Can you ID this Alpine lake (any info)?

[candr]

Here's a couple cell phone pictures from an alpine lake I hiked into on Saturday. It's in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. Hadn't been into this lake for a few years and there has been some changes. If you've hiked into this lake you should be able to identify it from the pics. I'm looking for an update. Feel free to pm me if you been there or you have an update. From the tracks it looks like someone has been in there this year.

My report: the initial stretch was in good shape. There is no real trail but someone has flagged the brush for the first mile or so. The second half was a lot of thick brush, Devil's club, alder, etc up to the base of the falls (typical west Cascade brush hump). The last part up the cliff was a tough climb. I didn't go up the usual way as I didn't want to risk a fall while hiking alone. I went way to the left and noticed that someone has run a rope down the avalanche chute/stream bed that cuts down the cliff. The rope didn't help much and it was still a brutal climb. Some snow patches still at the lake. Lots of chironomids hatching, a few callibaetis coming off. No sign of fish. No rises, no fish spotted from the cliffs. I fished from my raft around the edge of the lake for about three hours without a touch. I know this lake doesn't recieve a lot of stocked fish and natural spawning is minimal - thus the big fish (the access also limits pressure). Anyone caught anything here recently? Anyone planning to put fish in? Any info appreciated.

Also, if anyone is into hiking Alpine lakes this season and wants a partner, let me know. This was one hike I wouldn't recommend doing solo (realized that halfway up the cliff).

[Evan Burck]

I plan on taking a hike up to lake colchuck in a few weeks and packin along my 3wt. should be a good time :D

[Kent Lufkin]

Daryl, check your PM.

K

[mr. bad example]

check your pm

[chadk]

check your pm

[Brian Curtis]

I hope you pulled the flags down. This lake has received a lot of attention on the net and traffic has been up in recent years.

[chadk]

gimme a break...

[Brian Curtis]

Give you a break about what?

[Kent Lufkin]

Brian's right - that lake has received way too much attention lately and may well have been fished out by successive groups who kill and eat as many fish as they can catch. The flags only serve to make it easier for future expeditions to ensure it is indeed fished out while leaving behind their trash and gear they don't feel like lugging out.

IMHO, it's one thing to put and take fish from lakes that are stocked for that purpose. There's not a lot of spawning area in that little basin so the fishery is quite sensitive to excess fishing pressure.

K

[Brian Curtis]

I'm a firm believer in making every effort to leave no trace when I'm hiking or fishing. Hanging garish flagging tape on brush and trees is pretty much the opposite of leave no trace.

[chadk]

Now that I can agree with :)

[Be Jofus G]

I've noticed that lake on a few hikers personal sites and it is apparently a popular stop on the way to a nearby mountain. I can't see many people lugging up that cliff just to fish. Is it possible that the trash is from the hikers and the fish just aren't spawning? This is just speculation. I've never actually fished this lake but was planning on attempting the trip next weekend or so. Any one heading up or HL TB trips in the near future? I'd be more than happy to pack a ruck of inchlings.

[mr. bad example]

unfortunately it isn't that hard to get to, but just hard enough that certain braindead bozos have trashed the fishing and the site (we won't be back here for a while we might as well kill everything we catch and pack it out)even before the internet advertised it it was a well known destination.I've been going up there for thirty years lots of the time as a day trip and it's not climbers that have left their garbage behind (frying pans, rafts,grills etc. etc.)If only it was a 12 hour hike it would probably still be pristine.