Camping advice for Amador/Camanche/Pardee or Turlock/Don Pedro

I used the search function but did not find any info on-point.

Looks like Amador/Camanche/Pardee/Turlock/Don Pedro are all about 2 hours drive from my house.

I want to take the family (wife, 9 & 13 yr old, and  dog) to a lake where they can YAKFISH, SWIM & CAMP.

I'd prefer a place with good scenery, since if the fishing is good but the scenery sucks, then wife will complain.

If you recommend any of the above-noted places for a good camping with scenery and Fishing & swimming, please advise.  Thx much in advance.

Don Pedro has nice lake side camping and a swimming lagoon I you want to avoid boat traffic. I usually stay at the Flaming Meadows camp ground. I like this lake for family trips, some good fishing too, but I usually fish from a power boat.

Don Pedro has nice lake side camping and a swimming lagoon I you want to avoid boat traffic. I usually stay at the Flaming Meadows camp ground. I like this lake for family trips, some good fishing too, but I usually fish from a power boat.

Thx JoeD! 

Others, give me your 2 cents.

I've fished all of them but camped at none of them.  I'll give you my limited opinion later tonight after the kids go to bed.

Turlock lake might get closed after july 1, and the fishing there is really limited to trout only.

don pedro + camanche = infested with lake lice

amador = $$$$$$$$$$$$

pardee = my favorite lake for fishing, but no swimming allowed...

so um to answer your question...
probably don pedro or new melones.  melones can be a little difficult to swim unless you can find the right places, it is fairly steep on the bank, but some areas are easier to access, especially near glory hole point. the benefit to melones is it is huge with lots of coves so you can usually find somewhere quiet to avoid the boat traffic.   melones is my second favorite lake to fish, since its got great variety and shorter paddles. 

pedro is pretty much wide open unless you go upriver to moccassin point marina, or stay inside of fleming meadows.

As for scenery, none of those lakes really have much to look at, amador is kind of a mudhole, pardee is nice but again no swimming.

don pedro melones camanche are your typical foothill lakes which mean oak trees and grass.  melones is the more interesting of the three for scenery but its nothing to shake your feathers at in my opinion, unless you head upriver going east from glory hole past the bridge.

Ben pretty much hit the nail on the head with all of the lakes.

I know that Pinecrest isn't on your list and it's actually slightly longer than 2 hours, google maps has it at 2 hours and 33 minutes to be exact, but the fishing will be fantastic - for planters and the occasional holdover - and the scenery is outstanding in my opinion.  The only downside is that many other people also enjoy its beauty.  If you're looking to go this summer, they might be all booked but you can try.

Ben, you have been there many times, what do you think?

Pinecrest .....
Ben, you have been there many times, what do you think?

Thats the lake I would choose if I was going to take my family on a trip...fun family trip and it hits all of your points.  It's longer than 2 hours from san ramon though. more like 2 1/2. 

i usually go there in the fall or early spring, fishing is fantastic/easy and no people around.  Last time i was there in the mid summer was probably 15 years or so ago.  I was last there in April I think and I landed 8 trout in about 1 1/2 hours just soaking powerbait and tossing kastmasters.

thx guys for the input.  I really appreciate the advice.

I'll be curious to know where you end up.  Hope to see a report!

Staying at Camanche would be like camping in someone's backyard in Gilroy (no offense Gilroy-ites).  Esp in summer ... brown and flat, no scenery, even though fishing OK. 

Me, Al, My son and my Dad all fished Pinecrest from the shore this past Memorial Day and we had a great time. I have never camped Pinecrest because my family has a place in Twainharte so we stay there and drive to the lake. I agree you will catch fish, and it is a beautiful place to be.

I enjoyed Don Pedro for camping and fishing with Al and my son, we got a nice site that sloped down to the water's edge for an easy launch. My son was 4 at the time and the steep site was not a problem but if you have younger than that you might have your work cut out for you..but then again you can just stay at a more level site.

I find New Melones to be the prettier view while on the water. I also enjoyed yaking to a remote spot and getting out to explore, which you can do at Don Pedro too, but I thought New Melones was prettier to look at. Have not caught a fish there myself but Al has. The camping seems to be away from the water so I'm not sure about the launching at your site.

I know we stayed at Amador, I'm trying to remember if that was the "woodstock" mud camping trip where DrHabenero and his family disappeared in the middle of the night due to the weather. I don't recall being that impressed with the view from our site but we were by the mobile home park?? DrHab's site was far more easy on the eye. Did not catch a fish that time.

So that's a lady's view of the lakes I've been to on your list, hope it helps some!

-Sara

thx Sara!  Your guidebook was a good read!

I would be worried about rattlesnakes at the low elevation lakes.  I say head up the road a bit more and enjoy much better scenery, it is springtime in the high Sierras now!  lots of places to fish and camp in the highway 88 corridor. 
another plus for the high country is that if it is 100 degrees in the valley it will be 70 to 80 degrees at 8000' elvation. 

I would be worried about rattlesnakes at the low elevation lakes.

You mean like this guy!  I ran across him at about 5,000 ft just a couple of weeks ago.

John, you'll be glad to know that he wasn't at any of your potential camping destinations.  That said, I'm sure there is a good number of them at any one of the lakes you're looking to visit.