Upper (Big) Greider Lake

This hike is a bit longer then it used to be but it is well worth the effort. The trail to the lakes is 2.5-miles of mostly switchbacks that climb 1300 feet up a forested ridge. To get to the old trailhead you'll have to hike roughly 2-miles of old road making this trip upwards of 10-miles round trip. You'll come to Little Greider first and it is worth wetting a line there, but the big lake is far more scenic. The lake has a population of naturally reproducing Rainbow Trout and is periodically stocked with Golden Trout. Fishing can be tough but fish can generally be caught near the logs at the outlet. Flotation would be very helpful to reach all corners of the lake.

Getting here:

From Everett follow US 2 east to Sultan. At a traffic light east of the town center, just past milepost 23, turn left (north) onto Sultan Basin Road. Follow it for 13.25 miles (the pavement ends at 10.25 miles) to an information kiosk. Stop and sign in, acknowledging that you understand the rules and regulations for visiting Sultan Basin, which is Everett's public water supply. Then continue 500 feet farther to a Y intersection, bearing right onto Forest Road 61. Reach the trailhead (elev. 1560 ft) in 7.1 miles. Privy available.

Species you might catch

Lake information

County: Snohomish
Acreage: 59.00 ac.
Elevation: 2936 ft.
TRS: T29R09E SEC36
Center: 47.954793, -121.582547
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Fishing resources

Fish stocking info
Release Location: GREIDER LK BIG (SNOH)
Stock Date Species Number Released Number of Fish Per Pound Facility
Sep 30, 2006 Golden Trout 630 600 TOKUL CR HATCHERY
Oct 2, 2004 Golden Trout 1,230 550 TOKUL CR HATCHERY
Oct 12, 2002 Golden Trout 1,200 500 TOKUL CR HATCHERY
Sep 25, 2001 Golden Trout 1,230 450 TOKUL CR HATCHERY
Oct 15, 2000 Golden Trout 1,225 360 TOKUL CR HATCHERY
Oct 12, 1999 Golden Trout 1,225 779 REITER PONDS
Oct 18, 1998 Golden Trout 258 344 TOKUL CR HATCHERY
Oct 9, 1996 Golden Trout 19 1 REITER PONDS
Sep 23, 1996 Golden Trout 1,244 525 TOKUL CR HATCHERY
Dec 22, 1995 Golden Rainbow 493 56 REITER PONDS
Visit the Catchable Trout Plants page for a more detailed search of trout plants in other bodies of water. To view and download the source data for this table visit the WDFW Fish Plants dataset on data.wa.gov.

Photos
Upper (Big) Greider Lake
Photo by WDFW