In all of my digging around for information on fishing in the sierras, I ran across an old PDF document hosted somewhere on the California DFG Web site, that offers something that almost every fisherman at one time or other during their life would have given up their best lure…well, maybe their second-best lure…to have. It is in an old issue of the Tracks pseudo-magazine put out by DFG, which covers fishing and/or hunting depending upon the season it might be published.

Like all issues of Tracks, this particular Spring 2001 edition offers information on rules and regulations, the species of fish one can expect to catch, and so on. But within this issue is what might very well be considered a little gem: a section entitled “Guide to Fishing California Waters.”

This seemingly innocuously named portion of the publication offers a wealth of information on the fishable bodies of freshwater – lakes, rivers, streams, reservoirs (forebays and afterbays), creeks and lagoons throughout the state. While it contains the typical notations on the type of fish that might be caught and the services available, the most exciting column is labeled “Driving Directions.” In this column is written directions, from a nearby and well recognized landmark, to a public access point for each body of water. Even for the smallest section of water that receives plants from the DFG’s hatcheries. For example, the small Lyons Canal in Twain Harte warrants a listing, with driving directions that read,

From Sonora, at junction Hwy’s 49-108; go E 11 mi. to Twain Harte Dr. Turn N, go 1.7 mi. to Joaquin Gully Rd. Turn NE, go 1 mi.; road curves E at Middle Camp Rd. for 0.1 mi. Turn N on South Fork Rd., go 0.4 mi. to fishing access on left.

I know from personal experience that these directions are pretty good (although we take the nephews and kids to another section of the canal). So, in a service to fisherpersons everywhere, I am pulling this information out of the PDF and putting it on my Web site for all to see. You can get to a main page for this info by clicking on the ‘Calif. DFG Driving Directions’ under the “Join In” section of the side bar. From the main page you can jump to the various sections.