Have you ever been up to Shaver Lake? I know, Bass Lake is much closer and handier, but Shaver is higher and bigger and less than an hour away.
Getting to Shaver Lake involves some tight and twisty roads, so be prepared for slower speeds. The scenery is nice so be sure to take a look around as you go.
From Oakhurst take Road 222 towards Bass Lake and then stay straight on Road 274 when 222 veers right. At the stop sign turn right and go through North Fork, then left on Powerhouse Road (222) toward Auberry. Go through Auberry to the stop sign at Highway 168. Turn left and follow it all the way up to Shaver Lake.
When you get to Shaver you have the choice of a couple of marinas to choose from.
Our party consisted of our daughter Madeline, her husband Dmitry and kids Roman and Katarina, along with friends Donovan and Beth and their daughter, Annabelle. They had a reservation at Shaver Lake Marina for a 24-foot pontoon boat. Shaver Lake Marina is located in the Camp Edison Campground so we paid the $10 entrance day fee and headed down to the marina.
The pontoon boat is a perfect boat for your group if you have a bunch of people. We had nine plus our Corgi, Maggie May. Each pontoon has a small propane BBQ on board so, if you desired, you could BBQ hamburgers, chicken, Brats, whatever your heart desires!
We brought a nice-sized cooler with our food and our drinks. Also some fishing poles for anyone to see if they could land a Shaver Lake Trophy Trout (bigger than normal).
We loaded up and after a briefing on lake rules, we pulled out, idled past the “no wake” zone and gassed our 50-horsepower Honda motor to take us out on the lake. Turned out to be a nice day: not too hot, not cold.
We enjoyed beaching the boat on a nice non-rocky beach, everyone went swimming. Water was cool but not cold and it was a good start to a great day. Afterwards we pulled tubes (supplied), BBQ’d, ate hamburgers and chicken (thanks to Donovan for being the chef) and cruised around the lake checking out the great sights.
Bald Mountain, lots of islands, huge rock formations, Boy Scout camps, and Osprey nests. Even did a little fishing while we ate lunch, but no luck.
We headed back into the marina so as not to miss the 6 p.m. deadline for returning the boat, then unloaded and headed for home tired, but all enjoyed the day on the lake.
Minor critique of the pontoon boat was that it seemed a bit worn. Some of the cushions were split and the side door handles were broken — one was bungee-corded to keep it closed. But we enjoyed the metal top that kept the hot sun off of us.
Would we do it again? Yep, for sure. And you don’t have to rent a boat to enjoy Shaver Lake. Many camped at Edison to enjoy the lake, and day users set up camp right on the lake for swimming, fishing and just taking it easy.
We have our choice of many lakes in our area and we get out and enjoy them. Shaver Lake is well worth the one-hour drive.
24′ Pontoon Boat $270 for full day rental, plus gas, includes BBQ and tow tubes.
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