High Sierra Topix

Those fish in the 70s pic are Mackinaw, AKA Lake Trout.

I just realized I had not replied to Windknot's question..I am guilty of not looking at the "Beyond the Sierra" forum very often...

You are correct... my fishing for goldens has in the Winds has largely been a failure. The scenery is beautiful though. There are those that say it is better than the Sierra. In my opinion they are very similar. Clearly more glaciers though in the Winds. Also more big lakes. I think equal beauty overall.

I have been on 3 one week trips..each published with a trip report here .
Trip 1 (2016)was just get acquainted with the range. I did no planning . Just showed up and my friend Mike did the planning. Fishing was almost nothing.
I caught a few in Island Lake..and Cook Lakes and caught one single solitary decent golden, about 16 inches. But the purpose was see Titcomb Basin (spectacular but just as many people go there if not more than the JMT).

Trip 2 (2017) was on the east side in the Indian Reservation. The fishing was FANTASTIC ...for cutts... caught lots of 18 inchers...I caught one 22 incher which I indeed thought was a golden. I thought I had accomplished a lifelong dream to catch a 20 inch golden. But WD pointed out.. (correctly) that it was a Yellowstone cutt. Great fish.. I am still kinda bummed that it wasn't a golden though.. ( confession).

Trip 3, this year...was the first time I organized the trip around serious golden fishing. And struck out.. almost completely.

All the trips have been in September. Maybe that is more of a problem in the Winds. Dont know. I suspect I have to just keep trying...I still see pics of nice goldens from the Winds. It is quite a challenge getting to know a new mountain range. I feel like I am 2% complete with my knowledge. I do have a feel now for the range in general..and I have an idea of where I want to go this coming year for my annual attempt. But to be honest..the lure of seeing something new ( like Cirque of the Towers, or the Bear Drainage, ), or returning to the Cutthroat fishing...may be greater than than another attempt at goldens.

I am happy to give you advice on where to go though if you want to give it a shot. Just keep in mind that the advice would come from someone who has not been successful! (But there is learning in the lack of success!).

Im late on this too. Was into those lakes July 4th. Had to abort the Angel pass route as I didn't have an ice ax or crampons and the snow field was too sketchy. I am too wondering what to do next year... If I get the chance that is. I have been skunked twice now. Thanks for the report!

Nice report and fun fishing notes. WD, I agree with Tahe Jeff that last 1970's photo shows two big mackinaw. The goldens question mark look to have a lot of cutthroat in them, based on the spotting pattern (the large fairly widely spaced spots including spots below the lateral line). Great fish photos.

Here's a 4-1/2 year later reply. As a FYI, the Golden Trout in Wyoming are among the purest that remain. Wyoming has the only captive Golden Trout brood stock in existence at the Story fish hatchery near Sheridan. These fish originally came from the Sylvan Lake, Montana stock which were planted in Sylvan Lake in the early 30's (as I recall) before the Rainbow introgression occurred into the Cottonwood Lakes. The Sylvan Lake stock are pure strain fish. Anyway, Wyoming developed this captive brood stock around 2010 and have been stocking their lakes with these fry since. For the Winds; west side lakes are stocked at either 2 year or 4 year intervals on the odd year....east side lakes are stocked on the even years. What I'm saying is that you're catching pure strain fish in *stocked* golden lakes there.
I live in north central Montana and try to make at least one trip to the Winds each summer. But, am also from Bishop.....and, I'll say it - Desolation Lake is on my list.....

Thanks for that information.

Since there are plenty of Golden in the Sierra and fewer Cutthroat, I generally go for the Cutthroats when I am in the Wind Rivers. A few years ago, I caught my first Splake in the Wind Rivers. I do not think there are any of those in the Sierra.

Finnis Mitchell (post-WWII) as well as other private fishermen did a lot of "planting" of fish in lakes in the Wind Rivers. I really do not know if nowadays that is illegal in Wyoming. I am sure a bit of that is still done, legal or not.

Your right WD about splake in the Sierras, I have never caught a splake in the Sierras and I don't think there are any to my knowledge in the Sierras either. I lived in Colorado Springs from 93-96 and caught a lot of splake (laker/brookie). The best fishing though I found in Colorado was at 11 mile lake. Biggest trout I have ever caught consistently, huge rainbows all the time, but that's a different story.

Texan