Clear Lake or Lake Melones

(ghostrider_2) · (ghostrider_2) **Join Date: Aug 2004** 09-21-2004, 11:46 AM

Question for thoseof you who loive in CA. I am planning a family vaction (almost like a reunion) for next summer. I normally go to Lake Melones but the water can get choppy

, but it doesnt get that low or have alot of prop threats. But I would like to try Clear Lake but I have never been there before

! Anybody with experience on these lakes please reply.....

oshensurfer 09-21-2004, 4:17 PM

New Melones is awesome. You can find a cove to hide in if you look around... It's only choppy in the open water in the afternoon mostly.

(jklein) · (jklein) **Join Date: May 2001** 09-21-2004, 4:25 PM

Why not try McClure or Shasta.

If my memory serves (not usually) I think Clear Lake is an oxymoron. Isn't it filled with green alge and sulfur from natural hot springs that are all over the place?

walt 09-21-2004, 4:26 PM

When it blows at Clear lake it makes New Melones chop look like childs play ! Clear lake is a BIG wide open lake so when it blows it gets really rough. Also in the hot months it looks more like soup than water.

(xstar_mike) · (xstar_mike) **Join Date: Aug 2003** 09-21-2004, 10:08 PM

Clear Lake is gross, I grew up in Ukiah and Clear Lake is not a place I would recommend to vacation.

(duramax_dually)

Clear Lake is a fishing Lake....When it gets hot and soupy as Mike stated above it also has this stagnate water smell from all the algae...Stick with New Melones if those were your only 2 choices

(Message edited by duramax_dually on September 22, 2004)

(freakytikki) · (freakytikki) **Join Date: Apr 2004** 09-22-2004, 10:22 AM

Yeah really bad...stay away..he he he

oshensurfer 09-22-2004, 12:24 PM

Clear lake is an oxymoron.

(calabria_man) · (calabria_man) **Join Date: Aug 2004** 09-23-2004, 11:34 AM

Clear lake is a scum pit. Melones is an awesome place. I would seriously consider Shasta for a vacation place.

(dadthedriver) · (dadthedriver) **Join Date: Jul 2004** 09-23-2004, 5:25 PM

Grew up spending summers at Clear lake as a child and went as recent as last year. It is by no means clear, and it can get very rough. Great place if you own a bass boat, not a great place to ride.

(ghostrider_2) · (ghostrider_2) **Join Date: Aug 2004** 09-23-2004, 10:29 PM

The reason I was debating between those 2 is I own timeshare on both lakes and they are nearby Sacramento (me). SO thank you guys for your help as I will be returning happly to Lake Melones.

(noti_dad) · (noti_dad) **Join Date: Jul 2003** 09-28-2004, 3:19 PM

Clear Lake ruined the gelcoat on my first boat. Don't leave it in the water for more than a few hours. 3 days stained it. Never could get the green tint out. Take the extra hours and go to Shasta.

(typhoon) · (typhoon) **Join Date: Jul 2001** 09-28-2004, 6:14 PM

new melones is very very low right now. you cannot even make it under the second bridge.

(typhoon) · (typhoon) **Join Date: Jul 2001** 09-28-2004, 6:15 PM

and tuttle town is so dusty and a dirt pit it is horrible. we just returned from don pedro and it was very nice.

(freakytikki) · (freakytikki) **Join Date: Apr 2004** 09-29-2004, 8:41 AM

I have to laugh at all the clear lake bashing.I have lived on the lake for 12+ years.I agree its not a tahoe...but riuned gel coats...come on. Last weekend...98 degrees.....butter glass..nobody out. but if I had to spend a family vacation..mabey shasta. I just got back from a week up on lake almanor. Now that was some nice water.It is getting cold up there.Here is a pic with the kids.
http://freakytikki.com/photos/boat/almanor1.jpg

hb_tige 09-29-2004, 2:43 PM

Wild Bill, I live in Orange County, CA and I was wondering where Lake Almanor is located? it looks like a very nice lake from your picture. do they have nice lake front campgrounds with hook ups there?

(macdaddy) · (macdaddy) **Join Date: May 2004** 09-29-2004, 3:05 PM

East of Chico...by the town of chester...great views of Mt. Lassen ot sunset!! we also spend a week there every year

(jklein) · (jklein) **Join Date: May 2001** 09-29-2004, 3:14 PM

I rented a cabin at Almanor a few years ago. It was really nice the week we were there.... luckily. I hear it can get really choppy, but it was not while we were there.

I would describe the water as "Alpine". Trinity might be a good choice too. More fingers, less wind from what I hear, but I've never been to Tinity.

Bullards is really nice, but remote and primitive unless you rent a houseboat. Shasta... well, it goes without saying.

typhunexpress 10-04-2004, 4:45 PM

i just came back from lake shasta. Lake down a few hundred feet right now but we ahd an awsome time. air temp was around 85 and water temp around 73. Awsome lake. Highly recommed. Fishing was unreal as well. Big trout holding only 12 feet down.