Best routes from JO Pass: class2 vs trails & praying for trout

[recked]

Six of us have a permit coming up next week. We hope to hike, swim, flyfish and see this part of SequoiaNP which we haven't ever explored. From Lodgepole, our permit has our first night at or beyond JO Pass but whereto next? Crosscountry class 2 is our limit, we're not lazy or inexperienced, just easily pleased and anxiety averse. We'll have our usual GPS plus papermap with compass as backup. My questions are tame, sorry if a bit boring, big thanks for any suggestions!

Question 1: whether the 2mile xCountry from JO Pass to Seville Lake is an easy traverse, and if we'd be making a mistake to skip the beauty the trail affords from JO Pass to Rowell Meadow to Belle Canyon Trail to Seville Lake. Any thoughts?

Question 2: whether the trail from Rowell Meadow to Comanche Meadow then Sugarloaf Creek is more scenic than going up Belle Canyon Trail to Seville Lake. Oh, any fish along either route?

Question 3: from Ranger Lake/Beville Lake would you recommend pathfinding over to Box Canyon or maybe just to Crescent Lake or...? Hard to picture terrain from a computerscreen, kinda have to be there, but I thought we might keep our camp (at Beville Lake?) then dayhike unless you recommend bringing the packs to camp out there.

Final pervading and predictable question: any streams and lakes hiding any trout out there?!

[maiathebee]

If your permit is labeled "JO Pass" that does not begin at Lodgepole. It begins north of JO Pass in Jennie Lakes Wilderness. See this map: https://www.nps.gov/seki/planyourvisit/ ... 210205.pdf

I don't have answers for your questions since I'm headed to that area for the first time myself next week!

[recked]

Thanks for your concern, I was not referring to my permit but to our first night.

[recked]

My research into fishing prospects turns up the beloved vagaries of Dave's Sierra Flyfishing and Steve Schalla's websites, summarized below. Interestingly they contradict one another about Ranger Lake, who's right?!
And I'd welcome any firsthand reports folks here might be willing to share.

The Rowell Creek Trailhead can give you access to a number of lakes within the South Fork 
Sugarloaf Creek drainage of Kings Canyon National Park
Five trout daily bag limit, 10 trout in possession

Seville Lake: (8,408' elevation) 5.4 miles from the trailhead. Contains Brookies up to 12".

Lost Lake: (9,197' elevation), From Seville Lake, Lost Lake is a mile southeast but a steep ridge separates the two lakes. The trail from Seville makes a loop around the ridge with a distance of 3.5 miles from Seville. Lost contains Brookies, up to 12".

Ranger Lake: (9,193' elevation), From Seville Lake, Ranger Lake is 4.4 miles along the trail. This lake was supported by aerial drops of fingerlings up to 1986. Spawning was unsuccessful due to the outlet creek going dry. Fishless.  BUT! DaveSierra says: "Ranger Lake is a wonderful little lake for fishing"

Beville Lake: (9,142' elevation). This is just a quarter mile from Ranger Lake to the southeast. Beville may be fishless but may just have very low densities of fish.

Going over Silliman Pass, you go from Kings Canyon National Park to Sequoia National Park. Both parks are managed as a unit called SEKI. The first lake you encounter is Twin Lakes.
 
Twin Lakes: (9,400' elevation). About 12 miles from the Rowell Trailhead. The two lakes have had a good population of Brookies for over 80 years, up to 12".

[maiathebee]

Ok, I guess I assumed JO Pass permit since there is no permit that requires going over it except for that one. The trail you're describing is Twin Lakes permit, and you don't have to go over JO Pass. Your fishing questions might get more bites (har har) over on the fishing forum.

I'm planning a route that leaves from Alta up to the Tablelands and then along the heads of those canyons you're asking about. Here are a bunch of posts I've found (by searching this forum, which you might also try) that have been helpful for my trip planning.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=9967
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=20858
viewtopic.php?t=21297
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=13173
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=12679
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=18382

[sekihiker]

Lost Lake is the best destination in the area. Try to make it there. There are small brook trout in Lost Lake.

Image of Lost Lake from trip report at: http://www.sierrahiker.com/LostLakeLoop/index.html

[giantbrookie]

Seville Lake: (8,408' elevation) 5.4 miles from the trailhead. Contains Brookies up to 12".

Lost Lake: (9,197' elevation), From Seville Lake, Lost Lake is a mile southeast but a steep ridge separates the two lakes. The trail from Seville makes a loop around the ridge with a distance of 3.5 miles from Seville. Lost contains Brookies, up to 12".
Ranger Lake: (9,193' elevation), From Seville Lake, Ranger Lake is 4.4 miles along the trail. This lake was supported by aerial drops of fingerlings up to 1986. Spawning was unsuccessful due to the outlet creek going dry. Fishless.  BUT! DaveSierra says: "Ranger Lake is a wonderful little lake for fishing"
Twin Lakes: (9,400' elevation). About 12 miles from the Rowell Trailhead. The two lakes have had a good population of Brookies for over 80 years, up to 12".

I can personally verify Seville and Lost as fishing as stated above. I have received multiple first-hand reports that the Twins have fished like that for at least six decades. Ranger is fishless, so far as I can tell.

[recked]

Great info, thank you Giantbrookie.
Lost Lake ftw, thank you Sekihiker.
Maiathebee, you helped me realize just because I listed JO Pass on the application I could still probably revise our night one plans when picking up the Twin Lakes permit. And I'd missed a couple of those relevant trip reports, big thanks for linking to them. Oldranger has that deep knowledge, makes me think real hard about Ellis as a can't-miss xCountry.

In fact Lost, Crescent, Ellis, Twin and Seville are all calling my name, quite a chorus!

[maverick]

Lost Lake is the best destination in the area.

For scenery, hands down.

For fishy check out Sheep Camp Lake (upper).

[Mtbski]

The best fishing is at Seville, Jennie, and Twin. No Fish in Ranger or Beville. They are small at Lost, but it is a beautiful lake.

Don't know about the XC lakes around Mount Silliman. They look like a bit of a scramble to get to.