Red Lake - Alpine County, California

Visited 7/29/2017 - Jeff and I loaded up our two chocolate Labradors, Summer and Skye and set out in our Jeep Wrangler for a full day of capturing the beauty of several California Lakes.  Several folks were camped around the lake for the day, just relaxing and a few fisherman with lines in the water.  While we were there one guy pulled out a nice sized brook trout on his line and was smiling from ear to ear!

Red Lake is an 85 surface acre reservoir in Alpine County that is situated at approximately 7,861 feet above sea level. It is located off Highway 88, roughly one mile south of the Carson Pass and about 25 miles south of Lake Tahoe. Red Lake drains into Red Lake Creek, which is a five mile creek that flows into the West Fork Carson River.

Just above Red Lake is Red Lake Peak at an elevation of 10,068 feet above sea level and is believed to be the vantage point from which John C. Fremont and Charles Preuss made the first recorded sighting of Lake Tahoe in February 1844 as Fremont's exploratory expedition made a desperate crossing of the Sierra Nevada through what is now Carson Pass on their way to obtain provisions at Sutter's Fort in Sacramento. The peak lies just north of the pass and generally northwest of the Red lake east of the pass for which the peak is named.  Lake Tahoe is visible to the north from the peak.

Red Lake is part of the Red Lake Wildlife Area which is a total of 860 acres and managed by the California Department Fish and Wildlife. The vegetation surrounding Red Lake is characteristic of red-fir and lodgepole-fir forest. Open slopes are dominated by sagebrush with bitterbrush and serviceberry. Forestdale Creek and the other drainages around Red Lake are lined with willows and aspen groves. Common wildlife species include deer, coyote, jackrabbit, quail, flicker, warblers, red-tailed hawk, golden eagle, golden-mantled ground squirrel, marmot, and beaver. Fish species in Red Lake consist of brook trout and suckers; Forestdale Creek contains rainbow and brook trout.  Red Lake is open all year to the public with a five trout bag limit with 10 in possession.

Red Lake has been annually stocked since 1968 by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife for recreational fishing.  Historically, Red Lake was a brook trout fishery, however in 2011 CDFW shifted the fishery to native Lahontan cuttthroat trout.