate them!!!