Golden Trout suggestions?

I don't have much fishing experience (yet), but I've done a handful of trips into the Golden Trout with some friends whose family has a private inholding within the Golden Trout Wilderness.

You can access the Little Kern River from the westside from the Jerkey Meadows or Lewis Camp THs off Hwy 190 behind Springville. It's a popular area with the horsepacker crowd but not many hikers.

To the Little Kern from either of these THs is about 5-7 miles depending upon where you end up (Grey's Meadow or the crossing of the Little Kern on the way to Trout Meadows). Continuing on to the Kern River at Kern Flats is another 3 or 4 miles I recall. From there, you can follow trails up or downstream along the Kern.

Try these areas. Also, some of the little lakes above Purple Lake. Seems it was the Second Recess stream I caught a couple last year off of Mono Creek. Caught a nice one at Izakk Walton a few years back, off the JMT Hwy.

Since this is a very low water year in the Southern Sierra I'd think about heading to some lakes rather than a hike into some of the creeks/smaller rivers in the GTW. One possibility is the Cottonwood Lakes basin out of the Horseshoe Meadows trailhead. All five of the Cottonwood Lakes hold some nice goldens as do Long Lake and the South Fork Lakes. From the trail head, it's about a 5 mile hike in with a 1,000ft elevation change. However the elevation starts at 10,000ft and climbs up to just over 11,000ft at the lakes. No major passes to head over but you will be feeling the elevation. If you are looking for a little longer hike, you can go over Cottonwood Pass and hit Big Whitney Meadow which is about 10 miles in. Lots of pretty little golden trout to be caught in Golden Trout Creek. The only catch here, is that the trail head is just a little ways south of Lone Pine, CA which makes it a fairly significant drive from the Bay Area.

For a longer trip you could try Lou Beverly and Sandpiper lakes. Lou Beverly was absolutely loaded with Golden's when I was there last year. Fishing is supposed to be great all the way up Bear Creek too, though the group was moving too quickly for me to try it. You could take two days getting there with lots of fishing breaks and then hike out in a day – it would be all downhill on the way out.

I am told by my buddies that I caught a Golden Trout at Treasure Lakes out of the South Lake trail head in Inyo NF. Would probably be a little closer drive for you than Golden Trout wilderness.

you be the judge:

I love you guys! No, really, I do! I'm getting excited just thinking about it! I sure hope it works out that I can go.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I think what you have there Ben, is a baby rainbow. I catch a lot of those drifting a single egg in small streams. Fun little buggers on light gear.

Here is a nice Cottonwood Lakes Golden trout.