Ahhhhh. I don't fish, so lakes were never a destination thing for me. I like views. Take a look at this general area, running up a ridge to the west of Lake Isabella.
The start of that route from the south is forest road 25S03 to 25S15, otherwise known as Rancheria Road. I camped the first night at Evans Flat, almost nobody else there, at 6200 feet. COLD in October! Bring LOTS of firewood if you go.
http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/sequoia/recreat ... ounds.htmlMost of them reported to close in "mid october". Definitely call the forest office to check.
The PRIMO campground of all the ones that don't allow trailers, and is in a grove of Giant Sequoias in the National Forest, but outside the National Park, is BELKNAP in the town of Camp Nelson. At the top end of that map.
http://activities.wildernet.com/pages/a ... ry&CU_ID=1In three days unless you are doing camp & go every night, you aren't going to get far enough north for the National Park and the rest of the giant sequoias.
I heartily recommend Belknap as a destination if you want to go that far north. Right now sites 2, 3, and 4 are available (along with others.) I stayed in 3 and was very happy with it. No close neighbors if 2 isn't occupied.