Map courtesy of mytopo.com.
Saddlebag Lake / 20 Lakes Basin
Photo courtesy of Saddlebag Lake Resort
Elevation: 10,086
Road condition: Paved Note: This is the highest paved road
ending in California.
Day hikes to fishing:
Twenty Lakes Basin
Note: For a map and listing
of the lakes visit the web site of Saddlebag Lake Resort.
Photo courtesy of Saddlebag Lake Resort
Region: Tioga Pass /
Highway 120 Area/description: Eastern entrance to Yosemite National Park
Lake size: 600 acres
Species: Planted Rainbow
trout, Brown trout and wild Brook trout
Closest town or supplies: Lee Vining / Bell’s Sporting Goods
Contacts: Saddlebag
Lake Resort,
Lee Vining Chamber of Commerce (info@leevining.com; Visiting Mono Lake www.monolake.org/visiting/;
Mono Lake Visitor
Center (http://www.monolake.org/monomap/vc.htm
Facilities: Small
store and café, boat launch, boat taxi to wilderness lakes
Nearest campground: Saddlebag
Campground, Junction Campground and Sawmill Campground, a walk-in campground close to the lake.
Boating: Boat
launch
Fishing Tips:
Favorite lures or
bait: Use small lures such as Kastmasters, Daredevils and
Panther-Martins. Bring smaller lures,
but have a variety of color combinations to entice both shallow and deep
cruising trout. (See Category: Fishing Tips – Best Lures and Bait)
Favorite fly
patterns: Fly & Bubble technique with small nymphs such as Hare’s Ear,
Zug Bug, Bead-Head Prince Nymph, Pheasant Tail or a Tellico Shrimp. (See Category: Fishing Tips – Best Fly
Patterns and Techniques)
Stocking information:
29,000+ annually
Additional
information: The
resort owners, Carmen and Richard Ernst, provide a boat taxi service to
the back side of the lake and the 20 Lakes Basin. The cost is $10 per
adult for the 2008 season. The first shuttle is at 7am and the last
shuttle is at 6:45 pm. During the busy season, shuttles run on the
half hour. The shuttle is restricted to ten people so if you want an
early start, it is best to make arrangements the day before for the
earliest shuttles. The wilderness loop trail is approximately five
miles, but since there is only a 500 feet elevation gain, a continuous
non-stop hike would take roughly three hours. The resort typically
opens mid June and always closes September 30. Richard Ernst said that
the resort is usually buried in 25 feet of snow during the winter
months so the opening date is subject to snow removal. Mr. Ernst asked
me to remind readers that if they plan on staying over night in the
wilderness area they need to pick up an over-night pass at the visitor
center in Lee Vining. Many back-packers are disappointed when they
have to drive 24 miles round trip when they discover that the resort
owners can not issue a permit.
Photo courtesy of Saddlebag Lake Resort
Nearby fishing: Saddlebag
Creek, Gardisky Lake,
Ellery Lake,
Tioga Lake
Directions: From the junction of Highway 120 and Highway
395 just outside Lee Vining, take Highway 120 approximately eleven miles to the
Saddlebag Lake Road
on the right. Follow Saddlebag
Lake Road 2.5 miles to the lake..
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