Sierras Brookies

[Ultralight]

Curious about Brookies. In Colorado, the limit on those are much higher than rainbows or other trout. Apparently Brookies reproduce so agressively that they actually want those out.

Is this the same in the Sierras? Having never caught a brookie, I'd like to try to catch a few. Where are they normally? Everyone of the trout I caught last year were stocked rainbows. (catching a brown would be nice too.)

Thanks,
UL

[shinbob]

Same thing in California. From the DFG regulations: (sorry for the all caps)

(A) IN SIERRA DISTRICT WATERS OF SISKIYOU, SHASTA AND TEHAMA COUNTIES, UP TO 10 BROOK TROUT PER DAY LESS THAN 8 INCHES TOTAL LENGTH MAY BE TAKEN AND POSSESSED IN ADDITION TO THE OTHER DAILY BAG AND POSSESSION LIMITS SPECIFIED FOR THE SIERRA DISTRICT.

(B) IN THE SIERRA DISTRICT SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 80, UP TO 10 BROOK TROUT PER DAY LESS THAN 10 INCHES TOTAL LENGTH MAY BE TAKEN AND POSSESSED IN ADDITION TO THE OTHER DAILY BAG AND POSSESSION LIMITS SPECIFIED FOR THE SIERRA DISTRICT. THIS ALLOWANCE DOES NOT INCLUDE RED LAKE IN ALPINE COUNTY OR KIRMAN, LANE OR ROOSEVELT LAKES IN MONO COUNTY.

You can find loads of brookies in nearly any high country hike-in stream or lake. The pond below Rock Creek Lake is loaded with them. Also the area around Saddlebag lake has tons of them. Greenstone, Shell lakes and their feeder streams for example.

You can definitely see how stunted they become due to overpopulation, a lot of those I catch up there have normal sized heads but much smaller bodies. Culling a few of them helps with the overpopulation, plus they are a lot tastier than the planted rainbows.

[Scotto]

Kirman Lake, a hike-in lake off of Sonora Pass, sets the bar on Sierra brookies. Barbless artificials only.

[Ultralight]

Thanks! What a great site. Truly grateful for all the generous help FNN members have offered to my queries. I'm taking my two boys for their first time up the Sierras late Oct after my month away from home. They are really looking forward to it after hearing so much about the beauty and fishing there. (My 2nd trip)

What is the most effective to catch them? Do minijigs that work well for stockers work well for the Brookies also? or something else?

May I ask how long the hike is to Kirman lake? We don't don't mind C&R if Kirman is better off not having the Brookies culled which I presume with the barbless requirement.

Thanks,
UL

[1HR2BBL]

In the Eastern Sierra creeks, the brookies are small 6"-12". They readilly take lures, I like Panter Martin #1 & #2. The black body with Gold blade is the best color combo for the Eastern Sierra. If you wish to use bait, small red worms work great too.

The walk into Kirman Lake is about 5 miles, some people ride mountain bikes.
The special regulation is an artificial lure w/ barbless requirement (but no single hook requirement), and you can keep 2 fish 16" and over. The brookies in that lake can get over 5 lbs! They may actually die from overfeeding on the scuds/shrimp in that lake! Note: it's illegal to fish any creek or tributary into Kirman. You can only fish the lake itself.

DFG Reg:
89) Kirman (Carmen) Lake (Mono Co.). Last Saturday in Apr. through Nov 15.Minimum size limit: 16 inches total length. Only artificial lures with barbless hooks may be used. Qty 2.

Pics: http://www.kenssport.com/kirmanlake.html

[Viejo]

The walk into Kirman is just under 3 miles. It is best fished from a float tube. Reeds choke the shoreline and make fishing from shore difficult.

[Ultralight]

Another query on Brookies.

Would the normaly minijigs in the same color and configurations that work well on stocked rainbows work equally well on Brookies? Or are they, being naturally populated, respond to different types of lures, color and scent? Do they require more of a natural color minijigs? Or use natural bait such as salmon eggs and such? I've not a clue about Brookies.

Thanks again for any help. Both my boys and I are really looking forward to trying our hand at Brookies for the first time.

UL

[Matt44]

I ccaught some decent brooks at virgina lakes on minijigs in natural colors. My dad also caught a couple on nightcrawlers we usually release them but 3I of them inhaled, first time iv eaten a wild brook and boy was it pretty tasty haha

[golfish]

If you fish the streams that feed most of the lakes in the area your going see em, even more so, the streams that don't get stocked with bows.

IME, the natural baits work the best. I use to fly line meal worms on a small treble hook using 2# test on an ultra light spinning combo, a tiny split shot about 2 feet above the hook was sometimes needed. A salmon egg hook works too, so do the greean lable balls of fire salmon eggs. I like the treble hook because I would just hook the worm on 1-2 of the hooks and most of the time I was able to release em.

If your up around Lake Mary, go up through Cold Brook campground. Its over on the south end of Mary (I think that south) as you go up the campground theres a stream on the right, and as you go down the campground theres another stream on your right. Last years they were both loaded with brookies. Just look for the pools and let er fly.

The pond below Rock Creek lake has always produced good size brookies for me. Its a nice hike, nice area.. I have always fished the west side of the pond (again, I think that's west) It where the water flow into the pond.

There's nothing like a mess of Brookie for dinner. IMO, them and the Sac Perch are the two best eating fish up there.

Sorry to ramble on..

[billy b]

I've heard that GREEN label BoF's are better than red ... but thought the red label was the better egg of the two? ( Never heard of anybody using the gold label ... anybody out there?

What makes the green label better?

THANKS for the help!

[Ultralight]

what a great forum. THANKS for the comments. Keep them coming.

Thanks,
UL

[phishin phool]

Another good spot for brookies is the beaver ponds above Lundy Lake. Regular worms and size 12 baithook and a small splitshot have given me 100+fish days. They are small but plentiful. Bring boots or waders cuz it can get mucky back there.

[DC5fishR]

I've had success catching brook trout on the "normal" color mini jigs in white and chartreuse in 1/32 size in my last sierra report. I've also caught them on redworms.

[golfish]

I've heard that GREEN label BoF's are better than red ... but thought the red label was the better egg of the two? ( Never heard of anybody using the gold label ... anybody out there?

What makes the green label better?

THANKS for the help!

billy b, couldn't tell ya.. I've used the Red when I couldn't find Greeen and never had luck with em. I think the red ia a smaller egg.

[Ultralight]

Hope you guys are still reading this thread..:)

I googled the satellite Rock Creek lake but do not see a pond below the rock creek. is it adjoining or something else? Or is Serena lake that looks to be a few hundred yards from Rock Creek Lake?

Thanks,
UL

[shinbob]

I googled the satellite Rock Creek lake but do not see a pond below the rock creek. is it adjoining or something else? Or is Serena lake that looks to be a few hundred yards from Rock Creek Lake?

L

Rock Creek flows towards the north. So look just north of Rock Creek Lake and you can see the pond. Easiest access is from the campground just a little north (downstream) of that. Plus it's a very scenic little walk through the meadow. You should be able to see lots of little trout in the meadow as well, but they spook easily.

[golfish]

Rock Creek flows towards the north. So look just north of Rock Creek Lake and you can see the pond. Easiest access is from the campground just a little north (downstream) of that. Plus it's a very scenic little walk through the meadow. You should be able to see lots of little trout in the meadow as well, but they spook easily.

Yes, the campground below the lake is where we have always walked up from. Its been a long time but isn't there a lodge or cabins in or around that campground? Its been 10 years since I've camped there.

[billy b]

billy b, couldn't tell ya.. I've used the Red when I couldn't find Greeen and never had luck with em. I think the red ia a smaller egg.

I do know that the red is the more delux of the 2 ... and more expensive. But, I've heard a few people say they prefer the green ... may be based only on their success rate.

Occasionally I've seen some gold for sale ... at a higher price I believe

[Ultralight]

THANKS everyone! We did get to that pond. Not knowing about the campground, we just hiked down parallel to the stream via the rocky path. A nice little hike down and up.

Anyways, we caught 5 Brookies and 1 Brown there - all small. But the beauty was incredible. My boys loved that part of the trip the most, much more than even catching a lot of rainbows in other lakes. Really appreciate your help in helping us have a very memorable trip.

UL

[RiverWalker]

That's a nice little spot for Brookies! Good job. You must of been right here! =)
http://i1140.photobucket.com/albums/n573/395Riverwalker/rockcreek.jpg


THANKS everyone! We did get to that pond. Not knowing about the campground, we just hiked down parallel to the stream via the rocky path. A nice little hike down and up.

Anyways, we caught 5 Brookies and 1 Brown there - all small. But the beauty was incredible. My boys loved that part of the trip the most, much more than even catching a lot of rainbows in other lakes. Really appreciate your help in helping us have a very memorable trip.

UL

[Ultralight]

Yes, that's it. Beautiful. We did not have waders or boots so we were a bit limited in how close we could get to the waters.

UL