Getting There

Getting There

The trailhead for this journey is located outside of Bishop, California. The town of Bishop offers many dining and lodging opportunities so staying at a hotel one night before you begin might be a good idea. Pick up your wilderness permits at the White Mountain Ranger Station on the corner of North Main and East Yaney Street. Take route 168 that heads west and out of town to find the Lake Sabrina trailhead. Parking is located about 1/2 mile from the trailhead so expect to park on the side of the road and hike some asphalt for a while.

The Hike

The hike to Blue Lake, the first lake in the drainage, starts at the Lake Sabrina trailhead. The first mile of hiking is moderate uphill until you reach the first switchbacks. There are many more switchbacks to come and resting often comes in very handy. The trail to Blue Lake is worthy of a nights stay when traveling this way. Some resting would be good before you continue on. At Blue Lake there is a junction for Donkey Lake and Dingleberry Lake. Go right and travel another 1.5 miles until you reach the inlet of Dingleberry lake.

The Fishing

The fishing is good for small Brook Trout from the inlet and the west side. A deep channel runs through the middle of the lake and I can't stop wondering what it's like to troll through that area on some kind of raft or float tube. So, a float tube may come in handy at this lake.

There is a rumor that Dingleberry Lake may have some large Brown Trout lurking around so it is a worthy destination for hunting down a possible lunker. All we saw, every year that I have visited, is an abundance of small trout in the lake and the inlet. Personally, I find the inlet, the middle fork of Bishop Creek, to be a very fun fly fishing destination, especially for beginners, as the fish are plentiful and easy to fool.

The camping areas may be a little limited at Dingleberry Lake but I haven't completely circumnavigated the entire lake. The very north end may offer the best sites. We spent the night at a small pond on the hill on the west side named "Pete's Pond" which, in the past, held some nice Golden Trout but now is fishless and full of small tadpoles.