Lake Sonoma, CA any advice?

[ebry710]

I am getting ready to explore Lake Sonoma in Northern California. It didn't exist when I was a kid. Has anyone used that lake for skiing, fishing or just picnicking?

 

[LEKNIGHT]

Re: Lake Sonoma, CA any advice?

i have used it. heres a tip. dont launch at the marina. its like 20 buck parking and 10 dollar launch fee. if you dont make the left to go up to the marina from the bridge but go over the bridge. there is a public launch ramp just over the bridge to the left. it cost $3 to launch with all day parking. then if you wanted to buy something at the marina just drive your boat over there.

 

[fubar 81]

Re: Lake Sonoma, CA any advice?

Watch out for tree tops under water. This time of year its not so bad but some times you can't see them until it's to late. There are a few great boat in camp sites, my favorite one's are on the warm springs side.

 

[ebry710]

Re: Lake Sonoma, CA any advice?

Do you guys fish there, or is it mostly skiing?

 

[fubar 81]

Re: Lake Sonoma, CA any advice?

I've never fished there only skiing. I've only been there a few times. I think that all the tree's were left in the lake to create fish habitats.

 

[ebry710]

Re: Lake Sonoma, CA any advice?

Where else do you ski in No. Cal?

 

[firehog6305]

Re: Lake Sonoma, CA any advice?

boy there is all kinds of places, first where are you from?? I guess up near lake county if you are talking about sonoma, there is always berressa lake, folsom lake hogan res. new melones, and cammanche

 

[fubar 81]

Re: Lake Sonoma, CA any advice?

I'm origanally from sonoma county but now live in lake county. usually we go to berryessa even though clear lake is closer. Clear lake seems to get pretty rough , and it turns pretty green twords the end of summer

 

[Hashi]

Re: Lake Sonoma, CA any advice?

I've fished Lake Sonoma a few years back and got some nice size bass out of there. Had a private bass tournament there, too. The bass there run deep. Gotta go about 20 - 25 feet. Right off the ramp towards the marina, there's a sunken island where there's some good size fish.

I just went to Lake Berryessa last week and conditions were good. Water was still a little cold in the mid 50's, though.

 

[ebry710]

Re: Lake Sonoma, CA any advice?

boy there is all kinds of places, first where are you from?? I guess up near lake county if you are talking about sonoma, there is always berressa lake, folsom lake hogan res. new melones, and cammanche

I live in Santa Rosa, but for a time I lived in Modesto and have access to a cabin in Sonora. I had a buddy in Modesto who caught a lot of black bass at New Melones. He use to fish up by the bridge not far from the ramp.

Lake Sonoma is 20 minutes for where I live so that is why I started this tread there. I will try the ramp first to first and try the depth 20-25 feet. I will start fishing in a month or so when I get my Marlin up a running.

That is a shame that Clear Lake isn't clear any more. I guess it stays too warm to kill the algae. I haven't been there in 15 years, I don't think it was clear then either.

Lake Berryessa and Lake Mendocino were the lakes I was raise on. Mainly for water skiing. I use to bank fish there, but never trolled.

Lake Folsom I've only camped there. Nice facilities.

 

[Wassachu]

Re: Lake Sonoma, CA any advice?

Can't remember where Lake Sonoma is. I remember the name. I was wondering if anone has fished Indian Valley Resivoir. That's East of Clear Lake off Route 20. It's been years since I was up there but at that time you had to drive about 10 miles North of Route 20 on a dirt road to get in there but once in, the lake is large, deep and clear cold water. The trout were about 24 inches. This lake was filled, after the dam was built, without cutting the trees so when the water was low there was a lot of structor for the bass. I always liked that lake. The lake feeds Cache Creek. No sking, just fishing.

There was a lake up off Interstate 5, North of Vacaville, where there was some sking and good fishing. It was a long narrow lake and the camping was free, no water or facilities. The fishing was only good in the AM before the skers started and at the South end of the lake. Can't remember the name of the Lake.

Barressa, spelling, was good for both but got rough quick. Below the dam there was some good trout fishing and that fed into a lake. Come to think of it, that might be Lake Sonoma. Can't remember, I'm old! But I don't think they allowed sking.

This all dates back to the 80's so things may have changed.

 

[ebry710]

Re: Lake Sonoma, CA any advice?

Can't remember where Lake Sonoma is. I remember the name. I was wondering if anone has fished Indian Valley Resivoir. That's East of Clear Lake off Route 20.

This all dates back to the 80's so things may have changed.

I am going to check out Indian Valley Reservoir. It sounds neat and not too far.

Lake Sonoma is near Healdsburg in Sonoma County. It is 5 miles west of Highway 101. It is on a feeder stream to the Russian River in the next valley west of Clear Lake. Lake Sonoma was an infant in the 80's.

 

[Wassachu]

Re: Lake Sonoma, CA any advice?

The road into Indian Valley Resevoir off of Route 20 leads in to the Dam on the resevoir, the Deep End, the South end. There is another road in on the North end but I've never found or followed that road. No idea where it comes from. The North end is the shallow end where there's good bass fishing, in the 80's. Trout was taken by trolling deep in the center away from the shoreline. There are submerged trees near the shoreline. Near the dam it's very deep.
The last time I went there I was with a couple guys and my motorhome. We launched my boat and beached it and hit the hay for an early rise. We woke up to find the boat covered with a hard frost. One of the guys had left his line in the water with bait on it and found the line snapped in the morning. The rod was in a rod holder and still in the boat.
The water was very clear. You could see bottom at a pretty good depth.

The worst part about that resevoir was the LONG, about 10 miles, dirt road in with a lot of wash board. Back then some big trucks were using the road for something. I don't know who you could call to find any information.

Good luck.

 

[Wassachu]

Re: Lake Sonoma, CA any advice?

I just googled a map and it looks like the road in is called Walker Ridge Road.

Good Fishing

 

[firehog6305]

Re: Lake Sonoma, CA any advice?

there is alot of wild pig hunting at Lake Sonoma, dept of fish and game have special hunts there

 

[ebry710]

Re: Lake Sonoma, CA any advice?

When I was younger I went boar hunting there. I gave many a squirrel a heart attack.

I noticed last time I was there signs around the lake saying "bow hunting only".

 

[firehog6305]

Re: Lake Sonoma, CA any advice?

yes thats what I have heard also, havent been up there in awhile, I'm in the foothills and we have alot of lakes up here, but I keep my big boat in rio vista, just use my 17ft up here

 

[ebry710]

Re: Lake Sonoma, CA any advice?

Foothills are nice. Tons of fishing. Good ramps. Not a bad place to be.

 

[faller]

Re: Lake Sonoma, CA any advice?

The kids go to indian valley most every weekend, they were there yesterday. Mostly to ride bikes on the mud. The store at the south end is closed and being demolished, the lake never did fill this spring and is on it's way back down already. the ramp at the south end is out of water. You can launch at the north end on the mud flats if you have a small boat but it is risky, you have to know where the old gravel road is and stay on it, the rest is a mud bog. The road to the north end takes off from Bear valley road from the east or off fHwy 20 at Hough springs road (next to Tulip Hill Winery) from the west, both are a long pull over washboard. Fishing hasen't picked up yet.

 

[ebry710]

Re: Lake Sonoma, CA any advice?

They are going to have to think about filling these reservoirs around here. Summer is coming and there are going to be a few people who are going to need water.