Lopez Lake offers superb paddling, kayak
fishing, SUP boarding, camping and hiking
opportunities, assuring that everyone will
have a great time.Located east of Arroyo
Grande, Lopez Lake Recreational Area is an
outstanding destination for paddling
enthusiasts. The beautiful surroundings make
a great destination for a weekend getaway or
a day trip, if you are short on time.
Wildlife sightings are common. Keep a
lookout while paddling for the abundance of
wildlife, including bears, bobcats, skunks,
wild turkeys, and birds galore. Paddlers
have reported sightings of deer and foxes in
the area, as well as small critters like
raccoons and jackrabbits.
There are boat launches in two of the lake’s
arms. One launch is located by the marina,
which has a paved launch ramp. The other arm
has a hand launch access from the beach at
Mallard Cove. If you plan to paddle, it is
best to get on the water at sunrise. This is
a popular location for windsurfers, due to
the gusty winds that pick up by midmorning.
By mid-morning, it often becomes too windy
to paddle and the lake is taken over by
windsurfers.
Lopez Lake has one of the best reputation
for producing large world-class bass. In
fact, Lopez Lake produced two of the top 15
heaviest largemouth bass ever caught, which
exceeded 21 pounds! There’s also a healthy
population of trout,
catfish,
redear sunfish, and crappie, which makes it
a popular fishing destination year round.
The Department of Fish and Game plants
thousands of pounds of rainbow trout in the
lake each year.
Map of Lopez Lake
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