Rae Lakes & the Kings Canyon Backcountry
Kings Canyon National Park backcountry · near Cedar Grove / Independence · Sierra Nevada / Yosemite
Fishing
At a glance
- Difficulty
- expert
- Best season
- July–September (snow-free)
Permits and booking
- Licence required
- Yes
- Licence detail
- CA license (16+) required. The Rae Lakes and the vast Kings Canyon backcountry hold golden and brook trout in spectacular alpine settings — but this is deep wilderness, reached by multi-day backpacking (e.g. the Rae Lakes Loop) with a wilderness permit (quota, Recreation.gov). For fit, experienced backpackers only.
What is here
- Features
- Golden trout deep in the wilderness · Spectacular alpine-lake settings · Multi-day backpacking fishery · Ultimate Sierra solitude
Worth knowing
- Dogs
- Not permitted
- Good for a first timer
- No
Fishing detail
- Water type
- high-sierra
- Water
- fresh
- Methods
- Fly · Casting
- Boat
- shore
- Target species
- Golden trout · Brook trout · Rainbow trout
- Intl tip
- License required + wilderness permit (quota, Recreation.gov). Golden and brook trout deep in the Kings Canyon backcountry, reached by multi-day backpacking (e.g. the Rae Lakes Loop over Glen Pass). For fit, experienced backpackers only. A light fly rod is all you need. July–September. The ultimate Sierra solitude fishery. Combine with a High Sierra trek.
The guide
The Rae Lakes, strung beneath the towering Painted Lady peak deep in the Kings Canyon backcountry, epitomize the reward of hard…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Rae Lakes & the Kings Canyon Backcountry — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 36.8, -118.4