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Has anyone been out to see the lake lately? It's still 90' down and looks like it's leveled off. I'm trying to decide if it's worth paying the moorage for the patio boat this year or not? Anyone else hit this lake often?
Trinity Lake
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I heard that The KOA (old Wyntoon Park) at Trinty Center will not even be putting their docks out this year. There will also be no boat launching at Trinity Center due to low water conditions. Minersville will probably be the only boat ramp open this summer. The lake is REALLY low.......... Sorry, I didn't take any pictures when I was up their this weekend.
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Yep. Minersville is the only ramp in the water and I can't even imagine 4th of July there. I already cancelled the houseboat trip this year as well, but might see about Shasta? Just sucks...
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I've been going to Trinity since 1958, but I've never launched at Minersville, do they have enough parking available?
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I've heard parking is a joke at Minersville. I was over about a month ago and trying to decide on to keep the houseboat or not. Lake was clear and big enough, but with the north end so shallow, not sure what to think about this summer. I'll be out testing my boat in a week or so and see just how bad it is from the water.
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Ugh the lake is low!
I received a forecast of the lake levels through the summer. At the end of June the lake is projected to be at just 2258 feet - 112 feet down from full. At the end of July it will be at 2246. http://www.usbr.gov/mp/cvo/data/Apr90b2.pdf
I confirmed today that Minersville is the only ramp that will be functional.
If anyone has any pictures of what the lake looks like now, I'd love to see them. It's so sad. We have gone to Wyntoon for 26 years, and this year we just can't - the docks will be dry, Trinity Center Marina will be closed....looking at places on the south end of the lake....
Would it please rain!! Except when we'll be at the lake ;-)
I received a forecast of the lake levels through the summer. At the end of June the lake is projected to be at just 2258 feet - 112 feet down from full. At the end of July it will be at 2246. http://www.usbr.gov/mp/cvo/data/Apr90b2.pdf
I confirmed today that Minersville is the only ramp that will be functional.
If anyone has any pictures of what the lake looks like now, I'd love to see them. It's so sad. We have gone to Wyntoon for 26 years, and this year we just can't - the docks will be dry, Trinity Center Marina will be closed....looking at places on the south end of the lake....
Would it please rain!! Except when we'll be at the lake ;-)
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The lake actually started to go down yesterday by 6". It is supposed to rain all week though. Houseboat reservation is cancelled, pontoon is staying dry docked, or haul it south to the delta and park it on my grandpa's island. I drove across 299 yesterday and Whiskeytown is full oddly enough. I'm going out to Trinity to put the new wakeboat in with the kids and see what the lake looks like the next day the sun is out. Better get a depthfinder 1st.
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byronk
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Whiskytown Lake is awful. Everyone stear clear at all costs, horrible place!!! 
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Pictures of the empty lake
Whiskeytown is always full, something about the power the water there generates. Here's some pictures of the north end of the lake near Wyntoon (KOA). They're unbelievable!
Whiskeytown is always full, something about the power the water there generates. Here's some pictures of the north end of the lake near Wyntoon (KOA). They're unbelievable!
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I had no idea it was that bad. Even with this storm we are getting now it won't help that. I'm still planing on taking a cruise this Saturday to see what the rest looks like. Clear Lake or Shasta is going to be the family vacation this year..
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byronk
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Dang those pics look pretty bad. On a good note Shasta has come up 5' from this storm. devil
devil
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Trinity came up some too, but not enough. I talked to Trinity Alps Marina yesterday and they also have a ramp in the water besides the Minersville ramp. The public ramp by TAM is out of water, but their own is in and will be for most of the summer. They also said if it gets too low they will launch your boat for you. $5 fee.
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this wouldn't be the first time wyntoon was completely dry, with their houseboats on blocks and docks grounded. i camped at hayward flat every summer from '78-'02. back around '89-'90 (can't remember exactly), same thing happened. in july, water level was down 140' - just a small stream in the covington arm. both ceder stock and estralita docks were floating way out, but access was easy.
but... once you were out on the water, it was bitchin because all the people that didn't want to hike stayed home, and there was plenty of surface to ride around on, well up past captains point. houseboats and pontoons kept at cedar stock and estrellita keep floating, and stay relatively easy to get to.
minersville is fine as a launch ramp once the water gets down around 100' or so. there's plenty of parking with the water down that low. at around 140-150' down, the gravel launch ramp turns into asphalt, left over from an old roadway. the only pain with minersville is the little trail getting through the campground and trees with the boat. the lake's 450' deep (from the tree line), so it's not like it's gonna go dry.
for those that don't know, whiskeytown is fed off the bottom of trinity. there are 2 very large diameter pipes that siphon the water over the mountain... if you look closely at the carr powerhouse on the west end of whiskeytown, you can see those pipes coming down, turning the turbine and emptying into whiskey, which is why whiskeytown is always so cold. from whiskeytown, water is released through kesswick into the sacramento river. most of the water accumulated in trinity from the klamath/trinity watershed ends up in the sacramento...
but... once you were out on the water, it was bitchin because all the people that didn't want to hike stayed home, and there was plenty of surface to ride around on, well up past captains point. houseboats and pontoons kept at cedar stock and estrellita keep floating, and stay relatively easy to get to.
minersville is fine as a launch ramp once the water gets down around 100' or so. there's plenty of parking with the water down that low. at around 140-150' down, the gravel launch ramp turns into asphalt, left over from an old roadway. the only pain with minersville is the little trail getting through the campground and trees with the boat. the lake's 450' deep (from the tree line), so it's not like it's gonna go dry.
for those that don't know, whiskeytown is fed off the bottom of trinity. there are 2 very large diameter pipes that siphon the water over the mountain... if you look closely at the carr powerhouse on the west end of whiskeytown, you can see those pipes coming down, turning the turbine and emptying into whiskey, which is why whiskeytown is always so cold. from whiskeytown, water is released through kesswick into the sacramento river. most of the water accumulated in trinity from the klamath/trinity watershed ends up in the sacramento...
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byronk
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Actaully Whiskytown is a warm lake, outside the cold water blanket anyways. I've suckered a friend or two into jumping in up by the power house. The look on there face is priceless. You just cant expect the water to be that cold when the air temp is 110+. )eek)
)eek)
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I went out on Friday with the kids and the wakeboat. Maybe 15 fisherman on the whole lake and us as well as 2 houseboats.. I have some great pic's, but having trouble uploading them. Minersville has a 3 wide ramp open, but no dock and it's on the point which if it's windy will suck. Trinity Alps Marina has theirs open which is where we launched. $5 fee, and the concrete ramp is single wide and you don't want to get off of it. They also have a 2 wide gravel ramp next to it. It's tucked behind the point so there is some debris, but no wind issues. We were out for 5 hours and never made it all the way to the north end. With no one booking houseboats this year, I may just keep my reservation after all.. Gotta watch out for the debris field in the middle of the lake right now. Emerald green water then s**t everywhere!!!
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Anyone heading out for the weekend? I burned through a tank of gas last Sunday with the wakeboat. Lake was nice even as low as it is. Lots of bass guys. I was going to bring out the Crusader for a test run on Friday and wondered if anyone else will be out this weekend? The debris isn't too bad, just a couple fields here and there.
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I'm happy to hear that the ramp situation isn't as bad as I thought. Nice to know there's an alternative to Minersville. Hopefully the debris will clear before we go 7/5. Did anyone go this past weekend? Is the debris still a problem? Looking forward to Pinewood Cove this year, after 26 years at Wyntoon - shorter drive to the docks @ Cedar Stock!
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Last friday was excellent! Water is warming up and there might have been 30 boats on the whole lake. The debris is clear enough I am going to take the tunnel out this next week while the kids are in school. Very few debris pockets and a random stick or two. There are a few other makeshift ramps around the lake, but someone tore the back of his trailer off on a submerged stump on the north end last weekend, so I don't recommend it. Minersville is wide, but like I said, if it's windy it could be a pain to load your boat. Trinity Alps, by the Fairview ramp, is great tucked behind the point as long as you can back a trailer straight.. They also have a wide dirt ramp they use for their houseboats that's great if you have 4wd. There is a lot of crap floating in the cove by the marina though. The lake is still coming up a little, but it's about topped off. Mid July is when it will start getting drained, so who knows what August will be like. I'll be there the week of 7/5-7-10. Hope to see you on the lake!
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