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| Folsom Lake - Sacramento, CA USA
Wind Conditions: Fair Water Conditions: Good Launch facilities: Good Beach conditions: Fair Traffic conditions: Good Safety: Fair Charges: $12 to launch; annual permits available About the place: Located just east of Sacramento, accessible from Highways 50 or 80. This is the most heavily visited state park in California. It has a lot of powerboat and jetski traffic, but the lake is very large so any congestion tends to be localized. Launch ramps can get crowded and the park can fill up and close its gates on busy summer weekends. Hobie cats tend to launch at Granite Bay (from the Five Percent ramp) or from the marina at Brown's Ravine. The lake is also popular with monohull sailors, many of whom moor medium-sized boats at the marina. Hobie Fleets 17 and 290 sail regularly during the summer, on Wednesday evenings from the Five Percent ramp. This ramp is also very popular with the jetskiers, but once on the lake the jetski noise and wakes are left far behind because they tend to hang out in the immediate vicinity of the launch ramp. Many sandy beaches, fairly secluded, are to be found between Granite Bay and Beale's Point. Approach the shoreline carefully, Granite Bay wasn't named that for nothing; large granite outcrops are common along the shore but the main lake is very deep once away from shore. As Folsom is a big lake, the wind can kick up fairly large chop. Sailing is best on the main body of the lake, as the upper arms of the lake are narrow and the wind is fluky or weak in there. Winds are best in the evening when a cool breeze flows in from the Delta (San Francisco bay). Early mornings are also often windy. Occasionally a much stronger wind from the Delta will kick up 20 to 30 knot winds. Typically, summer wind conditions in the Sacramento area are very light, so you have to watch the weather carefully and take quick advantage of any good wind that develops. Water temperature varies from the upper 40s in winter to bathtub warm in the summer and the water is very clean when the lake level stays high. If the water level drops very low, the water clarity and shoreline become very muddy. In normal years, the lake is maintained at a fairly high level throughout the summer, then lowered in the fall to make room for winter runoff. But serious droughts or repairs to the levees or dam gates have sometimes caused the lake to be nearly drained by midsummer. From a safety standpoint, the county sheriff and state park rangers have boats but cannot be counted on to be around if you need help, since the lake is so large. Surprisingly (or perhaps as it should be), the power boaters and jetskiers are very friendly and have gone to extreme lengths to tow or right capsized cats. Sailing after dark should not be done without lights, as there would be a risk of collision with powerboat traffic. Submitted by: Paul Miller <paul.miller@tek.com> Sacramento, CA USA - Thursday, October 03, 1996 at 17:34:51 (PDT) |