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Shaver Lake
Location: Approximately 45 miles northeast of Fresno along Highway 168
Storage: Shaver Lake Dam, built by Southern California Edison in 1927, captures 135,283 acre feet of water (when full) from Stevenson Creek
Setting: Ringed by thick pine and fir forests; elevation 5,370 feet
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Upper Twin Lake Trail is a convenient trek
Want to get away - without having to get so far away?
Tucked in the Sierra National Forest just north of Huntington Lake, the Kaiser Wilderness comprises 22,700 acres of pristine meadows, granite-speckled lakes and rugged peaks.
Perhaps the most popular destination within the wilderness area, Upper Twin Lake offers postcard Sierra scenery and bountiful fishing. All within a 75-mile drive of Fresno.
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Millerton Lake
Location: Fifteen miles north of central Fresno; south entrance off Millerton Road, north entrance off Road 145 (north)
Storage: Friant Dam, built by the Bureau of Reclamation in 1944, captures 520,500 acre feet of water (when full) from the San Joaquin River
Setting: Rolling, grassy foothills dotted with blue and live oaks; oaks and gray pines in the river canyon; wildflowers abundant in spring; elevation 578 feet
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Nellie Lake is a gem of the Kaiser Wilderness
Of the 18 sub-alpine lakes contained within the Kaiser Wilderness, Nellie Lake is among the prettiest. It's also one of the most accessible thanks to a well-maintained trail that begins from the west end of Huntington Lake.
Your lungs will feel every inch of the elevation during the steep first mile as the trail climbs out of the Huntington Lake basin. The ascent becomes more gradual near Marys Meadow (stay left at the junction), which is a great place for a quick break.
After 3 1/2 miles, leave the Kaiser Loop Trail by veering left (west) on the Nellie Lake Trail, which crosses Home Camp Creek and skirts the north flank of Peak 9,198 before dropping into the Nellie Lake basin.
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Huntington Lake
Location: Sixty-five miles northeast of Fresno at end of Highway 168 in Sierra National Forest
Storage: Lake is approximately 5 miles long by 1/2 mile wide with a total capacity of 89,800 acre feet; three dams were completed in 1913
Setting : Surrounded by pine forests and granite peaks; elevation 7,000 feet
Location: About 25 miles east of Chowchilla on the north end of County Road 29; open all year
Storage: Buchanan Dam, built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1975, captures 150,000 acre-feet of water from the Chowchilla River
Setting: Rolling foothills dotted with blue oaks, live oaks and bull pines; wildflowers plentiful in the spring; elevation 600 feet
Activities: Camping, boating, fishing, picnicking, hiking, hunting, mountain biking, equestrian trails
Facilities: Designated trophy bass fishery with 22-inch minimum, 1-fish limit on largemouth; also crappie, bluegill, catfish and seasonal trout
Trails: Lakeview Trail runs 4.2 miles one-way from near Codomiz Group Campground to the Raymond Bridge; open to hikers, mountain bikers and equestrians
Factoid: Lake is closed to fishing upstream of marked buoy lines near river inlet
Day use fees: $4 per vehicle
Quote: "With all this rain, I think we're going to have a pretty full lake all summer" Bill Fratzke, park ranger
Campground reservations: Reserve USA, 877-444-6777
Contact info: Eastman Lake Park Manager, (559) 689-3255
Web site: corpslakes.usace.army.mil/visitors/
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