Lake Hennessy

Anyone have any info on Lake Hennessy fishing/kayaking?

I have fished there allot !
Good bass fishing .. have caught them up to 12 pounds there ..
Catfishing is fantastic .. up to 25 pounds ..
Blue Gill are monsters .. biggest I've seen in this state ..
Crappie .. lots of little ones, but, there are a  huge amount of big ones too ...
They plant trout in there ... it's what most troll for ..
No motors over 10 hp .. no contact with the water ..
Loads of Kayaks have gone up there now ..
Because of me and a friend when the water people were up there .. windsurfing .. you're not allowed to wind surf anymore .. it wasn't posted, we went anyway .. and the next time we came up .. it was posted .. 
We told him we'd have no contact with the water, we didn't .. he made sure he stayed and watched us .. but .. posted it anyway .. just in case.

Night crawlers are what most fish up there for bass/crappie/bluegill .. any stick bait will take the cats .. I have not fished bait since in the early 70's .. so I jig and rip . . .

I'll be up there on Sunday in my Hobie Oasis with Patty (my wife) ... and plan on drifting a crawler .. I can't fish with her .. she keeps trying to make me eat and drink and put on sun screen .. and stuff like that ..

We're both very new to kayaking .. this will be our third time out .. so .. she's that way still .. and in Hennesey .. .. I can't throw her in .. 

Great lake .. two ways in .. both kayak launchable ... let me know if you need more . . .

Oh .. the dam is always good .. to the right of it facing it .. the riprap there .. I've caught monster bass there .. sometimes works from a boat ... sometimes I have to get on the shore there ..
Frogs are good near the grass stuff .. as there are huge bullies there .. which I used to spear and they are gooooooood .. haven't done that in 40 years now, though.

I fished there a few years ago. Did pretty good trolling. I used a rainbow runner lure it's a spoon like lure, with flashers. Also caught some on a "wedding ring" lure. also with flashers. No particular area we just trolled all around. The fish were pretty much right on top. Good luck

I read that kayaks were not allowed on Hennessey since it supplied city water??????

Well, if they are not allowed on it .. there are allot of people breaking the rules ..
Kayaks are not posted as being prohibited.
I have been up there when a "wine country tour" guy pulls up .. and .. dumps about
6 hobies in the lake out of the back of his van.  Guides people all over the narrow part
of the lake ..

We (Patty and I) were up there just about 3 weeks ago.  Going again this Sunday .. tomorrow ..
the 18th.

I'll drag a crawler behind me .. no flasher .. and I'll hit bass/bluegill and crappie with the occasional
cat .. those are monsters on my 7' ul and 6lb test .. but .. fun !

I Googled for info. about this lake and looks like JimDez was right!

From section B:

B. Windsurfers, sailboats without cockpits, water skis, kayaks and other similar crafts are not permitted on the lake at any time.

You can read full report here:

http://www.co.napa.ca.us/code2000data/TITLE12/Chapter_12_16_LAKE_HENNESSEY_AND_C/12_16_040_Boat_operation__Fish.html

I have tried fishing for trout at Hennessy, with minimal success, but i'm sure I just wasn't doing it right... But, I have seen some fat bluegills there.

I have fished hennessy for 20+ years and they just changed the signs to allow kayaks within the last year or so

There were a few kayaks up there this last Sunday .. again .. and it's not on the sign there .. about kayaks .. so .. I guess he's right .. if it's changed .. they changed the signage too .. just not the web page.

I have to go by the sign .. I bring allot of stuff with me to the lake, but, not a computer.  Can't catch no fish with my computer.

Anyone know what the water level is like at Hennessey right now?  Fishable or flooded?

Full and still murky. Visibility was almost a feet the last time I was there last weekend. This last storm should of turned it to chocolate milk again.

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There are restricted hours using the launch ramp. I was up there a few years ago in my kayak and interacted with the person in charge of of the gate. He didn't say anything about using my kayak.

Anyone know what the water level is like at Hennessey right now?  Fishable or flooded?

Two weeks ago it was completely full with a foot of visibility. It's definitely fishable but not easy. I caught one bass and a few bluegill the entire day.

Yes, kayaks are allowed. The rule was changed a few years ago (may even fI've by now) allowing kayaks again.

As others have said, it's still very high and pretty muddy. Had started to clear some during that stretch of nice weather but the feeder creeks are looking like coffee again. It's going to be a good year up there though once the water clears and warms some.

Yes, kayaks are allowed. The rule was changed a few years ago (may even fI've by now) allowing kayaks again.

As others have said, it's still very high and pretty muddy. Had started to clear some during that stretch of nice weather but the feeder creeks are looking like coffee again. It's going to be a good year up there though once the water clears and warms some.

Do you know what the gate hours are? Is it possible to launch on the bank to get an early start?