Convict Lake 2012

Photos from out three-day sojourn to Convict Lake. My dad had won a free pontoon boat rental at the lake and we decided to spend the nights there in the lovely and quaint Convict Lake Resort cabins. The fishing on the lake sucked, but Convict Creek was very productive as my dad caught a 21” brown trout. On the trip home we checked out Hot Creek Geologic Area, went for a hike to Fantail Lake near Tioga Pass and even squeezed-in dinner at the Whoa Nelly Deli. It was a great trip! One important note: all the photos were taken using an old sony point and shoot since my D700 was in for cleaning.

For more information on the geology of Hot Creek please see the following information from the USGS: http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2007/3045/fs2007-3045.pdf
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  • Laura shows-off the enormity of our room. I took the photo from the front door... the bathroom is behind door #2. All kidding aside, the cabin was cozy and an amazingly restful place to stay.
  • And here's a view of our kitchen. Surprisingly functional.
  • The view from our cabin's front door.
  • My mom enters the senior Hollister cabin.
  • We arrived at Convict Lake from Turlock at about 3pm. After a short nap we all headed out to do some shore fishing. The metamorphosed rocks of Laurel Mountain are truly spectacular created by the heat and pressure of overlying rock and the intrusion of granitic magma during the Cretaceous.
  • The windy site of where I caught my only two fish at the lake.
  • The first fish I landed was a nice 11" brown.
  • Followed by a plump 10" rainbow.
  • As the sun started to dip, I had to head back to the cabin to make dinner.
  • The cramped cooking quarters of our cabin- perfect for pre-measured ingredients of the chicken pot pie I was creating.
  • Slaving away by cooking the veggies and reheating the BBQ'd chicken chunks as the women sat outside...
  • ...drinking their wine!
  • As the pie cooked in the oven, I took a hike up the recessional moraine (glacial deposits) to see some of the last light for the day. Too bad I didn't have my good camera.
  • Awesome little flowers growing along a few boulders amongst the glacial till.
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  • The view of Mt. Morrison from this vantage point really lets the imagination run wild to the time when this spot was home to the end of large valley glacier depositing its eroded material here.
  • Glacially transported granitic boulder on the top of the moraine.
  • Chicken POt PIE!!!
  • Day two at Convict Lake: Moonset over Laurel Mountain.
  • Moonset from the marina.
  • Convict Lake in the calmest state. We came because my dad had won a free pontoon boat rental for the entire day. Time to go catch some fish!
  • My dad lets out some lead-core line in the absence of our downriggers. We thought we'd lay into a few fish, but instead got NOTHING!
  • Laura enjoys the view.
  • Crazy-awesome beetle landed on Laura.
  • The back of Convict Lake, near the inlet of Convict Creek.
  • The boardwalk over Convict Creek.
  • Boardwalk in black and white.
  • Poplar/aspen leaves.
  • After futily fishing the lake in increasing wind and chop, we turned our attentions to Convict Creek several miles down from the campground. I bushwhacked through steep hills, wild rose and an assortment of other brush to find this sweet "fishing hole" full of fish. My first catch was a 10" brown. BUt I saw a much larger fish in the hole that got my adrenaline going!
  • Paintbrush.
  • The general vicinity of the creek.
  • Here's a tougher section of the creek to fish.
  • cactus bloom near the creek.
  • Cactus bloom near convict creek.
  • After eating dinner, my dad and I returned to "Beaver Falls" to hopefully entice the big fish I had seen earlier. And wouldn't you know it... after a few minutes of work, my dad landed the biggest brown I've seen in such a small creek - 21". I went back to the truck and got the empty ice-chest to fill with water so we could transport the monster for measuring at the Convict Lake Resort as part of their "Ambush at the Lake" fishing contest. We released the fish back to his hole less than 30 minutes later.
  • The fish darn-near filled the ice-chest.
  • Morning of Day 3 - My dad and I decided to fish new territory on Convict Creek below HWY 395.
  • The lower section of Convict Creek has great meanders and cutbanks coming off riffles. Perfect for fishing!
  • I caught several small browns on a lure.
  • Iris with Laurel Mountain in the background.
  • My dad got his feet wet to get into the trout. And with that, I left Convict Lake without catching a 14" fish. But we still a great time, and I know where I'm going in November for the Round-Up at the lake.