Lake Muriel
(Fresno County)
John Muir Wilderness
June 28, 2014
Getting There
To reach Lakes Muriel, park at the
North Lake Trailhead.
North Lake is located outside of
Bishop in the Lake Sabrina basin area.
The trail leads to Piute Pass and the
Humphreys Basin Backcountry.
Lake Muriel
The Hike
The trail to Lake Muriel starts in a wooded area and works it's way westward
and uphill for the first 1.4 miles. When you reach the first switchbacks you will be exposed to the
sun for much of the rest of the way. After passing Loch Leven Lake on the left, the trail climbs
gradually to Piute Lake.
This is a good place to rest before you hike over Piute Pass. Continue from Piute Lake over Piute Pass
and veer left from the trail that leads down to
Summit Lake. Hiking southward, cross country, will take you to Lake Muriel.
There are some good camping spots along the east shore.
Lake Muriel
The Fishing
Lake Muriel produced fast action fishing for Brook trout in the 11-14 inch range. We landed many fish
using inflated crawlers but had a very difficult time bringing the larger fish in using flies and spinners.
Brook Trout landed at Lake Muriel
We saw many fish cruising the shorelines but they were really small. The Goldens appear to be smaller in this lake than the Brook Trout, on average. There are many good places to cast at Lake Muriel and navigating the shorelines is very easy.
Brookie from Lake Muriel
Golden Trout from Lake Muriel
Lake Muriel
Lake Muriel
Lake Muriel