Getting There

To reach Cascade Lake, get to Highway 120 at the east end of the park, either from Yosemite or from Lee Vining, California. Take Saddlebag Road, which is signed, and follow it uphill over a road that is partly paved and partly improved dirt road. Once you arrive at Saddlebag Lake, you have the luxury of a store, bait shop, restaurant, and keeper of the t-shirt that becomes yours if you get the Sierra slam in the 20 Lakes Loop.

The Hike

If only staying for a day hike or overnight for backpacking trips, park in the trailhead parking lot which affords a great deal of parking spaces. If you plan on going to Cascade Lake, park in the trailhead parking area. Basically, the hike is minimal if you take the water taxi. If the taxi is not running, add 1.2 miles to your hiking. Cascade Lake is a mile and a half from the water taxi drop off so it can be a popular spot. Some good campsites can be found on the south, north and east side of the lake near Towser Lake.

The Fishing

I started fishing the outlet creek of Cascade Lake first with a yellow grasshopper which garnered very little attention so I went back to the flybox looking for something else. After switching to a yellow Caddis Stimulator I managed to land a few tiny Brookies at the outlet.

We fished Cascade Lake for about an hour before a rain storm drove us off of the mountain. My son caught a 10 inch Brook Trout on an inflated night crawler and I landed a small Brook Trout on an Elk Hair Caddis. Albeit, the fishing was slow and the fish we saw were small at Cascade Lake. I would not be surprised if a larger fish came out of Cascade Lake as there are great lake features such as spawning grounds, deep waters, nice shelves and an appreciable bio-mass present. I will have to ask the folks at the Saddlebag Lake store next time I visit.