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Emigrant Lake and Huckleberry Lake - Best campsites

Posted: Wed Nov 23, 2011 4:35 pm
by mschnaidt
I'm planning a trip for next Summer and hope to visit Emigrant and Huckleberry lakes. I've never been to Huckleberry and it's been 30 years since I've been to Emigrant. Where are the best campsites at each lake. There will be 5 or 6 of us in the party and we will be fishing.

I appreciate your help!

Happy Thanksgiving,

M

Re: Emigrant Lake and Huckleberry Lake - Best campsites

Posted: Sat Nov 26, 2011 2:54 pm
by Wandering Daisy
The east (inlet) end of Huckleberry Lake is extremly impacted (overused) by equestairian campsites. I found it rather uninviting. There are established campsites at the inlet (east) end of Emmigrant Lake. These are also well used. It is hard to give suggestions because everyone defines "best campsite" as something different. Can you be more specific regarding your campsite criteria? And what time of year?

Re: Emigrant Lake and Huckleberry Lake - Best campsites

Posted: Sun Nov 27, 2011 9:40 am
by mschnaidt
Thanks Wandering Daisy,

I appreciate your reply.

The trip will be the last week of July. I prefer solitude, trees, views and good lake access for swimming, sunning and fishing. Established sites are ok but I really don't like the impact horses have on a site.

I'm a leave no trace guy so don't worry I won't mess up any favorite secret sites you might have...

All the best,

Michael

Re: Emigrant Lake and Huckleberry Lake - Best campsites

Posted: Sun Nov 27, 2011 12:47 pm
by justm
Huckleberry lake is a big lake. I was there 2 years ago and the fly fishing was good, caught and released many nice sized rainbows. The packers love to bring in alot of people here, they set up a big camp near the inlet. It took me a long time to find a good camp site, but I did, several. The best camping is on the north side, a ways in from the inlet. At about the middle of the lake on the north side, theres a largr flat slab of granite fringed with trees and runs right up to the lake. It has a nice fire ring, that should work for you. The rest of the lake has poor camp sites.
Emigrant lake has even fewer camp site and a no fire policy, but the lake is beautiful and the fishing is excellent for big rainbows. I've camped at a small campsite near the damn a few times, but it's very small and the only spot I found. The majority of the camp sites are near the inflow section. There is very little camping along the sides,do to the steep granite coming rite up to the lake.
I hope this helps, I was a little reserved about giving up info about these lakes ( I really like them!!) So I hope you were honest about not being a yahoo and trashing the place, and not keeping big stringers of fish and leaving fishing line and salmon egg jars all over the place. Let me know if you have any other questions.

Re: Emigrant Lake and Huckleberry Lake - Best campsites

Posted: Sun Nov 27, 2011 1:12 pm
by mschnaidt
Hi Justm,

Thanks for the info. I appreciate your trust. FYI, I also am a catch and release guy and so are the guys I go with. I always leave sites in better shape than I find them. I even pack out the trash others leave.

Thanks again,

M

Re: Emigrant Lake and Huckleberry Lake - Best campsites

Posted: Mon Jan 16, 2012 1:01 pm
by mschnaidt
Does anybody else have some input on sites at Emigrant? I'd like to avoid packer camps.

Are there any good ones on the North side?

Thx,

M

Re: Emigrant Lake and Huckleberry Lake - Best campsites

Posted: Mon Jan 16, 2012 5:45 pm
by texan
If you are looking for a campsite away the packers its going to take a bit of work. At both inlets to both lakes the packers are all over. Luckily for you both are large lakes and you can find the right spot if you do some searching. Everytime I go there I have to look too. Huckleberry is a little easier to find a good campsites but remember during a normal snow year if you go before August the skeeters are going to rip you apart. As for the fishing I am sure you will do well in both lakes and thats all I can say.

Texan

Re: Emigrant Lake and Huckleberry Lake - Best campsites

Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 8:04 pm
by Cross Country
I only took one trip there (in 1973) I had already been to a good place (Kid Lakes) and so by comparison knew that I never again wanted to go to Emigrant or Huckleberry the rest of my BP life. For the rest of my BP life (500+ days) I never returned. I just went to "good" places (just my opinion of course). For example, the JMT has, I believe, 16 passes and I only went over 8 of them. Passes are cool places, but on their own, not really worth the effort (relatively). There're nothing like "good" places. I repeated MANY of the "good" places 5-10 times.

Re: Emigrant Lake and Huckleberry Lake - Best campsites

Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2012 8:14 am
by mschnaidt
Thanks Texan and Cross Country,

I'm sure I'll find a good spot without too much difficulty.

While these two lakes might not be the very best in the Sierras I'll be smiling when I have a large rainbow on my line...

M