Getting There
To reach Long Lake in Nevada County, drive to the
Carr Lake trailhead by taking Highway 20 from
Highway 80 at Yuba Pass. Take Highway 20 west until you can turn right on Bowman Lake Road.
From Bowman Lake Road, follow the signs to the turnoff for Carr Lake Road. Carr Lake Road is an unimproved
dirt road that is very rough but still manageable in a 2-wheel drive vehicle with
modest clearance. The parking can be sparse due to the trailhead being very popular.
The Hike
The hike to Long Lake starts with a hike to
Island Lake. You will cross paths
with many other day hikers and backpackers on your
way to Island Lake but after that they should
thin out. We crossed paths with a couple groups coming from the Grouse Ridge Trailhead between Island and Long Lakes. We chose
to camp at Island Lake
and day hike to Long Lake. Our campground at
Island Lake was great
as it provided easy water access, a good spot for our tent and a great fire pit. I have never camped at Long Lake
but it looks like a more secluded area. You may have to search for a camping area which we did not do.
The Fishing
REPORT - September 3, 2016
We found fair fishing at Long Lake this year after fishing it for an hour or so. We approached the lake mid-day and tried
fishing the south end without any results. I moved over to the rocky outcropping on the north side and had a fish on in less
than five minutes. I landed a 13 inch Rainbow who gave a good fight. We had one more bite on a worm setup but the fish spit
the hook quickly. I have yet to see any Brook Trout come out of Long Lake since the last aerial plant. After fishing Long,
we hit the trail again to try and fish Carr Lake on the way out.
REPORT - June 20, 2015
Long Lake in Tahoe National Forest is a fishery that was last stocked
with Rainbow and Brook Trout in 2013. Fishing Long Lake produced husky Rainbows
on a Yellow Panther Martin for me and and a night crawler for my daughter. Both fish were nice but we
released them back into the water for someone else to tangle with.
Long Lake is a small lake to fish so we departed quickly feeling confident that we knew
what was in there. I would like to explore Long Lake's shore more to see what kind of camp sites there are but
that will have to be another day.