Information provided by Berryessa Trails and Conservation at www.berryessatrails.org 

Now is the Time  to Paddle Lake Berryessa

Boat launch ramps are very limited right now.  All are in the southern part of the lake, at least 10 miles away from the north end.  Which means it is a GREAT time to paddle Lake Berryessa.

Lake Berryessa has a wide variety of lakeshore habitat, and an extensive variety of geological variation.   With islands, creeks, coves, narrows bounded by steep hillsides, and the open water of the middle of the lake, there are endless opportunities for scenic tourism from a kayak or canoe.   There are long vistas down the lake, and views of the Blue Ridge to the east and Cedar Roughs Wilderness to the west.    There are bald eagle and osprey, flocks of white pelicans, and many kinds of waterfowl.    An early morning paddle might lead to sightings of coyote on Big Island, deer everywhere, shy foxes, and one of our favorites, a glimpse of the river otter family that makes Lake Berryessa their home.   Best of all—there is a temporary campground in Oak Shores.   Make that your base and paddle a different route every day.

This is the time to take a week’s camping vacation to explore the entire lake, which has 150 miles of lakeshore

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Paddling with the Kids 

A great place to paddle with young children is the “quiet area” between the islands and the shoreline.   Only electric-trolling motors are allowed in this area, so except for a few anglers, it should be calm and quiet.   And, because the islands are so close to shore, one cannot get far from land, a comfort to young ones not yet used to large bodies of water.   Put in at Smittle Creek Park.

Another place to paddle with children is up Pope Creek or off the North End lakeshore.  For the north end, you can launch at Eticuera (which as a paved parking area and restroom) and head down the east shore.  Or launch at Schoolhouse Cove and follow the shoreline in either direction.

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KAYAK RENTALS.   Currently, there are only limited kayak rentals.  Lake Berryessa Boats at Markley Cove Marina (707.966.4204) and Pleasure Cove Marina (707.966.9600) have a few kayaks for rent.  Call to check on prices and availability. 

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Creek Paddles and the Narrows

All distances are Round Trip

Pope Creek (4 miles)/Putah Creek (12 miles). The two primary creek paddles are Pope Creek and Putah Creek in the northwest part of the lake.  One can usually paddle some two to three miles up Pope Creek Canyon, depending on the lake level.   This is the smaller of the two creeks, and there are a number of places one can pull out for a picnic lunch.  The entire creek is a 5 mph zone, so its tends to be fairly quiet.   This is a very scenic paddle with large rock outcroppings and steep canyon walls on both sides.  After about a mile and a half, you will see an old road that starts at the water and climbs up the hill parallel to the creek.  This is the old Pope Canyon Road from before the dam was constructed.   The road is now the Pope Canyon Trail. 

For Putah Creek, one can launch at Pope Creek (add 3 miles one way) or carry a kayak/canoe down to the water from the Putah Creek trailhead on the North End Trail.  This is a considerably wider and longer creek, with steep canyon walls in places and mossy rock outcrops.  Where the creek meets the lake is fairly wide and can be a popular boating area.  This summer will likely be more quiet as it will be some 10 miles from the nearest boat launch ramp.   One can usually paddle some six miles up the creek, all the way to Berryessa Estates, a residential area in the Pope Valley area, set in the hills alongside the creek.   Right now, due to low water,  the paddle is shorter.

Capell Creek (2 miles).  Ordinarily on a weekend, the best place to launch is from Olive Orchard.  However, due to the low lake level, a kayak or canoe has to be carried quite a long distance right now, and by end of summer it will be even farther.  Use the Capell public boat launch ramp.  If it’s a weekend be sure to arrive early as the parking area can be full by early or mid-morning.   The public launch ramp has 17 parking spaces for cars without trailers.

The Narrows (miles and miles).   This will likely be a very popular boating spot this summer because of the boat launch ramps at Markley and Pleasure Coves.  If you want to try paddling it, during the week would be best.   It is challenging to put in at Markley Cove because the lakeshore is steep, but this is the most convenient place to launch.   There are miles to paddle in the Narrows, and a number of interesting coves to explore, including Portuguese and Little Portuguese Coves, Haines Cove, Pleasure Cove, and just outside the Narrows and to the south, Skiers Cove. 

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Island Paddles

Big and Small Islands (4.5 and 2 miles). Lake Berryessa has numerous islands, the two best known are Big Island and Small Island, both shown above.   A favorite paddle is to launch in Oak Shores Park in the Foxtail Flat area, head out around the south of Big Island, turning north and then paddling between the islands and south back to the launch point.  Take heed of the wind, however.   The beginning of the paddle is fairly sheltered, but once you get around the south side of Big Island the narrow channel between the islands and the east shore can act like a wind tunnel, making it a challenging paddle until you reach the area between the islands.   If you are feeling energetic, instead of paddling between the islands continue on until you are north of Small Island, and then return between the islands and the shoreline, back to the launch point.  This can be a good paddle to look for wildlife.  Bald eagle and osprey, as well as water fowl and other birds can often be seen.   If you are there during the week or early in the morning, you might see coyote on the islands or a river otter family frolicking around the lakeshore. 

Goat Island (1.5 miles).  Nearly a mile offshore from Acorn Beach in Oak Shores Park, Goat Island  makes a good paddle if you want an easily visible destination and a feel for some open water.  The Island is a fairly steep atoll.  Depending on lake levels, there may be no place to land, but it’s a good out and back paddle.   This is the destination for the annual Davis Master’s Swim. 

Schoolhouse and Indian Islands (3 miles). If you are into serious island paddling, there is also Schoolhouse Island, south east of where Pope Creek meets the lake, and Indian Island, north east of Pope Creek.   Pope Creek is a good place to launch from if you want a fairly short paddle.   If you are looking for something longer, try launching from the Putah Creek trailhead on the North End Trail. 

Haines Island/Peninsula.  The most challenging island to get to is Haines Island at the southern end of Haines Cove in the Narrows.  It is most likely a peninsula right now.  If you’re staying at Pleasure Cove Marina, this can be a nice two-three mile paddle up the cove.   Otherwise, you might brave the challenging put-ins in the Markley Cove area.  If you are a more experienced paddler and want some open water paddling– as opposed to hugging the shoreline—you can launch at Acorn Beach in Oak Shores and head across the lake to the south east, paddling into the Narrows. 

Beware!   Light winter rains for two years mean the lake is low.  New islands have

appeared and other islands may have become peninsulas

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The North End (8 miles).   Generally a fairly quiet place, this is a favorite paddle with many.   You can put in at the Putah Creek trailhead on the North End Trail, from the Schoolhouse Cove trailhead or from the newest day use area at Eticuera Creek.  This last launch point has the great advantage of a restroom.   To find out more about the north end, check the North End Trail.  This is a varied shoreline with quiet coves, about four miles long.  You will find many places to stop for lunch or a break, and may see anglers along the shoreline.    It is also a good place to swim in a quiet cove.   You’ll see birds of all kinds, grasslands, pine and oak trees, and can get out and explore on foot for a while.

East Shore (20 miles).  This paddle is best accessed by launching at Eticuera Creek.  The east shore is a favorite place for many kinds of waterfowl.   You may see flocks of white pelicans and coots floating together in a flotilla.   There are also bald eagle, osprey and maybe a peregrine falcon flying in from Blue Ridge to the east.   From Eticuera Creek to the beginning of the Narrows is nearly ten miles.  

Long, Long Paddle (30 miles and more one way).   If you put in at Markley Cove, paddle through the Narrows to the main lake, paddle up the lake and then head up Putah Creek in the northwest, you will have paddled close to 30 miles.  There is no public landing place at the end of Putah Creek (six miles up the creek, where it begins to flow), so you have to paddle back to the lake.   You might consider setting up a shuttle.

For those who want a really, really long paddle, there are 150 miles of shoreline.   This includes all the little coves and creeks, so in practical terms its would be less, but still a long way.  In fact, one of our projects is a water trail.  The work needed to create such a trail would be fairly limited.  There is a need for some kayak launch docks in Markley Cove where the hillsides are too steep to make launching easy, modification to the floating bathrooms to make them accessible from a kayak or canoe, and some campsites close to the shoreline in areas too remote to use a concession campground.   Please note that right now, camping is only allowed in the concession areas or Oak Shores Park.

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