Rainbow Trout Confirmed present Best: dawn, dusk Best: dawn, dusk
Rainbow Trout species guideKirkwood Lake fishing
Kirkwood Lake fishing lists Rainbow Trout on a high alpine lake, outside the stocking reports. Species guides list dawn and dusk as the active times.
- Last stocked
- Not in these reports
- Plants on record
- 0
- Species recorded
- 1
- Elevation
- 7,657.9 ft
Fish at Kirkwood Lake
Rainbow Trout Confirmed present Best: dawn, dusk Kirkwood Lake on the agency's stocking plan
California Department of Fish and Wildlife lists Kirkwood Lake on its stocking plans. These are planned or scheduled dates, not confirmed releases, and they are not counted in this page's stocking totals.
| Scheduled | Species | Quantity | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scheduled: October 5, 2025 (agency plan) | Mixed Trout | – | plan |
| Scheduled: July 19, 2026 (agency plan) | Mixed Trout | – | plan |
| Scheduled: August 30, 2026 (agency plan) | Mixed Trout | – | plan |
Access and facts
- Water type
- high alpine
- Facilities
- camping
Kirkwood Lake Campground sits at 7,600 feet in Eldorado National Forest, 57 miles east of Jackson on Highway 88, with 12 tent sites and a fee. It is a seasonal site in bear country, with an anticipated late-September closure each year.
Drafted by AI from the cited sources and checked before publishing.
Advisories, closures, regulations and water conditions change. Check the California Department of Fish and Wildlife before you go.
Nearest lakes
No other lakes on record in California yet.
Camping near Kirkwood Lake
Campgrounds within 15 miles of Kirkwood Lake's mapped point, nearest first: Kit Carson Campground (11.2 miles), Wrights Lake Campground (12.7 miles), and Crystal Springs Campground (13.4 miles), each with its own campground page on campgroundsdb.com.
Straight-line distances.
Public land at Kirkwood Lake
Kirkwood Lake is inside Eldorado National Forest.
It is 1 mile outside the edge of Mokelumne Wilderness.
Boundaries from Public Lands DB, part of the same network.
Common questions
What fish are at Kirkwood Lake?
Rainbow Trout is recorded here outside the stocking reports.
How do you get on Kirkwood Lake?
Facilities include camping. Kirkwood Lake Campground sits at 7,600 feet in Eldorado National Forest, 57 miles east of Jackson on Highway 88, with 12 tent sites and a fee. It is a seasonal site in bear country, with an anticipated late-September closure each year.