High Sierra Topix

If you do not mind turning this into a moderate backpacking trip instead of a
basecamp and hike trip, then consider Blackcap or Red Mountain Basin, west
of Kings Canyon. Great scenery, numerous wonderful lakes, fishing, and dog friendly.

Dinkey Lakes is also nice, with several lakes, good scenery, good fishing, and you
can hike into one of the lakes and day hike to several other lakes, and is closer than
the above two areas.

Maverick,

You're the man
The crew has hiked Dinkey a few times, and that is me and dads hike. We would go back in heartbeat but-from what I have read-there is a fire ban in most of the Sierra. I understand why--it is, and has been, dry as heck. Otherwise we would be heading up to the Graveyard...
And really, we want to see more of what the Sierra has to offer on *all of our* limited schedules. We are all growing up and can't just drop everything to go for a hike. Clearly we need to figure out that whole working thing...

Maybe Norris TH or out of the clover meadow campgroud up to Lillian, Vanderburgh and Rutherford lakes? Just throwing out other options. It's all uphill, but the trip out is really fast. good fishing in all lakes mentioned. Pretty sure it's dog friendly.

Doesn't really matter where you go this time of year given the drought; no one should be having campfires.