Yosemite Fly fishing/golden trout

[fish4life]

So i am heading to Yosemite on July 26 with my family for like a week and i am going to be doing alot of fly fishing. Anyways i needs some info on what flies are working this time of year?(Details please i am an average fly fisherman) I am fishing for different trout species brown,brook,rainbow and golden?(if there is any???) Anyone know some hot spots in Yosemite or just outside of it thats great for fly fishing ??? Also are there even Golden trout in Yosemite are they hidden in some lake high up in the mountains or something.
-thanks :)

[DCCTrouserTrout]

I hate to tell you but I don't think many people will cough up a golden trout spot. I honestly don't really know of any nor have I ever caught a golden so I am in the same boat as you. As for flies, I have always done good in the sierra's with the usual. Elk hair caddis, parachute adams, and irrestible adams are usually my top water flies of choice...

[seal]

I remember a lake above Tuolomne Meadows, Dog lake I think, that contained Goldens. Also the entrance at Tioga Pass there is a trail just inside the entrance (actually you can get there from just outside the park) that you can take a great hike up to some really good high country brook trout fishing, probably Goldens up there also, sorry can't recall the name of the lakes. One bigger lake and several smaller lakes up there, beautiful area with excellent brook trout fishing. I don't think the fly selection is that critical, when they are feeding they take just about any of the normal caddis drys or nymphs.

Also I liked fishing the Merced right through the meadow by the Yosemite Lodge, in some of the areas where a tree might be shading the river you can get into some bigger fish.

[teejay]

You may want to get a copy of Beck's "Yosemite Trout Fishing Guide".
I don't personally have a copy but I find his book "Fishing the John Muir Trail"
to be helpful. Good Luck. Hope you post a report on your trip.

[Natural Lefty]

fish4life, Yosemite has good populations of Rainbow, Brook and Brown Trout. However, if you are hoping to find a mecca of Golden Trout fishing in Yosemite, you are barking up the wrong tree. All of major the Golden Trout areas in the Sierra -- by that I mean drainages dominated by Golden Trout -- are farther south.

One poster mentioned the lakes near Tioga Pass. These are called Gaylor Lakes. I have been there, and they have good fishing, at least the first one you come to on the trail does, but they are exclusively Brook Trout.

I went to Dog Lake once, and it seemed fishless. Its outlet was dry, so fish probably could not spawn there. It was also listed as having Brook Trout in my guide. I have heard of Goldens and hybrids in a few remote spots in the far northern part of Yosemite, such as Tilden Lake and Mary Lake, but these are in backpacking country probably a 15 mile hike or so from any roads, and I am not sure whether these are all hybrids or include purebred Goldens.

There are Goldens in the Twenty Lakes Basin just east of Tioga Pass, though, that can be reached in a day hike from Saddlebag Lake. Conness Lakes (upstream from Greenstone Lake), Odell Lake, and a few other small lakes in the area have Goldens. Twenty Lakes Basin is just east of Yosemite. Good Luck!

[seal]

fish4life, Yosemite has good populations of Rainbow, Brook and Brown Trout. However, if you are hoping to find a mecca of Golden Trout fishing in Yosemite, you are barking up the wrong tree. All of major the Golden Trout areas in the Sierra -- by that I mean drainages dominated by Golden Trout -- are farther south.

One poster mentioned the lakes near Tioga Pass. These are called Gaylor Lakes. I have been there, and they have good fishing, at least the first one you come to on the trail does, but they are exclusively Brook Trout.

I went to Dog Lake once, and it seemed fishless. Its outlet was dry, so fish probably could not spawn there. It was also listed as having Brook Trout in my guide. I have heard of Goldens and hybrids in a few remote spots in the far northern part of Yosemite, such as Tilden Lake and Mary Lake, but these are in backpacking country probably a 15 mile hike or so from any roads, and I am not sure whether these are all hybrids or include purebred Goldens.

There are Goldens in the Twenty Lakes Basin just east of Tioga Pass, though, that can be reached in a day hike from Saddlebag Lake. Conness Lakes (upstream from Greenstone Lake), Odell Lake, and a few other small lakes in the area have Goldens. Twenty Lakes Basin is just east of Yosemite. Good Luck!

That's the lakes 'Gaylors'! Yea my Dog lake fishing was back in 1980 so not surprised things have changed but have been up to the Gaylors withing the last 5 years or so. That first lake is where we got into some real nice brookies.

Thanks for the reminder!

[Natural Lefty]

Seal, you are welcome. That first lake is Middle Gaylor Lake. I fished there several times long ago, and caught some well-fed looking Brookies there, although only around 8 inches long, all using the bobber and fly technique. I brought a few back to eat, and they all had pink meat, I believe -- very tasty fish. I also fished Upper Gaylor and the other 2 lakes in the area to no avail. I could see Lower Gaylor in the meadow to the northwest of Middle Gaylor, and was tempted to go down there to fish, but never did. I think Lower Gaylor is lightly fished (out of the way and not on a trail, but an easy cross country hike) and should have very good fishing.

[fish4life]

Well thanks for the replies. Guess ill probably have to go to Kern river later for my golden trout quest :( Thanks for the info and everything you guys said much appreciated.