Fishing on high mountain lakes is not something that hard, in fact it is a fascinating sports activity that you can benefit from on multiple levels. From workout, all the way to enjoying a good catch on one of the lakes. So let us see how can you go about fishing on high mountain lakes.

The hike

As a free time hiker and fisher, I often enjoy this combination of activities. However, keep in mind that you would have to hike to a location with a mountain lake and make sure that the lake spot actually has fish in it. You don’t want to hike 12km only to find a dried lake or even worse a lake with no fish in it.

Explore the area, and even better contact some of the local hiking clubs that can give you information. This way, you can be sure that there is fish in the lake.

Depending on the time of the year you might want to either hike back and forth to your fishing spot or establish a camping spot. Whatever you prefer you won’t make a mistake once you get to your fishing spot.

If you establish a camp for fishing on high mountain lakes

If you establish a camp then you want to spend some time initially on finding some burning wood and start the fire. You also want to set up the tent and be ready for a nice night fishing.Your enjoyment while popping a cold one will be even better once you add some freshly caught fish to your menu. Fishing this way adds a bigger chance of catching something as fish tend to be more active during night time, dusk or dawn. The lakes are usually shallow and therefore get quite warm on the banks so you might want to cast towards the deeper parts of the lake.

What if I don’t establish a camp and I just want to hike and fish?

That is perfectly ok if you want to do that, some people simply don’t like camping and/or fishing at night and that is completely understandable. Just remember what we mentioned above, these lake hot spots are usually active at dusk, dawn or night, chances that you’d get something during the middle of the day in summer are quite small. Exceptions here are during early autumn when days get a bit colder so these chances increase.

Enough with the hiking talk, what about fishing?

Yes, the fishing. Fishing on high mountain lakes requires freshwater bait and freshwater equipment. These lakes are usually full of fish that can be found in mountain regions. Get your fishing chair out, set up your baits and cast. Now here is something interesting about fishing on high mountain lakes, the fish here are enormous. Compared to 20-30cm trouts, here the trouts can grow as big as 70-90cm and they taste even better.

Due to the hike you want to pack up something to drink and refresh as well as some food in case you come back empty-handed (which we hardly doubt will happen). Get some quick drying clothes with you, as you might get wet if you want to go a bit into the water, so you can cast further.

Trout in alpine lakes are spending most of their time hunting for food, so having a basic awareness of where trout hunt for food makes finding fish much easier. Insects that live in the lake or terrestrial insects that blow onto the water from nearby trees provide the majority of the food in alpine lakes. Insects typically hatch in shallow portions of a lake that are 2 to 10 feet deep and where the sun may reach the bottom.

Trout prefers to congregate around where a stream enters or exits the lake, especially early and late in the season. If you’re having trouble catching trout, move around the lake and try other areas along the shoreline. Trying methods like fly fishing on the small streams or lakes is also a good way to catch your trout.

The setup for fishing on high mountain lakes

Due to the amount of fish in some lakes you do not need complicated setups. All you need is a basic one. Get a rod that breaks up into smaller one for traveling purposes but can be expanded into a long one. This will give you better casting capabilities.

That’s all for this one

We hope you will have fun hiking and fishing on high mountain lakes, it is certainly an experience you do not want to miss. May your lines be tight and drop us a comment on how you are taking on this challenge.