Hey Jim, I just did this hike on Thursday! (Day hike) Didn’t make it all the way to Kennedy lake, turned around at Soda canyon. Went up to fish for a few days. Water was really high in all the creeks and rivers. Weather was fantastic!
Maybe. Not as swampy / marshy as some other areas though. If you fish Iceland or Sardella, please let me know how it goes. The others I have a pretty good bead on. That area's going to be popular this time of year. Nearly everyone I ran into last year past Relief was heading to the "Granite Lakes". Of the lakes though, I'd imagine that Iceland probably has the least number of folks visiting. Have fun!
Love the French canyon area. I made my first trip there last season and have fallen in love with the area. I’m sure it will be an area I will be re visiting frequently.
@@highcountrychronicles Via Puite or Pine Creek? If you get there try to take the side trip up to the Puppet Lake Basin area. Use the side trail (South of the Northern end of French Canyon) to Elba, Moon, and L Lakes. STELLAR Beauty. You won't be disappointed.
I was going to head up to that area this weekend but decided not to because of the storm. I'm surprised by the lack of snow already. I'm afraid this year is going to be another bad fire year. Thanks for the video.
I had planned a 3 day trip but was fortunate to be able to do the overnighter. It will be interesting to see how the year progresses. Lightning in July again? We'll see....
You need a permit but the Emigrant doesn't have a quota system. Simply call them up and have them leave it in the box or if it continues like it has this year, there's self permitting at the ranger station.
This was back in April. There was a fire last year near Crabtree but I don't recall seeing anything here. There are burned trees on the way up. Just above Clark Fork on 108.
Water looks distressingly low for this time of year. Never realized there were (at least) two Kennedy Meadows in the Sierra, I'm used to going to the one in the southern Sierra on the So. Fork of the Kern. Good stuff. Discouraged by the snowpack up there.
Yeah, low water and not much on the crest unfortunately. Yeah, a lot of people don't realize that there are at least two Kennedy Meadows. Which one is always my first question. :) Kinda like "Mono Pass".
Nice catch! I did an overnight to that lake once and caught a couple trout similarly colored to that ‘snake’ fish. The only way i could fool them was by casting into they’re ripples and paying close attention to when my lure was dropping. I seen lots of fish in the outlet too but that was later in the season. I remember being impressed by that basin and soda canyon because it was so large compared to the other places I had been. Maybe similar to the canyon west of kuna crest in yosemite minus the bear population. Thanks for sharing that video. Cool stuff.
Thanks! i had a trip planned into the Kuna crest last year which unfortunately ended up being a day trip because the park service disallowed parking at the trailhead.....
@@highcountrychronicles yea i bet. There was barely any parking even 15 years ago. I didnt fish on that trip but, was catching brookies out of bobcock (sp?) or boothe lake on a through hike to yosemite valley one year. Was so many fish surfacing in the evenings that almost the entire lake was covered in the ripples.
You little rascal You beat me to Kennedy I was just thinking today ( I wonder if the road is open , I wonder if the trail to Kennedy Lake is manageable ) Well I know now , Jim went last week
My family and I are going to Kennedy lake middle of next week. I know you camped at the stream before the lake but what do you think the best camping / view is ? I’ve seen conflicting opinions on AllTrails , some say stay left and high but there is few camping spots . Some say cross the creek and camp on the right side. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Best view is going to be left and high. And yes, there are few campsites. I remember 1 established site. www.highcountryflyfisher.com/images/Photos/EW/KL081126-HCFF.jpg It was windy but had a great view! Best sites are going to be on the right before the lake or maybe in that small grove of trees right before the lake @10:52. So you have two choices really. Camp before the lake or stay to the left and camp at the lake proper. There also maybe sites near the inlet. I remember it as being brushy and sandy however and I wouldn't trek to the far side of the lake to make my camp. If you are camping with the family and that means young kids and your wife, maybe the most protected sites would be most enjoyable and that would be before the lake.
Yes, you do but permitting is easy in the Emigrant. Typically you just call and ask and it will be put out for you same day. This year there was a self permitting station set up for when the office was closed.
@@highcountrychronicles Thanks Jim, I'm going to try to get out there this month. If not Kennedy Lake then I'll hike to the eastern side of Spicer Meadow Reservoir and fish my way up highland creek to Hiram canyon. 👍
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Great spot. Have many good memories there as a youth.
Nice!
New to ur videos. They r awesome👌
Thank you!!!
Unbelievable amount of lacking snow. Always enjoy your videos!!! Stay safe Jim.
Thanks Ricardo!
Nice vid, thanks for the upload
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching!
love it dude! I want to do this soon. What are your go too flies at these high country lakes? Wolly bugger/ balanced leech?
In the Emigrant my go to is a Callibaetis imitation. Specifically, Rickard's Callibaetis Nymph.
@@highcountrychronicles Sweet thanks!
Those peaks at the backside of the Kennedy lake, my son and I climbed them back in 2015. Good fishing at High Emigrant lake up in the gap 👍
Yep. Good Brook Trout fishing in there.
Hey Jim, I just did this hike on Thursday! (Day hike) Didn’t make it all the way to Kennedy lake, turned around at Soda canyon. Went up to fish for a few days. Water was really high in all the creeks and rivers. Weather was fantastic!
Cool sounds like run off has started. Thanks for the beta. I'm thinking Buck Lakes for memorial day. Maybe Emigrant.
Have you ever fished Sharon lake? Seems like a lot of effort to get there but that good mean great fishing
No I haven't. There are a bunch of smaller off trail lakes I want to check out however.
Looks like a nice trip! How bad are the mosquitos in emigrant this season?
This was early so it wasn't too bad. Camp Lake a few weeks later was worse. I would expect it to be really bad right about now.
@@highcountrychronicles We are looking to go to the iceland lake area this weekend. Could be pretty bad out there
Maybe. Not as swampy / marshy as some other areas though. If you fish Iceland or Sardella, please let me know how it goes. The others I have a pretty good bead on. That area's going to be popular this time of year. Nearly everyone I ran into last year past Relief was heading to the "Granite Lakes". Of the lakes though, I'd imagine that Iceland probably has the least number of folks visiting. Have fun!
@@highcountrychronicles Thank you!
Love the French canyon area. I made my first trip there last season and have fallen in love with the area. I’m sure it will be an area I will be re visiting frequently.
I've been planning to go for ages and simply never planned far enough ahead to do it. :D I've got a permit for this year, so I'm set.
@@highcountrychronicles Via Puite or Pine Creek? If you get there try to take the side trip up to the Puppet Lake Basin area. Use the side trail (South of the Northern end of French Canyon) to Elba, Moon, and L Lakes. STELLAR Beauty. You won't be disappointed.
Thanks! I went a couple of weeks ago. Great stuff!
Another great video Jim! I’ll be up in the emigrant next week and might change my route after watching today. Keep’em coming!
Thanks! Let me know where you decide on going!
I was going to head up to that area this weekend but decided not to because of the storm. I'm surprised by the lack of snow already. I'm afraid this year is going to be another bad fire year. Thanks for the video.
I had planned a 3 day trip but was fortunate to be able to do the overnighter. It will be interesting to see how the year progresses. Lightning in July again? We'll see....
Thanks for sharing this. I've been wanting to head up to Kennedy Lake. Seems like a good early season overnighter. Super beautiful!
You are welcome! Yes. It certainly is!
did you need a permit to camp or to pay for parking? I would love to go!
You need a permit but the Emigrant doesn't have a quota system. Simply call them up and have them leave it in the box or if it continues like it has this year, there's self permitting at the ranger station.
Thanks for the vid, didn't know the highway was open to Kennedy meadows. I'm planning on my trip in there. Wow it's going to be a scary dry year.
Yeah, it looks that way. Hopefully we'll get some summer showers..... Thanks for watching. :)
I've heard there was a fire near did you see alot of burned timber?
This was back in April. There was a fire last year near Crabtree but I don't recall seeing anything here. There are burned trees on the way up. Just above Clark Fork on 108.
@@highcountrychronicles I just saw that on a clarks fork trip this weekend, when did it burn?
Water looks distressingly low for this time of year. Never realized there were (at least) two Kennedy Meadows in the Sierra, I'm used to going to the one in the southern Sierra on the So. Fork of the Kern. Good stuff. Discouraged by the snowpack up there.
Yeah, low water and not much on the crest unfortunately. Yeah, a lot of people don't realize that there are at least two Kennedy Meadows. Which one is always my first question. :)
Kinda like "Mono Pass".
Nice catch! I did an overnight to that lake once and caught a couple trout similarly colored to that ‘snake’ fish. The only way i could fool them was by casting into they’re ripples and paying close attention to when my lure was dropping. I seen lots of fish in the outlet too but that was later in the season. I remember being impressed by that basin and soda canyon because it was so large compared to the other places I had been. Maybe similar to the canyon west of kuna crest in yosemite minus the bear population. Thanks for sharing that video. Cool stuff.
Thanks! i had a trip planned into the Kuna crest last year which unfortunately ended up being a day trip because the park service disallowed parking at the trailhead.....
@@highcountrychronicles yea i bet. There was barely any parking even 15 years ago. I didnt fish on that trip but, was catching brookies out of bobcock (sp?) or boothe lake on a through hike to yosemite valley one year. Was so many fish surfacing in the evenings that almost the entire lake was covered in the ripples.
You little rascal
You beat me to Kennedy
I was just thinking today ( I wonder if the road is open , I wonder if the trail to Kennedy Lake is manageable )
Well I know now , Jim went last week
LOL. Yep. Had to cut it short because of the storm but it was fun. LOL.
Great looking trip, except for the lack of sleep part!
Yeah, I'm not sure what was up with that. I didn't feel like the wind was keeping me up but maybe next time I'll put in the ear plugs....
My family and I are going to Kennedy lake middle of next week. I know you camped at the stream before the lake but what do you think the best camping / view is ? I’ve seen conflicting opinions on AllTrails , some say stay left and high but there is few camping spots . Some say cross the creek and camp on the right side. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Best view is going to be left and high. And yes, there are few campsites. I remember 1 established site.
www.highcountryflyfisher.com/images/Photos/EW/KL081126-HCFF.jpg
It was windy but had a great view!
Best sites are going to be on the right before the lake or maybe in that small grove of trees right before the lake @10:52.
So you have two choices really. Camp before the lake or stay to the left and camp at the lake proper. There also maybe sites near the inlet. I remember it as being brushy and sandy however and I wouldn't trek to the far side of the lake to make my camp.
If you are camping with the family and that means young kids and your wife, maybe the most protected sites would be most enjoyable and that would be before the lake.
@@highcountrychronicles thanks for taking the time to answer my question. Can’t wait to try visit a new lake ✌🏻
Did you need a permit to overnight ?
Yes, you do but permitting is easy in the Emigrant. Typically you just call and ask and it will be put out for you same day. This year there was a self permitting station set up for when the office was closed.
Kennedy Meadows is already open?!
Yes. Looks fully operational.
@@highcountrychronicles Thanks Jim, I'm going to try to get out there this month. If not Kennedy Lake then I'll hike to the eastern side of Spicer Meadow Reservoir and fish my way up highland creek to Hiram canyon. 👍
Nice. Either sounds good. Let me know how it goes.
Anybody happen to know if the road's open to Kennedy going east on 108?
Still closed. You can check here for conditions: roads.dot.ca.gov/roadscell.php