Pic: Adam Huth Lake McSwain Recreation Area

While paddling, the only disruptions to the serene silence are the frequent fish jumping. Occasionally, you may spot another boat or someone fishing from the shoreline. On my first visit, I had the entire lake to myself in an almost eerie, "Deliverance"-esque solitude. I underestimated the size of the lake, finally reaching the far end nearly an hour and a half later.

This paddler's paradise and photographer's haven lies just a short drive from the Bay Area, Sacramento, and Central Valley regions, close to the magnificent Yosemite National Park in Mariposa County. Lake McSwain is renowned as one of California's premier fishing destinations, stocked with trout, king salmon, and Florida largemouth bass. Regular plantings of 36,000 catchable-sized trout make it a haven for kayak anglers, who also have a chance to reel in black bass, spotted bass, brook, brown and rainbow trout, bluegill, crappie, catfish, salmon, and shad.

The Lake McSwain Recreation Area Campground is located six miles from the town of Snelling, Lake McSwain offers an abundance of excellent recreational opportunities including camping. It is also an ideal destination for fishing, swimming, and relaxing family picnics along the shoreline.

In spring, the area's pleasant weather, with highs ranging from the low 70s to mid-80s, provides ideal paddling conditions amid stunning wildflower displays.

Map of Lake McSwain