If you enjoy hiking under the blazing sun while carrying coolers, chairs, umbrellas, and all your other gear for what feels like a mile from your car, then this place might be perfect for you. The biggest downside is the distance from the parking area to the actual destination. By the time we arrived, we were already tired and sweaty. There are staff members who drive around in golf carts and occasionally offer rides, which is appreciated, but whether you get one seems to come down to pure luck. If you happen to see one and there's room available, great. If not, you're on your own. The location itself may be worth visiting for some people, but the long trek back and forth can quickly take the fun out of the experience, especially on hot days or if you're carrying a lot of supplies. Just be prepared and pack light, because there's a good chance you'll be hauling everything yourself. read more

Beautiful location for long walks, tranquil surroundings covered by wildlife (but please be mindful as this is the wilderness therefore snakes, coyotes and mountain lions do live in the area) If you are mindful of the wild creatures I do think anyone that enjoys the outdoors will find this location a gem! SIDE NOTE I was there for an event but I did get an opportunity to walk around by the lake read more

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No license necessary to fish here - just pay for parking (or use the annual pass). Plenty of parking, and there are two entrances for the east/west sides of the lake. They do have a shop where you can buy bait and talk with people, but the people working there weren't friendly and didn't seem like they wanted to be there. As for the fish - we did some shoreline fishing and caught a small bass after a couple of hours. I question the stock of the lake. But it's close and a nice way to spend a couple of hours in the morning. read more

Waste of time, spent the day here with 5 friends and got no nibbles. I didn't see anyone else catch anything either. read more

Great to have shuttles for disabled. No one else offers this . Was very helpful . Fishing was good. Ty for having the public needs.

No more boating you can't even rent a boat. Personal phone was super nice so I'm going to complement that. They also agreed it sucks and I'm just happy. I had the fun times growing up going there that I did so many fond memories with my dad. Wanted to go out there and revisit, he loved, cruising around the lake, slow with trolling motor. read more

I so looking forward to the Trout derby today at Irvine lake, however I was declined handicap parking with a handicap placard, and was discouraged from going to the lake shore because the shore was almost full and I would be cast over and tangled up with other angles and was told by pci parking it would be better for me to come on another day. On my way out of the park i had to drive through the handicap parking lot were there were empty handicap parking spaces. No one should ever be lied to at a public event and be made to feel they have to leave because of a handicap or for any other reason. SHAME ON IRVINE LAKE AND ALL INVOLVED!!! read more

Irvine Lake - Lakes Near Me - Silverado, California

Very friendly management and inexpensive place to store boats and RVs, but waiting list for a storage space (only outdoor storage), can be months long. read more

I went on the first weekend it re-opened in 2019. It was a hot day. Plenty of people there who were mostly fishing. So we walked on the left side all the way down to the dam at the end. It's a pretty neat place to sit and relax. Parking was easy. However, I didn't see any restrooms that weren't the port a potties. There may have been more public ones near the main entrance. If you like to fish, I recommend checking this place out if it's closer than the beach. read more

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Nice views. Get there early for a good spot. Lots of people! $5 parking fee. Little bit of a walk (not difficult), take a wagon if you have one. Little spiders everywhere but they don't bother much. We only noticed them when they were inside our tent. read more

Irvine Lake - Lakes Near Me - Silverado, California

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About $25 per person and you get a sticker you can put on your pants that allows you fish, then for $55 dollar you can get there lowest end rental boat and try your luck. You don't need a fishing licence here since it's a private lake. There are limits you have on how many fish you take back. Bass are catch and release only, while the other common fish they have here are mainly trout and catfish that they stock on a weekly basis. But that day I went with my dad I caught zero (sad trombone sound) WOMP WOMP WAAAAAAHH. I guess I'm not good at fresh water fishing, but I make myself feel better by saying it was a bad day. Looking around at the other fisher peoples I only saw one guy with one fish from opening till 3:30 pm when we called it quits. :( The first boat we had was trouble, the engine was bad at starting once you stopped and we were stopped for the better part of an hour just drifting until we bumped in the shore of the lake. The lawn mower type of pull starter is really tiring are frustrating to start after so many time. When we eventually got it started again we went back and the dock person just let us switch boats without any hassle. The crew should check up on it's boats, I saw two other boats having motor problems too with one being their more expensive rental too. 0_o Despite no fish and crappy boat, I feel like my dad still had fun though motoring around the lake and I had the most glorious long nap ever. The gentle rocking of the waves the quite rippling sounds of the lake and warm sun shining down is snooze-riffic! Do bring a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen and lightweight long sleeve t-shirt, the morning is chill but by mid-day your sweating. Fishing is only for certain types of patient people. If you look at the glass half empty and think about a wasted $75 grumble grumble grumble, then this leisure sport isn't for you, maybe try surf or pier fishing for free? Better yet go to an AYCE seafood restaurant instead and go to town, instant gratification! Note: Take care when stepping into a rocking boat, stuff you are carrying might slip and fall into water. Yes, first hand experience my backpack fell in but I pulled it out by the straps before it completely sank, don't one strap backpacks here two strap it! read more

You might have a better fishing experience in a local roadside ditch. Sure, it's cheap. No license required. $5 parking. Sizeable pond. Bait for sale. But the lake is far from the parking, it's about a 10-15 minute hike. And although the employees will drive vehicles to the lake, you can't. So good luck dragging your stuff. Oh, and no one is catching anything either round here. In two words, dry and dead. read more

Went there with a group for an event. I entered the address in my GPS and it took me in the right direction; however, the entrance was actually a couple miles closer than my GPS said, so make sure you keep an eye out for the main entrance. The sign is pretty clear, otherwise you'll be flipping a u-ey. Once we arrived, we thought we were in the wrong place. Nobody at the entrance gate. No instructions of what to do or where to go if nobody is there. There's a store, and that's where you go if nobody is at the gate. It didn't look like a store until I walked around the front, so if nobody is at the gate, park in the lot and go to the store. The store guy said to go to the gate and push the call box and he'd let us in, which he did. We were meeting at a specific place. Our directions were to "go to the left." We did, but ended up making the wrong turn twice. There are no road markers, and nothing is well marked. We had a reserved area, and we were fishing shoulder to shoulder. People in other areas seemed to be concentrated in the same place and also fishing shoulder to shoulder. It's a big enough lake where you can fish in your own spot, but I guess they were all where the fish usually are. Parking was easy and we were able to park pretty much a few yards away from where we were fishing. Our group only caught six fish between about 30 people. A regular told me it was the worst day of fishing he ever had there, so we probably hit it on a bad day. The shoreline was clean, but they only had one trash can for our area and it was quickly filled. They needed at least one more, or they needed to empty it at least once. There are lots of Porta Potties around the lake, but our area only had one and it was almost full. Gross! More are needed in areas with more people. Other Porta Potties in other areas were much cleaner. I wouldn't go here on my own, but for a group I think it's OK. It's a private lake, so you just pay the entrance fee and you don't need a fishing license. A regular adult admission is $24. Check their website for all the fishing regulations they have. It could be a lot better with better signage, more trash cans and more Porta Potties in heavily used areas. read more

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They say only one rod per person but "regulars" bring multiple most from what I saw about 5each. They take up so much shoreline and the people who "patrol" go up to them and make conversation so it's not like they don't see it. read more

went to the derby this passed weekend, showed up at 5, parked, got in like behind 300 people. no problem, I can wait like everyone else, around 5:45 they open up the bottom parking lot, and make a brand new line to stand in. so when it's time to go in, the 50 people who showed up at 5:45-6am got to enter before about 275 people who showed up at 5am smh bad look if u ask me read more

This lake reopened last week, and I took my son over the weekend to fish. Parking is $5 next to the lake entrance, you are not allowed to drive your car to the shore/lake, then you have to walk a mile or so to the shores with all your stuff. I recommend planning ahead and bring something like a cart with wheels. We went to the West lake side, and I was very disappointed. Not only I have to walk a mile and carry all my stuff, the lake water is extremely dirty with algae, dead plants throughout the shores, and smelly water. It was very difficult to fish. I used worms, power bait, catfish and bluegill baits, but no bites at all (8am to 1030 am). I got frustrated and left with disappointment..I will never bring my kids here again. Pros: Lake is close by to where I live. Not much else. Cons: No bites, long walk from parking area to Lake shores, walk and carry with all your crap, dirty water, really bad set up for anglers to fish, NOT a good place to take kids and family. Inconvenience. Lake closes at 4pm. https://www-nbclosangeles-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Irvine-Lake-Reopens-for-Fishing-After-Three-Year-Hiatus-549315821.html?amp_js_v=a2&amp_gsa=1&amp=y&usqp=mq331AQEKAFwAQ%3D%3D#aoh=15669459386504&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&ampshare=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nbclosangeles.com%2Fnews%2Flocal%2FIrvine-Lake-Reopens-for-Fishing-After-Three-Year-Hiatus-549315821.html read more

It's open!!!! Come fish, no license needed! Fishing on shoreline only. Catfish, bass, all the best fish! I'm Mostly still writing because yelp is making me... read more

I am all about adventure, and I have been fishing before when I was a kid. So I was looking forward to braving it out as a sportsman. But visiting Irvine Lake for the first time was a so-so experience. Lets dish.. I felt that maybe I was a bit rusty at fishing, and to actually be up at dawn and to drive thru the gates at 5am, already made me feel exhausted, but I was hoping for a good time. The drive in on the dirt road billowed dust everywhere, and once I could see the lake in the distance, it totally broke my heart. Due to the lack of rain in this past year, the lake has been very very low. It seems more like a huge pond - but I may exaggerate, it just doesn't look like a full lake. The Hubbster and I were driving out to the far end to meet my Father-in-law who had already set up our poles and tarp. We fished for about half of the day, and caught nothing. We ate a hearty lunch at 2pm and fished again.... nothing. I did end up catching 1 medium sized Trout, and my hubbster caught a nice bass - however, they are only for catch and release here. Oh well, he was happy for the moment. My Father-in-law was disappointed he didn't catch anything, and he is the champion fisherman in the family, but it could of been how the day was. 90 degrees, low water flow and just flies everywhere... yeah, if I were a fish, I would lay low too. Perks: Lake is still beautiful at sunrise. Great Pics are to be had with your camera or smart phone. A pickup food truck drives up and down the fishing areas with burgers,drinks and chips to purchase, as well as a little market at the entrance/exit gate to drive to and purchase snacks and drinks if needed. Dogs are welcome, but must be on a leash at all times. Downsides: Porta Potties are filthy, but its to be expected. Flies are everywhere, and because of the low water line.. there is some trash to be found like bottles, beer cans, cigarette butts, etc. Watch your dogs and the kiddos with these things. KNOW before you GO: You will have to purchase a fishing permit to come in to the lake. Its per person and can cost around $25-$50 or so. Be sure to wear the fishing permit (its a sticker) on your shirt during your stay. The employees come by and patrol often. Also keep in mind of the catch and release law on certain fish breeds. OverALL: A-OK for local fishing. I was hoping for an EPIC time, but sometimes nature has an affect on things you cant control. Its worth a try and to learn from it. We will be back again. read more

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This is a nice little spot for fishing and a day trip. It was $22 per adult to enter and $55 to rent a boat. So, my cost per fish was more than Santa Monica seafood :-). However unlike Cachuma Lake, I didn't have to drive quite as far and the fish were biting. We caught catfish and crappie and saw others catching bass and trout. There was a guy who came in just after we did, who had a 30-40 lb stringer of trout thrown over his should looking like a photo from fishermen in the 50's. The last isn't as large as many, and I have no idea if the fish are edible, but it seemed fairly clean considering the suburban locale. We brought a 4 year old girl who caught 3 fish, so I don't know why some folks were frustrated with fishing here. The bass were restricted to catch and release, but we weren't here to shop...and for strictly a fun fishing outing, this was a winner. read more

It's a very nice place we spent a very nice time there yes we didn't catch any big fishes but that is fine because it was our first time ever fishing read more

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Glad they re-opened the lake back to fishing. It's a beautiful area to get away from all the buildings and freeways of Orange County. Opening day was super crowded...but it's lightened up now. I caught a good sized catfish opening day...and today my kids caught their first fish, not one but two each! It's a bit tough with the new setup compared to years ago...like you have to walk to your fishing spot instead of driving up. Or the one pole per angler restriction...but overall it's still a fun place to get out and fish. read more

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I haven't fished here in awhile since the drought started. But I'm glad I did today! The lake has dropped quite a bit since we haven't had a lot of rain but it is still very well maintained from what I experienced today. Employees are very friendly and I always learn something new when I have conversations with any of them about fishing. There are a lot of fish out there. I can't wait to go back next week. Ohhh yeah... Remember to push the button to enter. There are signs everywhere if you just look and read. read more

Irvine Lake - Killed it today with a rat :) - Lakes Near Me - Silverado, California

$5 only if you're not going to fish. I think this is a new policy. We came just to get a look-see, but the lake was shockingly small anyway. It looked like large areas were dried up due to the drought. Many people who were fishing were doing it from the shore. There are a lot of unmarked dirt/gravel roads and it wasn't clear in certain areas where they were going. I saw deer, various raptors and shore birds. On a weekend, there were a lot of people there but because the area is large and spread out, it didn't feel crowded. It's a nice place to go for a long walk, if you're willing to pay for the entrance fee. read more

Irvine Lake - Shrinking lake - Lakes Near Me - Silverado, California

They just stocked up on trout this month! The fee per a person is about $22 give or take a few dollars. Call before you go so you can find out what's biting. There is a nice picnic area and a lot of parking. It has been about 18 years since i've been to the lake and last time it seemed like the drive was an eternity (haha i burnt my dad out on "are we there yet?" Last time I was out there the outboard motor cut out and my dad rowed back to the docks. HAHA to this day I still remember eating spam musubi with my mom while watching my dad row us back to shore HAHAAHAH. good times. I say...go visit the lake! read more

This place SUCKS! Fishing is slow to many rules only 1 pole allowed no smoking no Vaping no music no matter how low you have it This Lake has turned Communist last time I come here read more

This was the best local lake for Trolling for Trout, I'm trying to get the rental boats back and launch ramp open again for private boaters. Please sign the petition link below if you want boating back: "Return Boating to Irvine Lake " https://www.ipetitions.com/petition/return-boating-to-irvine-lake read more

$22 admission. 7 hours in........still no fish. Excitement, fun, and fear thinking a snake is coming your way....Priceless. Playing snake pranks on friends and watching them react.....Classic. * Even if there were no snakes or fish in the area, it was a nice get away. You can bring in your own cooler full of snacks, beer...A calm place to relax with good friends, with the occasional scream of fear and giggles. So fun. read more

Irvine Lake - Upon admission, you have to wear this sticker visible at all times. - Lakes Near Me - Silverado, California

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Was here for a festival - Lighting In A Bottle - and it was a great venue, though starting to get pretty crowded. I've also been here for Jujubeats (more of an overnight rave) and OC Music Fest (more of a weekend of deadheads) and in both cases, the location worked out fine. It's far enough from the city to feel like you're "out there" - but it's freeway close, and even has (reasonable) cellphone coverage. There are lots of different areas for entertainment, stages, camping, or just lounging in the sun. The lake (and the proximity to the ocean) seems to keep the temperatures mild day and night. As long as the event is well-organized, parking isn't TOO far away (though I wouldn't want to be dragging my stuff to walk-in camping - get the car or RV pass). read more

Not every day you're going to catch a fish year but the best part is it's only 20 minutes away from anywhere in orange county

Beautiful lake, maintained very well. Helpful staff that wants you to catch your limit. I come here alone, with buddies, family or just my dogs. Night fishing for catfish in the summer is the best. I wish they were open later than 1 am though. Water levels have dropped a significant amount in the lay few years which is sad to see but we're in a drout. read more

Irvine Lake - Lakes Near Me - Silverado, California

Well my wife and I drove to Irvine Lake to see what all the happenings is about on the new reopening of the lake. Well there's really not much happening there to be honest with you. I'll tell you why. 1. For one thing I guess there's no surprise there's no boat rentals anymore. 2. And this is what I found really disappointing the lake is pretty far back in the little area and you can't drive your car back in there...so you have hike it back in there. 3. And most of all it's managed by Irvine which I hate.... Bassmaster... read more

We fish here anywhere from 1-4 times a month and it really is a nice place to get out and enjoy outdoor CA. And yes it is much better than Santa Ana river lakes, unless you want to be staring at the 91 all day. Cost is 22$ a person and 4$ if you bring your dog. Boats are like 40-140 bucks and they do sell out pretty quick. You really want to make sure you are well prepared, fishing gear, beer, food etc. You can get anything you forget at the bait shop, but expect to pay double/triple what you typically would. Ex. Powerbait at walmart 3.99, Bait shop 8.99. Tecate $19.99 a twelver of cans. You need to get your ass out of bed and arrive EARLY! I am suggesting to arrive no later than 5:30am to line up, otherwise you are going to get screwed on a good shore spot. I recommend the West shore, if it exists ( I will further explain later) this has been our favorite spot. Trout island is good, again if it exists when you go. If you are bass fishing, get your boat by the brush by the water levy thingy. Don't go by the docks, you won't catch an old show over there. Bring a sun shade or something if its in the summer because you will roast out here if you don't. I say use garlic power bait, or dip the night crawlers in garlic dip/spray. Or powerbait Chunky Chartruesse works good too. Again, buy this at Walmart, or Longfin in Orange! The shitty part about this lake, and the reason it has pissed me off the last few times I went, is the water level. There used to be shore spots almost around the entire lake (say about 2 years ago) now they keep raising the damn water because they want you to have to rent a boat. This is irritating because it can really make a difference of a great family outing, or a frustrating one. If they have raised the water level, trout island is inaccessible, and the west shore may have one spot, other that some dangerous trekking by foot. In any case, pack some sandwiches, a cooler full of beer, chairs and the family & friends and enjoy a full day of being outside, drunk and shooting the shit with your buddies. read more

We caught a fish, gutted it, and ate it! That makes for a decent day.

Skunked again from the available shore... 8 people, 10 poles... We tried everything from chicken livers, mackerel, shrimp, marshmallows, lures, dip, and plastic worms. Fished multiple spots for more than 6 hours. Got two nibbles from throwbacks at the Santiago flats, but they were probably too small to swallow the hook anyways. There were about 20 other people fishing within sight and ear shot and not one fish caught. Group of 8 we met at the cafe during lunch were skunked as well. And the lagoon, which the website portrays as almost a guarantee for kids, was not only a bust, it was nasty looking with very little fishing area, and being fished by people without kids. Don't be fooled by the amazing pictures on the website. I've been here about 6 times, and only once during trout season did I have any luck. The lake is huge, but only certain areas are accessible by a short walk. That day, Irvine Lake was hosting what the website called a "Special Event"... That event was a biker festival of some sort. Would've been nice if they were more specific, but that would've deterred families. I also didn't like the fact that the festival made the entire shore near the parking lot inaccessible to fishing. I understand this lake is private and money is to be made, but I didn't care for the Managements decision making. It wasn't my idea to go there, and I won't be dragged back. My advice to is to drive a little further and go to diamond valley lake. read more

Leaving this review as I'm getting skunked. Low rating not because my dad, niece and I all got nothing, giving this rating for the false advertisement. Site says people walk around helping, and that the lagoon is a great place to fish. Haven't seen a staffer besides at the gate and shop. And both of them said the lagoon has no fish due to birds. Not to mention there's trash every where. Never coming back. Only positives were the friendly and honest staff. It's not their fault the owners advertise BS. If you aren't getting a boat, don't bother coming here. Even the boaters were getting skunked today too. Only saw 2 LMBs get pulled in all day on crawlers. Updated review: ended up with 1 trout and just gave it away to the staffer's GF that was fishing next to us. They ended up with only ONE. When the staffer's family only pulls in 1 fish, you know there's a problem. Maybe it was just bad because it was the holidays and the owners didn't manage the lake, but it's a pretty costly risk to take going here. Lots of disappointed families on the day I went. Cover the lagoon up and make it a guaranteed catch for the kids at least. They make thousands of dollars daily and it seems almost nothing gets put back into the lake. The road conditions were terrible and when the mud's thick, there are only a few places you can walk to. Based on the reviews, this lake suffers from a lack of consistency. Do you really want to risk an hour drive, over $60-100 in gate fees for a 50/50 chance of having a good time? Suckered me once but never again. read more

Complaining that a lake sucks because you don't catch fish is like complaining a gym sucks because you don't lose weight. Allow me to clarify freshwater fishing for all the SoCal folks. Freshwater fishing in California is TOUGHER than any other part of the country because we live in a desert. These are man-made reservoirs that have to be stocked with fish (usually trout). If you fish a place 10 times and don't catch anything then you MIGHT have a reason to complain. If you fish a place 1-3 times and not catch anything, congratulations, this is what fishing is like. Our trout eat PowerBait because they were raised in a farm and not the wild. Our bass are so finicky because there are 100s of fishermen throwing everything into the water 365 days out of the year. There is only 1 freshwater lake in California that has "easy" fishing and I'm certainly not going to tell any of you whiners (btw it costs way more money to get in because they don't want hundreds of people ruining the experience). So here is a legitimate review of Irvine lake from someone who goes more than once a year. Have I caught fish? Yes, all kinds. Have I seen people catch fish? Yes, all kinds. Do I always catch fish? Of course not, only a less intelligent person would expect that. Legitimate criticism would be: the fees are on the higher side, but that's what you get with a non-natural lake. The water level has been quite low, but that's what you get with a drought in a desert. The tackle store is limited and much more expensive than online or local store prices. The food and drink selection is more than sufficient. The roads and shoreline will get muddy after rain but what do you want? Paved sidewalks? Go to tiny RSM and Irvine super private lakes for that. I and many other boaters can attest to the fact that our sonar sees plenty of fish at this lake. But catching them? Um, that's the challenge. Lastly, if you honestly can't take paying these fees and think the fishing is non-existent, buy a California saltwater permit and head to the ocean. Then when you don't catch fish you can complain that King Triton didn't help you catch fishies. read more

This review is in regards to the summer weekly event they had called @raceoc Over The Hump MTB races. It was held every Tuesday and I was finally able to make one event after work. We brought our son here and the rest is history. Now he is all about mountain bikes along with his race bike. The event is really put together well! TONS of families here and races for every age group and various ability levels. Kids got to race first and tgat began at 5:30pm. I was even told parents could ride the trail with their kid to build comfort and confidance. Lots of tents with support and sponsors involved with their community of racers and spectators. I'm not sure what all the fees entailed but I know several of the local OC bike ships have information. Wahoo's tent was there. Also Bowl of Heaven. Parking was $3. It's unpaved gravel parking so don't bother washing your car before visiting this area, gets dusty. They're done with the 2015 summer race series and we can't wait to return next summer. read more

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I recently came here with my dad at 5:30am to park in a line of cars awaiting for the gates to open for some father daughter fishing bonding time. According to my dad my parents brought me and my sister here when we were babies, but the water level was a lot higher back then. The dirt mounds that now serve as parking spots by the lake were once covered with water and the large field upon entry was also submerged. It's kind of sad thinking about it even though I don't remember what the lake used to look like and sadly this lake may end up drying up. I tried researching if there are any efforts going around to help conserve the water here, but couldn't manage to find anything. My dad told me that the water from Irvine Lake is used for the City of Orange so I can only assume that the community can only be asked to help conserve water...which I doubt most will or even care. Other than that..I did enjoy the time spent here with my dad. You can park anywhere alongside the lake once you've steered off from the main road. You don't need a fishing license and it's two fishing poles max per person. They have a bait shop if you need worms and other accessories. There are no bathrooms by the lake, but a few porta potties scattered here and there. Bring an umbrella and some chairs because you'll definitely need the shade as you're staring onto your fishing pole. We only managed to catch three trout and one ended up being a Yosemite red trout that they had stocked the lake up with a few days prior to our visit. My dad is an avid fisherman who goes to Mexico and San Pedro for deep sea fishing, so I always have a good time with him :) Even though we didn't catch very much (he usually catches 10+ here so maybe I'm bad luck lol), I still enjoyed our time here. Hopefully we'll be able to help conserve this lake and preserve it..even though it is looking quite dismal, one can only hope.. I agree with the review from Allan down below lol...funny reading some of these reviews. Giving a lake bad reviews because you failed to catch fish.....*LAUGH. read more

There's a lake. In the middle of flippin' no where. Off a beaten path with no visible signs. Where the heck are we?! The Irvine Lake is the place to be if you're into doing events like The Mud Run or the Munchathon. I guess you can fish or boat here as well, but after looking at the water, I wouldn't even consider it. The water is brown. Like poop. But worse. It was horrible. Who would honestly fish here and than eat it?! It kind of turned me off. A little. Actually, it did a lot. Seriously, it did. Besides a lake and a lagoon here to fish and/or boat, you can also go hiking here, have a picnic, camp or be like one of us cool peeps and do The Mud Run or Munchathon. The picnic area is HUGE and is big enough for plenty of people to relax and for the kiddos to run around. They have a basketball court (pretty awesome), plenty of porta potties and it looks like they have places where you can buy some food and tackle for fishing on normal weekends. Parking is in a dirt lot and the parking seemed kind of haphazard. I don't know how some of the people got out of their spots! For the event, there was a $5 charge for parking; I'm not sure how much it is during a regular weekend, but I'm sure it's around that same price. Would I come here willingly? Probably not. But, for all you fishing and camping peeps, this may be the place for you! For you hiking peeps, there's far more better places to spend an hour wandering around. For me, it's just an average, 3 star, A-OK experience! Cheers! read more

It's a really sad lake for fishing. There aren't many trees, and even the promise of somehow hooking a sturgeon near the dam isn't enough to make up for the lack of shade and the general misery of sitting out here when there are so many beautiful, picturesque alpine lakes in other parts of California. It gave us a familiar familial refrain, so I'll give it that, but inside jokes aren't enough to make up for a lack of fun. read more