Independence Lake is a gem of a hike! Loved our quick overnight trip there. The 0.6 mile trail goes up and down with a fair amount of climbing up root & rock steps. It made a very manageable trip in terms of mileage for our older dog and humans desiring a short backpack.
There is a small group camp area on the near side of the lake, and a large group camp area plus toilet on the far end.
Learning more about the hike at the Verlot Public Service Center was helpful, and the ranger mentioned there is snow on the way down to North Lake and snow travel expertise is recommended.
The road: it’s narrow with branches on the sides, fairly bumpy, and traverses the mountainside. Doable in a Subaru, with narrow passages when meeting another vehicle.
Happy hiking! Please continue to take care of these beautiful places - we extra appreciated how respectful and responsible all the fellow dog owners were on this trail the days we went.

Underrated lakes for sure!

Road: FSR 4060 is in decent shape right now with only a few bumpy spots. Say medium clearance and a step above factory tires and you will be fine.

Trail: Hike to Independence Lake was smooth - the trail has some obstacles like roots to step over but is well defined. On the north side of the lake, there is a 3 way junction to a back-country toilet, campsites, and for the North Lake Trail from left to right. As you follow the North Lake Trail and reach the first ridge, you encounter the first snow patches at about 4,500 ft. They are relatively small and compact though coupled with some blowdown, the trail slowly becomes harder to follow. Cresting the second ridge and beginning the decent to North Lake, the snow patches become more extensive. Traction wasn't an issue with boots and poles though following the trail was hard. I went about halfway down to North Lake before turning back, far enough to get a good view.

Wildflowers are going off and lots of bird song. eBird checklist linked below!

NF-4060 (Coal Lake Road) is open and passable, albeit a little rough and narrow in a few spots. Pot holes of all sizes were scattered along the way up to the Coal Lake trailhead, but nothing too deep to cause concern or swallow a Prius. The last 1/3 mile of road past the the Coal Lake trailhead was the most narrow, with brush encroaching on the road in spots.  Drive with care here, or park at the Coal Lake trailhead and hike the short distance.

The toilet at the Coal Lake trailhead was open and stocked.  There was no privy at the Independence Lake trailhead.

On this cloudy Monday, I was the first car at the Independence Lake parking area at 10 a.m., and my welcome committee was a few mosquitos looking for a free meal.  One other car was there when I returned to the trailhead at 1:30 p.m.

The hike to Independence Lake was uneventful with an easy to follow trail, but with a few big steps up and down and one tree blow down (easy to step over).

Past Independence Lake, the trail narrows, becomes a little brushy and heads steeply uphill.  I encountered snow fields beginning at about 4500 feet elevation, shortly after crossing a small stream.  The snow was firm and well consolidated, which made for relatively easy hiking such that I didn't feel the need to put on microspikes, but beware of snow bridges and tree wells.  The biggest challenge during the climb up the ridge was trying to stay on the trail - - with the trail often covered by snow, very little foot traffic to indicate a pathway, and several blow downs to navigate.  

Once at the ridge at about 4950 feet, I followed a side spur trail south for about 0.1 mile, first initially through woods and then across the snow, for some nice views on this cloudy day.

The snow seemed more extensive for the hike from the ridge down to North Lake, with no clear boot path or footsteps through the snow.  I often referenced my GPS to help stay "on trail", but eventually decided to turn around after the steepness of the snow and lack of a defined trail was more than I wanted to manage on this day.  Best for me to save North Lake for a snow-free trail day.

Hiked with my friend and we almost made it to North Lake. Overall a nice day with great weather, many flowers in bloom - lots of trillium!

The Road: Yes, the road is narrow with several large potholes, few turnaround or pullover spots, and loose rocks. I made it up just fine with my small honda civic coupe, I just drove slowly and carefully. Didn't care about getting potential scratches from branches on the side of the road, the car is 14 years old lol. I was nervous about driving on the forest road to the trailhead after reading recent reports, but I did it!

The Bugs: Lots of flies that started appearing past Independence Lake. I got 2 mosquito bites (one through my pants!) Up near North lake the bugs were very annoying. We sat down to eat at the ridge and the flies swarmed us. They were non-biting flies, but flew in my nose, ears, and eyes a few times.

The Trail: several blowdowns of trees and branches and some loose rocks. Nothing I couldn't manage though, just proceeded slowly and carefully.

The Snow: Patches of snow started appearing around 3500-4000ft. I forgot my hiking poles and micro spikes.I should have thought of those things considering the time of year and elevation. Oops. I found 2 walking branches I used as "poles". I slipped a few times, but no injuries. Be very careful. We didn't get close to North lake because I had enough of going up/down in the snow without being prepared well enough.

Total time hiking was about 4.5 hours.

Just up to Independence Lake was short and beautiful!!!! Road is a bit bumpy but easily passable. Trail was beautiful. Lake was stunning!