Alpine County
VOL . 36 • ISS . 17
Lake Alpine Facts
Location : is a small , scenic reservoir surrounded by conifer forest located just east of the community of Bear Valley on State Highway 4 , at an elevation of 7,350 feet 50 miles east of Angels Camp . It covers 180 acres at a depth of 40 feet . It is the central attraction of the “ Lake Alpine Recreation Complex ” in the Calaveras Ranger District .
Season : open all year , but road access is subject to winter closure and the lake ices over during the winter . The CDFW and Alpine County both plant rainbow trout during the late spring , summer and early fall .
Boating : A boat ramp is located near the Lake Alpine Picnic Area . The maximum speed limit on the lake is 10 mph . No overnight mooring is permitted , and motorized boats are not allowed on the lake at night .
Camping : Forest Service Developed Campgrounds with a total of 112 campsites . The Lake Alpine Campground features piped water , disabled accessible restrooms , tables at each site and BBQ grills at each site . Reservations are first-come , first-served . The campgrounds are open from June to October , weather permitting . For more information , contact the Calaveras Ranger District , 5519 Highway 4 , P . O . Box 500
Hathaway Pines , CA 95233 , Phone ( 209 ) 532- 3671 ,
FAX ( 209 ) 533-1890 , www . fs . fed . us / r5 / stanislaus / contact /
Day Use Area : Forest Service developed recreation facilities include three developed Day Use Sites ( Chickaree , Lake Alpine , and Marmot ) featuring 48 picnic sites with grills , flush toilets and piped water ; and , a boat launch .
Lodging : Accommodations are available at the Lake Alpine Lodge , a full-service summer resort operated under Special Use Permit with the Stanislaus National Forest . The Lodge is open from May 1 through October 31 ( weather permitting ). It offers cabin rentals , a sit-down restaurant and cocktail lounge , public ( fee ) showers , a laundromat , canoe , kayak , row and motor boat rentals , mountain bike rentals , and a small general store with groceries , fishing and camping gear , house wares , souvenirs , etc . For more information , contact Lake Alpine Lodge , 4000 Highway 4 , PO Box 5060 , Bear Valley , CA 95223 , phone ( 209 ) 753-6350 .
Fishing Information and Tackle : Ebbetts Pass Sporting Goods , 925 SR-4 in Arnold Plaza , P . O . Box 579 , Arnold , CA 95223 , phone ( 209 ) 795-1686 , Fax ( 209 ) 795-4725
MAP FEATURE
Lake Alpine
Alpine County
Stanislaus National Forest
Silvertip
Osborn Hill
Emigrant
To Bear Valley , Arnold & Angels Camp
Trail
Lodgepole Overflow
Lake Alpine
Silver Creek
Marmot
Fishing Notes
August 4 - 18 , 2017
Bee Gulch
Marina
Lake Alpine
Chickaree
To Ebbetts Pass , Hiway 89 and Markleeville
Pine Marten
Backpackers
Silver Valley
Inspiration Point
• Rainbow Trout are the main species pursued at Lake Alpine . Trolling is good with Cripplures , Rapalas , Needlefish and other lures or nightcrawlers behind flashers . The lake features excellent bank fishing access , with a trail running around the perimeter of the reservoir . Use Power Bait , nightcrawlers and Pautzke salmon eggs for a mixture of wild , holdover and planted rainbows . Float tubing with a variety of flies is also very popular at Alpine .
• The lake has a 10 mph speed limit imposed at all times , so you won ' t see any water skiers and personal watercraft churning the water at this scenic lake .
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facilities ,” said Bill Reynolds , owner of Ebbetts Pass Sporting Goods in Arnold . “ Because of its high elevation and cool water temperatures , it provides both good bank fishing and boat fishing year round , though spring and fall are the best times .”
A lot of the lake is shallow , so the fish during the summer school up in the deep water , according to Reynolds . When you find a pod of fish , fishing can be really good .
Although there is no official lake trout record at Alpine , an angler weighed in a 9 lb . 6 oz . rainbow at Reynolds ’ shop in 2008 .
Brown bullheads like those found at nearby Union and Utica reservoirs are also believed to swim in Alpine , but Reynolds hasn ’ t heard any reports on catfish catches in recent years .
The entire shoreline has top-notch fishing access , since it is surrounded by an excellent trail , including a paved section that is handicapped accessible . For that reason , Alpine gets more bank fishing pressure than other local lakes .
Reynolds advises bank anglers to employ a variety of baits in an array of colors on a 24 to 30 inch leader on a sliding sinker rig near the boat ramp and the dam . Anglers should use chartreuse garlic PowerBait , Berkley Mice Tails , Power Eggs , nightcrawlers and other offerings on a 24 ” to 30 ” leader with a sliding sinker .
Trolling is also productive at Alpine . Trollers should pull Apex lures , Needlefish , Triple Teazers , Rooster Tails and Uncle Larry ’ s spinners .
Trolling Wedding Rings and Wiggle Hoochies , tipped either with a nightcrawler or a Gulp nightcrawler , behind small dodgers is also effective .
The lake is also a good spot for fly fishermen fishing from pontoon boats and float tubes . The better patterns include sparrow nymphs , woolly buggers , stone fly nymphs , ants , Adams , mosquitoes , stimulators and bead head nymphs .
The recreation area features five developed campgrounds with a total of 112 campsites and three developed day use sites - Chickaree , Lake Alpine , and Marmot - including 48 picnic sites with grills , flush toilets and piped water and a concrete boat launch .
Lake Alpine Lodge , a full-service summer resort , also offers cabin rentals , a restaurant , public ( fee ) showers , laundromat , boat and bike rentals , and a general store .
The 161,000 acre Carson-Iceberg Wilderness that Alpine is the gateway to straddles the crest of the Sierra Nevada range , divided almost evenly between the Stanislaus and Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forests . The federal wilderness area features gorgeous high country scenery , with several peaks rising above 10,000 feet , broad river valleys , perennial creeks with small waterfalls , granite-strewn slopes , and meadow-filled valleys .
The headwaters of the East Fork of the Carson River , the Clark Fork of the Stanislaus , and the Mokelumne River are located in the wilderness . The Carson River , named for Kit Carson , and a distinctive granite formation called the Iceberg on the southern boundary give this area its name
Although Lake Alpine offers a superb trout fishery itself , there are many other exciting fisheries nearby . One of my favorites is Spicer Reservoir , situated on the North Fork of the Stanislaus River about 10 miles up Spicer Reservoir Road from Highway 4 . I have experienced my best shore fishing for the lake ’ s gorgeous square-tailed rainbows in the spring after ice-out and in the fall after the turnover .
Another solid prospect is Union Reservoir , about two miles from Spicer . At Union , you can catch both a limit of rainbow trout and a mess of scrappy brown bullhead catfish while soaking nightcrawlers and PowerBait there during the summer . For more information about fishing Lake Alpine and the lakes of the Ebbetts Pass High Country , call Ebbetts Pass Sporting Goods , 209- 795-1686 .
After catching and releasing six smaller rainbows while bait fishing at Lake Alpine in the morning , Bryan Wood of Los Gatos landed this beautiful rainbow at Spicer Reservoir .
Photo by DAN BACHER , Fish Sniffer Staff .