Getting There

To reach Loch Leven Lake, park at the North Lake Trailhead. North Lake is located outside of Bishop in the Lake Sabrina area. The trail leads to Piute Pass and the Humphreys Basin Backcountry.

The Hike

The trail to Loch Leven Lake starts in a forested 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 reaching Loch Leven Lake on the left, the trail climbs gradually to Piute Lake. This is a good place to rest and find some shade if you plan on hiking over Piute Pass. From Piute Lake, the hike up to Piute Pass is easy and the rest is downhill into the Humphreys Basin.

Loch Leven Lake is a lake that I am sure gets passed by too often. We used the lake as resting point from our rugged hike to the pass. While resting I pulled out my Reddington 5 weight and began plying the waters near the outlet. I started with a Green Humpy and had lots of strikes and a few hook-ups. I changed my fly to a beaded brassie and hooked and landed many fish. I tied on a Caddis imitation and landed a couple more fish, all tiny Brook Trout. In fact, I generally landed a fish on every cast at the outlet of Loch Leven Lake but they were all very small.

I decided that there must be larger fish elsewhere on the lake. So, I began to start fishing the north shore and saw many fish feeding but had a difficult time getting their attention with my flies. I would even say that the Brookies, larger and cruisers of the north granite drop-offs, are more wiley and much more difficult to catch. When your are hiking by Loch Leven Lake, take a moment to watch the fish feeding right next to shore. These fish are larger and more wary of bad presentations so beware!