kings canyon

[PAfisherman]

Thinking about going up to kings canyon area anybody have any advice for fishing or wear to stay, we are looking at just tent camping.

[jrockn]

where's kings canyon at?

[PAfisherman]

it is west of the 395 up in the sierras near fresno and the town of visalia

[Robtoast]

I like to stay Sheep Creek since the river runs right along side of it. I believe they don't have that site open until Mid-May? but it's definitely one of my favorites to go to.

[PAfisherman]

do they stock it?

[Trout-Tuna-For.Me]

PA,
I'd go farther north off the 99 hwy, northeast of Fresno up to the Shaver Lake area. Get a map of California or if you're an AAA member get a Kings County map and you can see how to get there. Lakes, streams and rivers all around that area with planted and natural rainbows, brown trout, brook trout, and kokanee salmon.
I've been going up there for over 40 years and love it. Never crowded like the east side of the Sierras with milder temps too. My fav place to camp and fish is at Wishon Village and Wishon Resavoir.
http://www.wishonvillage.com/
They have the best RV and tent campsites.
If planning a trip there, make it at least a 4 day trip since there are so many places to fish. You'll pass the road to Courtright Res. on the way to Wishon, which is another great place to fish. At all the lakes and resavoirs, using a boat is a sure way to easily catch limits. The Kings River enters and exits Wishon Res, both great places to catch rainbows and browns. Bait, lures, or flyfishing, doesn't matter, they all work. PB, salmon eggs, nightcrawlers, and live crickets.... Kastmasters, Roostertails, Panther Martins, Thomas Bouyants, Phoebes, and Super Dupers.... Streamers, wet flies, nymphs, and dries, terrestials....they all work.
There are other FNNers that go up that way annually, ask around.
Beautiful scenery, clean crisp air, awesome views, and great animal sightings. You've got to see it for yourself.
Either way, tight lines and have a great time.
TTFM

[PAfisherman]

sounds like a nice place i will have to look it up thanks

[tacklejunkie]

Yes Kings Canyon was rough. Really amazing views though! I did a report on it quite a while back.
Sequoias and bears too. No fish from the Kings for me..
I actually fell in and got hurt in that one.
Put a knot the size of a golf ball in my knee and ended the fishing early.
Never did find any fish back there despite my keen fishy sixth sense.

Shaver and Huntington lake and above are killer!

[robnokshus]

If my memory serves me correctly, there are quite a few restrictions on fishing the Kings River in Kings Canyon Nat'l Park. However, Kings River below Pine Flat dam is regular trout regulations and a lot easier to get to. Trout Tuna is on the right track if you're going to head up that way; San Joaquin River below Millerton Dam is good and Shaver and Huntington Lakes further up 168 are nice. I don't know when the road will open, but if you go up to Edison and Florence Lakes up above huntington and that area around Mono Hot Springs... now that's the stuff!

[robnokshus]

More like east of 99.

[fishincrave]

Most likely above Huntington will be closed till late April or early May.
Shaver lake and Huntington lake are 2 Great lakes to fish with plenty of bows Kokanee and holdovers , trolling is your best bet .
Good luck

[tacklejunkie]

There's a road that takes you back above huntington lake that you can fish the waters coming into the lake. It's the road that takes you back to Florence, but right when you turn away from huntington you can fish the creek that goes into it and above, near badger flats campgrounds. I used to do good there on flyline salmon eggs many years ago. Really need to get back there one day.

Yes, mono hotsprings was really cool. We got all the stuff to make sammiches way back in there and caught a fish right out of the San Juaquine I think it is. (sp) I remember catching a big black snake back there under a half submerged rock. Also the road into mono hotsprings right there was pretty intense!

[Trout-Tuna-For.Me]

The road past Huntington Lake is US Forest Service Route 80 which will take you to Kaiser Pass which is gated and will open usually in May due to snow and after PG&E plows the road. It's a single lane dirt/rock.paved road with many turnouts to let passing cars/campers get by. USFS Route 80 will take you past Portal Forebay, a small lake just off the road where you can easily limit out on planted rainbows and holdovers from the year before. I've caught browns and brookies there too so try your luck with big lures and nightcrawlers. Live crickets is another great bait for all trout, it's also the candy bait for browns.
USFS Route 80 will continue to Mono Hot Springs and over the San Juaquin River which has gear and possession restrictions. Staying on 80 you'll get to Lake Edison and Florence Lake. There will be signs pointing which way to go for both. Both are known for their big browns and rainbows. Fishing where the creeks and river enter is the best bet for the big ones using Rapalas, streamers, or nightcrawlers. From late spring to the end of summer both Edison and Florence have ferrys that take you across the lake, mostly for backpackers but fishermen use it regularly. I think it runs 3 times daily. Edison also is where the Vermillion Resort is. Stop by the store there and check the photos and memorabilia there, cool tshirts too.
I've spent lots of time on the west side of the Sierras and will continue until I'm 6 ft under....love it up there.
If you're going camping anywhere in that area, the possibility of bears visiting at night looking for food is guaranteed, so be prepared. In my decades of camping at Wishon Village I've never experienced bears in the campground at night. It's about the only place up there where I haven't had the bear visits.
Remember....Pack It In, Pack It Out. We don't want to spoil our next trip to this majestic place !
TTFM

[fishincrave]

Great info. TTFM Brings back lots of memories from years past , most definitely need to go back and re visit that beautiful paradise .
When we used to go there a few years ago , we stayed at a friends cabin right on Huntington lake , early mornings were the most active time for the big bears specially near the creak that comes into the lake .


Sean

[MustHuntAndFish]

All good and pretty accurate info. I grew up in the Central Valley so those were my home fishing/hunting grounds. Before heading up there call either Shaver Lake or Wishon village for up to date info on road and lake conditions. Kaiser pass to Edison and Florence usually gets plowed and opened for Memorial weekend but there are rumors that it may be later this year due to the high snow levels this year. Courtwright will open even later than Edison because they dont plow that road and the gate wont open until the snow melts. Those are my favorite two lakes as I go to each at least once a year (family still lives in Fresno area). Limits are the usual and often WFO at those lake. Watch out for bears especially at Edison. Our camp was raided by a bear last summer:Shocked:. We were in one of the few campgrounds with no bear box:Embarrassed:. Have seen many bear in the area but that was the first time ever having one come into camp.

There was also work being done on the damn at Shaver Lake so I'm not sure that its fishable due to the water being drained. In fact many of the small mouth were taken from shaver and brought to Pyramid prior to them emptying the lake.

Either way... find your way out there! You will not be dissapointed... It truely is God's Country:Smile: