No reports on Isabella ???

[billy b]

... or is that central cali? How far off is it from 395 and is there some nearby stream fishing too? I remember hearing about it 30+ years ago as having some nice trout.

Any info would be appreciated.

[Bassnman Mike]

How far off is it from 395.

That all depends where on the 395 your referring to and where your coming from. I personally would just get driving directions from Map Quest to find the best route for you to taske. Be sure to check the Hi-Way onditions to be sure the 178 overr Walkers pass is not snowed in. From time to time during the winter it gets snow and it sure would be a bummer driving all that way and having to wait for a plow to come through. If you have 4 wheel drive you should be good to go.


is there some nearby stream fishing too?

There's the Kern River, heard its kind of slow.


I remember hearing about it 30+ years ago as having some nice trout.

They stock the lake with trout this time of year and have heard the bite for them is pretty good right now.

Good luck to ya.

[Mojave River Angler]

My brother and I were there on Tuesday. The weather turned nasty on us in spite of a good forecast. Got no bites on Rocky Point and the lake was pretty much void of anglers overall. We headed to the main dam in the afternoon and took one nice stocker. I got one bite all day and my brother caugh his only bite.

I suspect the weather was mostly to blame for things being so slow. Had great times there this past summer.

MRA

[billy b]

I've passed it hundreds of times going N or S. So, I need to check road conditions on Hiway 178 because there's a high spot on the way west of 395?

I wondered how long it would take going west off 395?

Is it year round or normal Sierra season. If you were just there ... I assume that it's year round.

I know I've seen a report or two about how it's great for Crappy and the River is great if you know where to go (I'll take any non-honey spot help). But ... how's the trout fishing at the lake?

[Bassnman Mike]

I've passed it hundreds of times going N or S. So, I need to check road conditions on Hiway 178 because there's a high spot on the way west of 395?

Yes, that would be Walkers Pass, elevation 5250 ft.


I wondered how long it would take going west off 395?

When you turn onto 178 off of 395/14 its maybe 45 minutes to the lake


Is it year round or normal Sierra season. If you were just there ... I assume that it's year round.

The lake is open to fishing all year round. The lower Kern river is open all year round.


I know I've seen a report or two about how it's great for Crappy and the River is great if you know where to go (I'll take any non-honey spot help). But ... how's the trout fishing at the lake?

The trout fishing at the lake is just starting to pickup and will only get better until about spring.

[billy b]

I regularly head down to SoCal ... especially to the Coliseum for games ... so am interested in exploring

Thanks for taking the extra time ... and for providing the good info

[mullet]

Upper Kern is open all year also,unfortunatlythey have stopped
stocking upper & lower river .
Thanks to some pissant eco law students.
Mike

[Bassnman Mike]

Not a problem. Isabella is a great lake for all kinds of fishing. While its true that the wind can blow pretty bad there, during the winter and summer its usually very nice.



Upper Kern is open all year also,unfortunatlythey have stopped
stocking upper & lower river .
Thanks to some pissant eco law students.


I believe the upper Kern has some special regulations above Johnsondale, you might want to check it out before venturing up there.

Dont ya hate them damn tree huggers? I'm still waiting for them to say that trout cannot be stocked in Lake Isabella because they could swim up into the river.

[Natural Lefty]

My wife, stepdaughter and I once hugged some Redwood Trees on the mountains above the Kern River. We still have the pictures. Be careful what you say about treehuggers. They are generally well-intentioned people, although sometimes misguided. I don't consider myself a tree-hugger, but I do try to be environmentally friendly.

As far as the stocking situation around Isabella is concerned, it is probably because there is a native strain of Rainbow Trout in the Kern River drainage only, the Kern River Rainbow. I have caught them while backpacking. It seems to me that the best solution would probably be to start raising Kern River Rainbows in the hatcheries around the Kern River, and stock those instead of the generic stockers which have been put in the river and Lake Isabella for many years. I don't see any reason why that could not be done. By the way, my stepdaughter chose to name herself Isabella after Lake Isabella.

[Bassnman Mike]

Be careful what you say about treehuggers. They are generally well-intentioned people, although sometimes misguided. I don't consider myself a tree-hugger, but I do try to be environmentally friendly.

I'm with ya about being enviromentally friendly. I never discard line in the lake, I do not litter and I will go out of my way to pick up trash. I consider that being a responsible sportsman. When I use the term Tree Huggers, I am referring to the extremely misguided ones.

[Natural Lefty]

Bassnman Mike, I am the same way. I am surprised at times just how careless people are leaving their trash behind. I put broken line in my pocket, put it in the recycling bin, clean up trash, drive fuel efficient vehicles, etc. One time my wife and I went to Lake Evans (Fairmount Park in Riverside), where my wife spent about 2 hours cleaning up the trash there while she was supposed to be fishing. We often fill up our cooler with trash at Lake Perris, too.

Some of my longterm goals, if I have money to invest, would be to have solar panels at my house, and an electric car (or at least a hybrid). My stepdaughter already drives a Prius, and I get to drive it too, sometimes. (It's really different.)

[billy b]

a Tree Hugger. I'm actually naive and asking.

THANK

billy b

[asmacsbob]

anyone been up to kennedy medows lately....i backpacked some time ago between that bridge and kennedy and did real good an bows...but not in years

[flytyingreloader]

Not lately, mid-October was my last trip during deer season. Still beautiful!

The road along the North Fork of the Kern River gets icy and stay that way this time of year. Probably OK right now, but after some snow flies--be careful. MANY of those curves are cambered or banked the wrong way.