Millerton Lake

Hello all just wondering if anyone has yakked Millerton Lake. I'm planing on taking the family there for Memorial weekend. Hows the fishing, camping,etc? Any info on A first hand experience would be cool Thanks Andy...

PM Rickey Mitchell "Paddle and Flies" for info.  It's one of his favorite lakes and he does well there.

i have dove on scuba and freediving at millerton lake as i used to go to school in fresno. the water can be really clear and gets really deep. i dive to over 100 ft on scuba there. freediving there on the west side i was in the shalows and saw lots of bass. look for structure, where you find that you'll find the fish.

one creepy dive i did with a friend was while the lake was really full. we scuba dived through an underwater forest. trees, pathways etc... submerged with super clear water. the lights we had shined so far and there was trout, bass etc... around anyplace we saw submerged plants and trees.

lots of lures lost too.

Andy, it's gonna be packed wall to wall on Memorial weekend, unless it rains or something. I stopped by there late afternoon on Easter on the way back from picking up a yak and there was hardly an open space left on the shore.

As far as fishing, I didn't have time to get much in but apparently there's some good spotted bass fishing and some elusive stripers in there.

I had a decent paddle in the early evening but powerboats are plentiful there and Jetskis are allowed. It looked like it could be a boating circus during the day.

I do want to go back & really check it out, but definitely not on a hot holiday weekend.

There's also a trout hatchery nearby in Friant that might be an interesting stop for the family if/when you go:  http://www.dfg.ca.gov/fish/Hatcheries/SanJoaquin/index.asp#

if you bag out on the millerton idea you can always fish for trout at lost lake on the way to millerton. that lake was always good for nice trout. i took my inlaws there and they harvested them in so easily. i also caught some and if im catching fish on a hook then you know its a good day because this does not usually happen: )

  My dad and I used to pan for gold (I panned he used a small dredge)at the bottom of New Melones (Right off HWY 49) before it was New Melones.  I remember one year we returned to find huge cement columns (Bridge supports) growing out of the mountain sides way above us, and dad saying "we wouldn't be able to pan here much longer because it will soon be under water"  As a kid I didn't fully understand that.  It's not creepy for me, but  every time I drive over that bridge on hwy 49 I remember what the caynon looked like, all the large boulders, and all the dirt I moved through my pan then. 

Troy

 

Hahaha!
 
I was searching for info on Millerton and came across this old post of yours, Andy. Did you ever go to Millerton?
My wife does a girls-only camping trip every year and this time they chose Millerton. They already reserved 2 sites. Then...one of the girls decided she wants to bring her new BF.
So, now it's a family campout and I'm bringing my kayak! We'll be there June 4-6.
Any and all advice welcome.
Thanks!

I believe Jeff (jeffrm20) has fished that lake a few times and psoted reports.

Hey,
You're going to be in my backyard

Make sure to get some live minnows and soak them in about 50 ft off main points.

Also since they have increased the flows in the San Joaquin below Millerton it has flooded into the Mendota Canal and there has been quite a few Stripers caught at Lost lake and below.

As for the camping and yaking on the lake - be extra carefull - every year the PB/Ski/Party crowd has a few fatalities - Last year it was a kid swimming near their boat and a PB ran over her and kept going

The Spot fishing is best on finesse baits - Drop shot or Dart head with 4" worms (best colors are Hologram Shad, Arron's Magic W/Red Flk, Pro Gold W/Red Flk)
Good luck,
Eric

Man this is old    Might join ya Pat!

I havent been to millerton, so I googled it and found... this..

http://www.weirdfresno.com/2010/03/strange-creature-sighted-at-millerton.html

Hmm..  I see a monster fish n chill in the future.. 

Sounds like a sturgeon? Maybe I should bring some ghosties lol.
Thanks for the responses guys, keep em coming.
I'm glad to see your reply Yakhopper--was hoping you'd chime in. I'm sending you a PM right now. Like I said, never been to Millerton so any advice is golden.
 

Just got a PA 14 and wanted to try out millerton. Thought I'd revive this tread for some current info. Thanks

 .. We did make it there, pretty cool lake.. I want to go back! .. I didn't fish.

20-30 min drive for me...it has trout, LM, spots being more prevalent, stripers get big-40 to 50 lb range. Fish the area near Madera side boat launch and up river for bass. Camping is Madera side only. It is a 2002 or newer low emissions lake for boats. I don't go much cuz of the HIGH entry to a State lake. Use a football head on a salt n pepper hula grub.