Getting There
Getting There
The trailhead for this journey is located outside of
Bishop, California. The town of Bishop offers many dining and
lodging opportunities so staying at a hotel one night before you begin might be a good idea. Pick up your wilderness permits
at the
White Mountain Ranger Station on the corner of North Main and East Yaney Street. Take route 168 that heads west
and out of town to find the
Lake Sabrina trailhead. Parking is located about 1/2 mile from the trailhead so expect to park
on the side of the road and hike some asphalt for a while.
The Hike
The hike to Blue Lake, the first lake in the drainage, starts at the Lake Sabrina trailhead. The first mile of hiking is moderate uphill until
you reach the first switchbacks. There are many more switchbacks to come and resting often comes in very handy. The trail to Blue Lake is worthy
of a nights stay when traveling this way. Some resting would be good before you continue on. At Blue Lake there is a junction for Donkey Lake and
Dingleberry Lake. Go right and travel another 1.5 miles until you reach the inlet of Dingleberry lake.
The Fishing
The fishing is good for small Brook Trout from the inlet and the west side. A deep channel runs through
the middle of the lake and I can't stop wondering what it's like to troll through that area on
some kind of raft or float tube. So, a float tube may come in handy at this lake.
There is a rumor that Dingleberry Lake may have some large Brown Trout lurking around so it is a worthy
destination for hunting down a possible lunker. All we saw, every year that I have visited, is an abundance
of small trout in the lake and the inlet. Personally, I
find the inlet, the middle fork
of Bishop Creek, to be a very fun fly fishing destination, especially for beginners, as the fish are
plentiful and easy to fool.
The camping areas may be a little limited at Dingleberry Lake but I haven't completely circumnavigated the
entire lake. The very north end may offer the best sites. We spent the night at a small pond on the hill on the
west side named "Pete's Pond" which, in the past, held some nice Golden Trout but now is fishless and full of
small tadpoles.