Kings River over Thanksgiving

[Wednesday Caster]

Here I go again with another question. I will be up at Shaver Lake over Thanksgiving Wed-Sun. God help me on my way back to LA with 4mil others cars. Anyway, my brother-in-law and I were thinking of winging it on Kings River. After checking regs, it looks like we should be able to chase some fins (if you know of any special regs please advise). Any recommendations of some other fishy areas? We were thinking the confluence of Dinkey Creek and KR which is less than an hour away according to his calculations. Can you recommend anywhere else for some big-uns (I catch enough of 4-10"ers down here in LA). Wade and C&R is the intended action and result.
As always, thanks for your help.
God Bless,
Quinn

[Bob Scheidt]

Hi Quinn,
The Kinkgs above Pine Flat Lake is where you are talking about. It should be fine around Turkey day. I think the regs are zero limit and it might be barbless too. Or maybe limit is 2. It's either one or the other.
The confluence of Dinkey Creek is with the North Fork of the Kings. It is about 1 mile above where the North Fork empties into the mail river.
Grab a Forest service map. The river has 2 bridges that cross the river. Once you cross the 2nd bridge, there is an 8 mile dirt road that somewhat parallels the river. At the end of that road, you can hike up and fish also. I would probably fish the main river compared to Dinkey or the North Fork. I haven't been there in years, but I would suspect Baetis, small caddis and maybe some small mays.
Keep an eye out for rattlers, always a good idea, particularly on low elevation waters.
Another bet would be to ask if the Kokanees are around the mouth of Rancheria creek at Huntington Lake. Also a day trip to Balsam Meadow pond, which is exactly 4 miles past the Shaver Lake boat ramp, on Hwy. 168 on the way to Huntington, This is a snowpark so you need a fprest service permit to park there. Balsam is a short walk in.
Bob Scheidt

[andanb]

The area that you are talking about is much farther than an hour drive...probably 2 hour minimum. You should check the regs because the high country closes in the fall except the lakes. The middle fork of the kings above Pine Flat is some nice water at that time of the year and the snakes are slow at that time of year. Some nice fish ff only. I don't know if Dinkey and the North Fork open that late the regs change all the time. Nymphing can produce some monsters.

[Wednesday Caster]

Thanks gents!
Bob, Thanks for he PM too.
:)

[Bug]

All the streams in that area close Nov 15th. The only thing open will be the lakes. The main fork of the Kings above Pine Flat is open all year but Dinkey and the North Kings are closed all the way to where they enter the main Kings. It's longer then an hour to get to the Kings from Shaver. The roads are very slow down through Black rock. Dirt in some areas and windy and narrow. I'd guess 2 hrs.

[Digger]

Sorry to say, but I'm thinking snow covered roads by then.

[Wednesday Caster]

Gents,
Thanks for your comments.
My brother in law bought a vacation house near Shaver Lake (October '04) said they skied (sp?) last year early Oct. and rented it out by late October for skiers.
I just checked the maps again and noticed the San Joaquin River is much closer to the house than the Kings. Will have to go over regs for it now.
Thanks again.