The long Labor Day weekend drew hundreds of visitors to Clear Lake and Lake County. The tourists enjoyed fishing and boating on the lake and picnics in our parks. Without question the primary attraction for visitors is the outstanding fishing on Clear Lake, but there are several other reasons thousands of people visit the lake.
One reason is the outstanding public parks and boat launching ramps that are located around the lake. No other major lake in California has the quality or number of ramps that Clear Lake has. And the best part, with one exception, is they are all free. For example, it costs from $20 to $30 to launch a boat at nearby Lake Berryesa and the fishing isn’t nearly as good.
The cities of Lakeport and Clearlake, the county and the state operate a total of seven major public boat ramps and parks that are on the water. The result is there are ramps and parking areas at just about every location around the lake.
Library Park in Lakeport has two improved ramps as well as an excellent lakeside park. Along with the ramps there are docks and a huge parking area for boat trailers. The park is one of the cleanest on the lake and draws thousands of tourists each summer.
Lakeside County Park is located off Soda Bay Road south of Lakeport. This has become one of the more popular launching areas on the lake. On any given weekend the parking lot at the ramp is jammed with boat trailers. The ramp itself is excellent. This is another park that’s kept extremely clean and safe. The best part is that the park and ramp are located in some of the best bass fishing areas on the lake. There is also excellent crappie, bluegill and catfish fishing from the parks’ shoreline. The park also has an excellent picnic area where you can view all kinds of bird life.
The next park is Clear Lake State Park. Unlike the county and city parks, you have to pay a launching and day use fee at the state park. The park offers an excellent boat ramp, picnic area and campground as well as several hiking trails. This park is also kept very clean and the fishing is excellent. It is also a safe place to hike or picnic. In fact, the state park was rated the fifth best in the nation and No. 1 in the West.
Redbud Park in Clearlake has one of the best launching facilities on the lake. The ramp is huge and six boats can be launched at one time. The boat trailer parking lot is the largest on the lake.
The county park and launching ramp at Clearlake Oaks is rather small but centrally located for fishermen who want to fish the area around Rattlesnake Island and the Clearlake Oaks Keys.
The county park at Lucerne is popular among fishermen who want fish the Lucerne-Nice shoreline. The ramp is protected from the wind by a breakwater and has ample parking and rest rooms. The fishing is very good off the breakwater wall.
There is a small ramp and park in Nice. The ramp is best suited for small boats. The park is a great place to have a picnic.
In addition to the public ramps, a number of resorts offer boat ramps where boats can be launched for a small fee.
The many launching areas around the lake make it ideal for small boaters who don’t want to battle the wind and waves to reach their favorite fishing areas. All they need to do is trailer their boat to the ramp that’s nearest their favorite fishing area. The other major factor is that all the parks and ramps around the lake are kept in excellent condition, which is a credit to our local park personnel. Despite the efforts of park personnel there are a few thoughtless people who litter in the parks. I saw this on Monday at Lakeside County Park where someone left a pile of trash on the docks.
As mentioned earlier, the best part of fishing Clear Lake is you don’t have to pay a launching fee. All the other lakes in Northern California (both large and small) generally charge a launching and day use fee. In the past there have been suggestions that the county and cities charge a launching fee, but so far they’ve all been rejected. Hopefully this policy will continue.
We have one of the best fishing lakes in the West and it’s all free. We also have plenty of wineries where you can relax and sip some of Lake County’s finest wines. You can’t beat that.
