Pine Flat

[Lumpy]

Headed out next week....anyone been there?

 

[SoCalDave]

30 years ago...that's all I got.

 

[coolchange]

Water levels, trees, stumps. Cool lake when waters up. Trimmer?

 

[rivermobster]

30 years ago...that's all I got.

Same.

Absolutely beautiful lake! Probably the finest glass I've ever skiied on!

Back then, we camped at a first come, first serve campground. If you weren't there by Thursday morning, you were in for a long drive home.

There is someone on this board who lives up there, but I can't remember his name. Sorry.

 

[SoCalDave]

Yep camped there as well. Took the 82 Raysoncraft and the cabover camper on my 86 F250. It is a beautiful lake and was at full pool when we were there. Let me see if I can dig up some pics.

 

[klotsac]

We are there damn near every Saturday during the summer. Beautiful lake. Gets a little windy in the afternoons but you can always find semi smooth water up the river.

 

[bowtiejunkie]

@rightytighty is the resident expert on Pine Flat.

A favorite lake of mine.

 

[DMF]

I haven't been there since June of 1991. We used to go all the time....it awesome back in the day!

 

[DavAlf04]

Was there yesterday. Plenty of water, but not close to full. Water temp is cool but once it's 85 plus, it's bearable. Been very crowded at the ramps but once you get past the buoys it doesn't feel as crowded. Probably be back out next weekend. Been launching at deer creek.

 

[Lumpy]

Will be there on Thursday. My lady and I figured what the hell...lets try something different. Naci is drying up and Lopez is...well its Lopez.
If ya see an ugly guy hauling ass in a Hallett 270 with a super hot blonde...thats us!

 

[500bbc]

I lost my wallet there In 1971 let me know if you find it.

 

[rightytighty]

we were on the lake today as well. Enjoy!

Main marina has gas but we get it every morning at “the I forgot store” near main ramp. Much cheaper.

both marinas have ice/store etc.

Send me a pm if you have questions

 

[gordon]

Grew up there the place has changed so much over the years

 

[pixrthis]

I had a pontoon boat at Lakeridge Marina for ten years and love the place. Regardless of the water being high or low there is great boating, beaches are muddy when the water is dropping fast. It’s kind of like time stood still there because it’s changed so little over the years, I personally like that.

 

[Mikes56]

A couple friends of mine have places at the nearby trailer park. It’s completely ghetto, with dirt roads and corrugated metal awnings over the roofs of the trailers. I love going there!

The lake is way bigger than when you first look at it.

 

[Andy B.]

Will be there on Thursday. My lady and I figured what the hell...lets try something different. Naci is drying up and Lopez is...well its Lopez.
If ya see an ugly guy hauling ass in a Hallett 270 with a super hot blonde...thats us!

View attachment 1000601

Love the shirt my favorite band!!

 

[rivermobster]

we were on the lake today as well. Enjoy!

Main marina has gas but we get it every morning at “the I forgot store” near main ramp. Much cheaper.

both marinas have ice/store etc.

Send me a pm if you have questions

You know the rule...

Pics or it didn't happen!

 

[rightytighty]

I had a pontoon boat at Lakeridge Marina for ten years and love the place. Regardless of the water being high or low there is great boating, beaches are muddy when the water is dropping fast. It’s kind of like time stood still there because it’s changed so little over the years, I personally like that.

This post is spot on!!!

I might even take it a step farther.

This is the only lake I’ve ever known that is less developed now than in the 80’s. There used to be 3 Marinas (now 2), and there used to be a restaurant mid lake (Raider’s Ark) and Trimmer used to have restaurant/bar/store and gas. All are gone. While I miss those places, If I have to choose 70’s time warp/ ground hog day or crazy development and crowds, this is my preference for sure

 

[coolchange]

Looking forward to the report. I may try to revisit that lake. Last time I was there I introduced an intake valve to a piston.

 

[rightytighty]

You know the rule...

Pics or it didn't happen!

Just A short ski video from yesterday and pic on the water. Pics from the property show water level right now

. To OP, this video shows the River about 2-3 miles above Trimmer. PF is a Dam on the Kings River (from Kings Canyon National Park for those that don’t know. )

Definitely the most consistently good skiing.

 

[Lumpy]

Great info...thanks!

We are staying at the Lakeview motel..hopefully I can get a slip there.
I'll take a lot of pictures and fly a drone too.

 

[Lumpy]

Just A short ski video from yesterday and pic on the water. Pics from the property show water level right now View attachment 1000682
View attachment 1000683
. To OP, this video shows the River about 2-3 miles above Trimmer. PF is a Dam on the Kings River (from Kings Canyon National Park for those that don’t know. )

Definitely the most consistently good skiing.

Awesome!!!!!!

 

[NorCalRiverRat]

how does the size of lake compare to McClure or Don Pedro ?

..

 

[rightytighty]

Great info...thanks!

We are staying at the Lakeview motel..hopefully I can get a slip there.
I'll take a lot of pictures and fly a drone too.

hotel is older but clean and enjoyable. Our houseboat is on the marina below the hotel.

Call me for a hot tip. 559 930 4one54

Neil

 

[rightytighty]

how does the size of lake compare to McClure or Don Pedro ?

..

Dunno exactly. PF is 1 mill acre ft when full and about 25 miles from dam to Kirch flat.( very rarely that big). At current size lake is about 10-12 miles end to end.

 

[Shrub Lurker]

I’m 32 minutes from there.
Most folks from here go to Millerton which is hell. When the lake level is high at pine flat, it’s hard to beat the up river water conditions for skiing, tubing, etc.
This lake removed the houseboat size limits a few years ago so the main marina now has a “Rodeo Drive” type dock with some big units.
Elevation is like 800’ feet water gets plenty warm by the 4th of July.
We usually use the second ramp as the first gets really crazy.

it’s like five bucks to launch and year passes are $35

 

[gordon]

Just A short ski video from yesterday and pic on the water. Pics from the property show water level right now View attachment 1000682
View attachment 1000683
. To OP, this video shows the River about 2-3 miles above Trimmer. PF is a Dam on the Kings River (from Kings Canyon National Park for those that don’t know. )

Definitely the most consistently good skiing.

Is that at a trailer park up on hill use to be named pine flats motel

 

[rightytighty]

Is that at a trailer park up on hill use to be named pine flats motel

No

 

[rivermobster]

Just A short ski video from yesterday and pic on the water. Pics from the property show water level right now View attachment 1000682
View attachment 1000683
. To OP, this video shows the River about 2-3 miles above Trimmer. PF is a Dam on the Kings River (from Kings Canyon National Park for those that don’t know. )

Definitely the most consistently good skiing.

Wow. Thank you. Brings back some great memories!

I was skiing one day on Perfectly glass water, and of course since it was so perfect, I started getting braver and braver with my cuts!

Eventually, I ran outa talent, crashed So f'n bad, it knocked all the wind outa me and I woke up about 3ft under water.

Unable to move, I slowly floated to the surface, pretty confident I wasn't going to survive this crash.

When the boat got back to me, they were all...

Are you ok???

All I could do, was shake my head no, and they drug me back in the boat.

But right up till that moment...

I thought I had died and gone to heaven!

 

[rightytighty]

Wow. Thank you. Brings back some great memories!

I was skiing one day on Perfectly glass water, and of course since it was so perfect, I started getting braver and braver with my cuts!

Eventually, I ran outa talent, crashed So f'n bad, it knocked all the wind outa me and I woke up about 3ft under water.

Unable to move, I slowly floated to the surface, pretty confident I wasn't going to survive this crash.

When the boat got back to me, they were all...

Are you ok???

All I could do, was shake my head no, and they drug me back in the boat.

But right up till that moment...

I thought I had died and gone to heaven!

Not a bad way to go,I’d say..

 

[brgrcru]

Kind where I spent childhood . Every other weekend . Camped at island park driftwood trailer park.
My happy as a kid . Skiing around the dam. Skiing way upriver . Past trimmer . Building dams on the little springs .
Walking miles to lake when water was low . Rattle snakes , listening to BTO and bad company in rec room sucking on Icies .
Great times why I still boat .

 

[brgrcru]

I have so many good stories and pictures of and about pine flats .

Here is one maybe 1969 first time to pine flats
my parents were immigrants. From Germany and Yugoslav
They never been in a little boat or tried to ski .
Some friends invited them to pine flats
Drift wood trailer park
We drove up in my dads Porsche 912 up the old road . No grapevine hiway back then
My dad and mom and me and my sister learned to waterski that trip I was 4 .my parents were hooked I slept in Freinds cab over camper. Thought it was the greatest thing ever .
that next year . My dad bought a boat at the la boat show . The next summer we spent hauling the boat up to pine flats with a 1968 mustang. Sleeping in the boat , my parents on those pull out seats , my sister in between the seats , me under the dash.
They didn’t need much . As they didn’t have much
Cheers

 

[Flying_Lavey]

Pine flats is where the bug was sunk into me as well. For the life of me I can't remember what the. Ame if the park is that my grandparents had a little trailer in. We all slept on cots under the car port. The little trailer they had was just for cooking and my grandparents to sleep in. Everybody else was outside and were happy to do so. There was just always something so comforting about sitting over that vee drive on the rear bench just listening to the old Olds hum and the spray coming off the old Spectra. Still very vivid to me in my memory to this day.

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[Mcchevy69ss]

how does the size of lake compare to McClure or Don Pedro ?

..

It’s almost holds exactly the same amount of water as McClure and about 1/2 the size of Don Pedro. That was my family’s go to lake while growing up. We have a site on the hill above lake ridge marina. But we mostly go to Don Pedro now, it’s worth the extra hour drive.

 

[HitIt]

If you go, dont walk around the shore without flip-flops. I dont know the proper name of them but there are these things that we call barrel burrs all over the place. They are about the size of an almond and have a bajillion hooked thorns on them that will seriously mess you up.

There is one corner, about halfway up river from trimmer, that has some of the glassiest water. Love that lake but haven't been in a while due to the lack of accommodations.

 

[DavAlf04]

Great info...thanks!

We are staying at the Lakeview motel..hopefully I can get a slip there.
I'll take a lot of pictures and fly a drone too.

Let me know how the hotel is. I've been eyeing it since they've remodeled but have yet to stay.

 

[Lumpy]

It’s almost holds exactly the same amount of water as McClure and about 1/2 the size of Don Pedro. That was my family’s go to lake while growing up. We have a site on the hill above lake ridge marina. But we mostly go to Don Pedro now, it’s worth the extra hour drive.

Been looking at Pedro too...doesn't look like any places to stay unless ya get a houseboat? Priest???

 

[v6toy4x]

Pedro is hitting my neck of the woods, no accomodations at the lake shore other than camping or house boat. Th ehouse boat trip works nice, pick up at flemming on one end spend 3 days traveling to mocassin at the other end, fuel up and head back. Nice secluded party cove about mid way. Late summer and some nice islands will pop out we usually do a camp out on the Islands once a year

When the lake is really full there is a boat in campsite where the water comes up in the trees you can put your chair out in the water in the shade, drop the ice chestin a tube and tie it to tree you never have to leave your chair if you know what I mean!

 

[Echo Lodge]

U.S. army Corps of Engineers Sacramento Water Control System Report

37% capacity...

 

[NorCalRiverRat]

U.S. army Corps of Engineers Sacramento Water Control System Report

37% capacity...

the snow is still melting grasshopper...

I've seen those lakes higher in july than they were in may....

but yes not gonna be a high water year.



..

 

[Echo Lodge]

the snow is still melting grasshopper...

I've seen those lakes higher in july than they were in may....

but yes not gonna be a high water year.
..

"the snow is still melting grasshopper..." I hope it makes it to the lakes!

https://www.sacbee.com/news/california/water-and-drought/article251238879.html

California’s drought conditions have gone from bad to worse in scarcely a month.

In the weeks following April 1, the traditional end of the rainy season, warm temperatures have burned off most of the Sierra Nevada snowpack and left the state’s water network gasping. Instead of delivering a generous volume of melted snow into California’s rivers and reservoirs, the snowpack has largely evaporated into the air or trickled into the ground.

“We got unlucky. A lot of it didn’t make it into the reservoirs,” said Jeffrey Mount, a geologist and water expert at the Public Policy Institute of California.

 

[brgrcru]

U.S. army Corps of Engineers Sacramento Water Control System Report

37% capacity...

that is the problem. 37% is low, still fun .
70/80 % to me is a good lake.
at full pool , lots of wood.
When I was a kid or Until 2001 you could still walk the dam from end to end
It was a must specially high water
Watching the flood gates open was awesome.
this was a few years ago

 

[brgrcru]

U.S. army Corps of Engineers Sacramento Water Control System Report

37% capacity...

Pedro is hitting my neck of the woods, no accomodations at the lake shore other than camping or house boat. Th ehouse boat trip works nice, pick up at flemming on one end spend 3 days traveling to mocassin at the other end, fuel up and head back. Nice secluded party cove about mid way. Late summer and some nice islands will pop out we usually do a camp out on the Islands once a year View attachment 1001146

When the lake is really full there is a boat in campsite where the water comes up in the trees you can put your chair out in the water in the shade, drop the ice chestin a tube and tie it to tree you never have to leave your chair if you know what I mean!
View attachment 1001143

Don Pedro is a big beautiful lake, been there a few times also. great waterskiing.

 

[Lumpy]

Made it!!!!

 

[Echo Lodge]

Made it!!!!

Winning!

 

[DavAlf04]

We'll be there tomorrow. If anyone is out and about stop and say hi.

 

[hallett21]

My wheels are turning.

Can you rent a house boat? Or is it more of a camping lake?

If you camp can you park your boat next to the campsite every night?

Are they on the CA system that is checking for mussels?


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[DavAlf04]

My wheels are turning.

Can you rent a house boat? Or is it more of a camping lake?

If you camp can you park your boat next to the campsite every night?

Are they on the CA system that is checking for mussels?


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There are no house boats to rent on the lake. Only a couple of pontoon boats.

They are not checking for mussels.

Depends if you're rv camping or tent camping. If you bring your rv, might be a little tight for a boat also. But they do rent slips at lake view marina.

 

[4Waters]

Looking forward to the report. I may try to revisit that lake. Last time I was there I introduced an intake valve to a piston.

Was it a match made in heaven?

 

[coolchange]

Was it a match made in heaven?

No it was tinder date slam bam thank you man.