Parker Lake Info, Please

[See Chris Fish]

Going up to camp at the Silver Lake campgrounds next weekend (7/30-8/2). I've fished Silver Lake and June before. Had LOTS of funs on them. I was looking for an easy hike to take the wife and kids on. Found some info on the Parker Lake.
If someone can help me out with a few questions, I'd be very thankful.
1. How far is the hike in after you park in the parking area?
2. How hard is the hike? How long?
3. Any reports from this lake? Heard about anglers pulling in some good sized fish, BIG Browns!!!
4. I'm taking my float tube. Can you tube Parker Lake?

Dang clock is broken!! It seems to be moving really slow!!

[Crawler]

Its about a 1.6 mile hike. 500' elevation gain. I have fished it HARD three times..... for four fish total. You can tube it if you lug your tube up there, saw a tuber there my first time. Its a tough lake to fish. But it could (has not for me, yet) pay off bigtime. One my three trips up there, I have seen exactly four other fish taken. Two were with my party, two I saw on stringers. Im not much of a C&R nazi but this is one of those lakes that everyone should practice catch and release. They DO NOT stock this lake. Oh, and go buy Sierra Smittys book, it talks about this lake.

[SierraPeaks]

As Crawler pointed out...Parker is an easy hike. I've never been there personally...but know lots of people who have and they all have said the hike was easy....the fishing was not. And that is the sole reason I've never gone.

You might want to re-think this.

[Flying]

Me and my wife have done it twice. Its not hard but I wouldn't call it easy either but then we are not hikers. The first half sucks. You do most of the climb in the first half and its pretty barren and hot. Start out early morning this time of the year.

The first trip we took way too much fishing crap and caught 2 little bookies.
The 2nd trip I just brought my flyrod and wanted to look more than fish.
The next trip we will bring NO fishing gear.

Do you want pics of trail and lake. I was going to post them but wasn't sure if it would spoil your adventure.

[See Chris Fish]

Thanks,
Mostly just looking for the easy hike to a location close to the campsite. The girls got "misinformed" about their first camping trip, which was a backpacking trip. My words "easy and short" aren't believed like they used to be. The wife wanted to see the campsite reservations and checked on the web. Yeah.
I was just wondering from someone who's been.

Pics not necessary. Found some on the web. Thanks though.
I know. I need to get that book.