Mt. Hood hike-in lakes

[Pita]

Wondering if anyone has summer reports/conditions for any of the following lakes located on Mt. Hood...?

Hideaway, Buck, Shellrock, Pyramid, Frazier, Rock twins

I was at Dinger a couple of weeks ago with only a few small brookies caught on spinners. All of those gorgeous lakes are waiting for me within a few miles of each other, but I'm curious if anyone has made the hikes to reach them lately.

 

[OnTheFly]

Wondering if anyone has summer reports/conditions for any of the following lakes located on Mt. Hood...?

Hideaway, Buck, Shellrock, Pyramid, Frazier, Rock twins

I was at Dinger a couple of weeks ago with only a few small brookies caught on spinners. All of those gorgeous lakes are waiting for me within a few miles of each other, but I'm curious if anyone has made the hikes to reach them lately.

Hey Pita, I wish I had more information for you but I've only fished Hideaway and it was awhile back. Not really a walk in lake but if was any farther away from where you park, the trip down to the water with a pontoon boat on your back would get old quick. Nice little lake but I think the fish there are few and far between.

 

[kornphlake]

I fished Shellrock in June and did well, caught two cutthroats in about 2 hours in the evening, went back a couple weeks ago with a friend, we only fished for about an hour from 8:00 to 9:00 AM, my friend caught one. The hike to shellrock lake is pretty easy, the drive can be a little bone rattling especially on the switchbacks just below the campground at hideaway lake.

 

[FernRidgeChamp]

I'd like to know more about this. Can you camp on the lakes? I'm not scared of a hike with a 45 lb pontoon on my back, I troll hours on end on the thing I could work out legs while I'm at it. ha ha.

How many pther people do you usually bump into while up there? Can you give me a google map of the area? That would be sweet, I'm not sure where your talking about...

FRC

 

[Pita]

Thanks for the info guys ... I really appreciate you posting that stuff. :clap:

I've always had decent luck at Buck Lake and usually have the place to myself during the week so I think I will hit that one up during this trip. I met an older fella at Olallie last month who told me to watch out for the cougar family up there. Last year I saw plenty of tracks so I believe they are around too!!

Fern ... I couldn't fit all of the lakes on a single screenshot when I tried in google earth, but I found this website that might give you an idea of where I am talking about. The main road (I *think* its FS20) to Buck is closed so you have to go the long way around the north side to reach it.

Buck Lake - CommunityWalk

Seriously, those lakes might be as close to heaven as I ever get. Truly, truly amazing...

 

[kornphlake]

I'd like to know more about this. Can you camp on the lakes? I'm not scared of a hike with a 45 lb pontoon on my back, I troll hours on end on the thing I could work out legs while I'm at it. ha ha.

How many pther people do you usually bump into while up there? Can you give me a google map of the area? That would be sweet, I'm not sure where your talking about...

FRC

Shellrock is a short hike, maybe 1 mile with several campsites around the lake. Each time I've been there several of the sites have been filled but I've never seen anyone else fishing. A couple of the sites on the east side are large enough for several tents, while the sites on the west side are smaller and more secluded. Don't try to hike around the lake, the north side is very overgrown and there isn't a trail to follow, people have done it, including myself, but it's not fun.

The trailhead is just past the Hideway campground, if you're feeling adventurous be sure to scramble through the brush to see the waterfall just below where the creek crosses under the road. I believe you need a NW Forrest Pass to park at the trailhead even though there aren't any facilities.

Google Maps

If you don't like to pay to park or camp, there's a nice unimproved campsite on RD 130 where the creek crosses under the road opposite the gravel pile, from there it's a 20 minute cross country hike following the creek bed to the lake, a topo map will help if you haven't been there before.