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Lake McSwain lies nestled between two canyons covered with live oak and grassy hillsides. This exquisite cold-water lake is shaped like a river, long and narrow. There is a slight current coming from Lake McClure’s dam. Be sure to paddle Lake McSwain at sunrise so you can feast your eyes on the awesome reflective beauty of the still water on this tranquil lake. The only disruption to the utter silence while paddling Lake McSwain are the numerous fish jumping. Once in a while, you’ll see another boat or someone fishing from along the shoreline. However, the first time I paddled here, I saw no one. It was so quiet it was almost eerie, like a scene from the movie “Deliverance”. At the time, I had no idea how far it was to the end of the lake. I finally reached the end about one-and-a-half hours later. This lake is truly a paddler’s paradise and a photographer’s haven. Lake McSwain is located a short drive from the Bay Area and Sacramento regions, as well as the Central Valley. The lakes are located close to the magnificent Yosemite National Park in Mariposa County. Lake McSwain is known for being one of the best fishing destinations in the state due to the trout, king salmon and Florida largemouth bass stocking programs. Regular plantings of 36,000 catchable-sized trout provide a perfect haven for kayak anglers. Other species of fish taken here include black bass, spotted bass, brook, brown, and rainbow trout, bluegill, crappie, catfish, salmon and shad.
Spring wildflower displays offer outstanding
paddling opportunities. In the
Map of Lake McSwain I |
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