Little Fish Lake
Updated: Apr 19
A small, hidden lake in Gifford Pinchot National Forest.
Lake Name: Little Fish Lake
Lake Coordinates: 46.1554, -121.7017
Lake Elevation: 3562'
Access: Unnamed & unmarked trail that I happened across
Distance: 0.27 miles (round trip)
Elevation Range: 3560‘ to 3691‘
Ascent/Descent: +121 ft / -135 ft
Route Type: In & out
Note: I ended up happening across a trail when I originally expected to have to bushwhack to this lake.
Date hike was done: 8-20-23
I was expecting I'd have to bushwhack to this small lake, since I couldn't find any information about it online, and it is only named on some maps. I was anticipating I might have to try bushwhacking from FS 8871 from the stream that comes out of the lake. What ended up happening was I was driving down FS 8854 from Steamboat Lake and saw a large pull off.
I noticed on the map the elevation between the road and lake was only around a 100ft in difference and it might actually be a shorter bushwhack from FS 8854 than FS 8871. So I pulled into the pull out area that was like a half circle pull out from the road. I stopped in the middle of the pull out, oriented myself with the map/gps and within 20 ft happened across an unmarked trail (towards the north and just slightly west). There was a stump about 30 ft into the forest out of the pull out and the trail continued to the east of it. I decided to try following it and see if it led to the lake. It did!
It was worn enough that it was easy to follow and see the whole way down to the lake's edge. The trail has one steeper switch back section and then it drops you right down by the lake. The lake was relatively small compared to the larger lakes I'd been to already that day. It was so quiet. There were tons of dragon flies and the foliage lining the lake's edge was a beautiful bright, light green. This lake gave off more of a marshy pond type of feel. I was the only person there.
If the pull out doesn't have another vehicle in it, more than likely you'd be the only person at this lake.
Resources
I couldn't find any information about this lake online. It isn't named on some maps, others name it Little Fish Lake.
How to get there (from Trout Lake, WA)
Coordinates
Map
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