Getting There

Noble Lake in Alpine County can be reached via Highway 4 near Ebbett's Pass. Ebbett's Pass is a 30 minute drive from Markleeville or a 30 minute drive from Lake Alpine. There are a couple of ways to find parking near Ebbett's Pass to hike into Noble Lake. I usually choose the larger parking lot on the east side of Highway 4, closer to Kinney Reservoir.

The Hike

At 3.41 miles it makes for a moderate hike to Noble Lake in terms of distance. I packed into Noble Lake and it was a moderate hike. It is a mixture of up and downhill with a significant amount of downhill coming in (remember that for the way out). However, there are some pretty nice switchbacks towards the end of the hike to Noble Lake that will challenge you for sure. When you reach Noble Lake, you will find a small, murky looking lake. While not ideal for camping, you could probably find a decent spot to pitch a tent in the grove of trees south of Noble Lake.

The Fishing

Noble Lake is a small, muddy, 2 acre lake that is just off the PCT and makes for a good place to camp if you are hiking the PCT. Another nearby camping option is the Kinney Lakes, just over the highway (4), close to Noble Lake. The fish are NOT biting at Noble Lake! While fishing Noble Lake I found no action casting from any shore. Looks like the fish may have been removed. There are abundant insects and boatloads of scuds near shore at Noble Lake. This may indicate that Noble Lake is fishless due to Sierra Yellow-Legged Frog restoration. As it turns out, after speaking with locals, the fish have indeed been removed for frog restoration. Bummer!

In the past, the fish were biting at Noble Lake in Alpine County. In fact, they were quite large at times. I, nor any person that I have traveled with, have ever had much luck with spinners here. But with beadhead nymphs, we had much luck at Noble Lake. However, it looks like those days are over.