Here's a shot of Hensley Lake at sunset. And here's what Tom Stienstra wrote about it in his 2010 Guide to West Coast RV Camping.
"Hensley Lake is popular with water-skiers and personal watercraft users in spring and summer, and it has good prospects for bass fishing as well. Hensley covers 1,500 surface acres with 24 miles of shoreline and, as long as water levels are maintined, makes for a wonderful water playland. Swimming is good, with the best spot being at Buck Ridge on the east side of the lake, where there are picnic tables and trees for shade. The reservoir was created by a dam on the Fresno River. A nature trail is also here. The elevation is 540 feet."
While the snowpack this year is about 1.5 x normal, I don't think the Fresno River reaches far enough into the Sierra Nevada to stay full well into summer -- as such lakes like Pine Flat on the Kings and Lake Millerton on the San Joaquing likely will. In fact, it's highly likely there will be some flooding along some streams later this spring and perhaps last nearly til the start of summer.
This 3d shot shows a cove were a bass took something floating on the surface. [Click 1 or 2 times to zoome in.] Near the island in the first shot I saw a fish come out of the water to take something, but couldn't tell whether it was a bass or a rainbow trout. In addition to those two type of fish, the lake also contains catfish and such sunfish as crappies and bluegills. [And my flyrod is still in storage in Santa Cruz. :-(>]
One appeal of the COE [US Army Corps of Engineers] campgrounds is that they are usually either in the Central Valley or foothills of the Sierra Nevada, where electricity may be available. The US Forest Service camprounds rarely have more than firerings, picnic, and drinking water. But COE (or USACE as they prefer to abbreviate it) and USFS, and USPS all honor the Golden Age Pass I obtained in 1995 as well as newer versions thereof for senior; one receives a 50% discount on campsites; so I paid $15 for this site whereas the person who reserved it for Friday & Saturday nights will have to pay $30 unless he too is a senior. And, after a one-time fee of $10 when you present a photo-ID, you get a free ride through all National Parks, Monuments, Historic Sites, etc.
The only glitch is if a campground is run by a contractor rather than the USPS/USFS. It used to cost $10 ($5 with the Golden Age Pass) for a tent site at Pinnacles Natl Monument, but now that it's run by a contractor the cost is $36, if mem serves -- and that's without electricity.
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Links:
- Corps of Engineers site on Sacramento District Lakes & Reservoirs
- About.Com web page on US Army Corps of Engineers Campgrounds
Th 21 Apr Actual Route: Chowchilla - Madera - Chowchilla - Hensley Lake
F 22 Apr Actual Route: Hensley Lake RV CG - Coarsegold - Oakhust - Bass Lake - Oakhurst - Mariposa
sa 23 Apr Route: Mariposa - Briceburg - Yosemite NP - Mariposa
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