Getting There

We chose to approach Susie Lake from the Glen Alpine trailhead near Lily Lake. We turned onto Fallen Leaf Road from Highway 89 and drove all the way to the Glen Alpine trailhead. While there are many parking spaces at the trailhead parking lot, it is a very popular trailhead so expect to see people and be prepared to park down the road if the trailhead parking lot is full.

The Hike

The hike starts out as a moderate climb with intermittent periods of shade. Soon you will find yourself exposed to the sun for much of the way as the trail climbs and switches back up the mountain side. When you reach the sign post for Gillmore Lake there is only a short way to walk and the terrain begins to mellow out. I brought 3 liters of water and ended up drinking 2 on the hike. With so many stream crossings, there is no need to pack extra water if you are carrying filtration.

The Fishing

Fishing Susie Lake was great for Brook trout in the 8-12 inch range. We released many fish but kept one to eat. We had luck using a gold Kastmaster while casting from the west side near our campsite. We also had luck with inflated night crawlers. I went searching for water that looked to be about 10-15 feet deep. The terrain around, and I am sure, beneath Susie Lake undulates wildly in terms of height. In the deep water we did not get any action. We fished along the east shore for about 1/4 mile north past the outlet but did not get any action there on lures and bait. The west shore produced the most fish for us.

My flyrod yielded no fish as the backcasting efforts were hampered by steep shores and trees. I hope to explore the northwestern shore of Susie soon where there may be better areas to cast a fly. A hatch appeared to be under way with plenty of topwater ripples during the evening throughout the lake. There are many juvenile Brook Trout cruising the shallows so the fishery appears to be self-sustaining nicely.