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image - weather at Pine Flat Lake

Camping Reservations

link to recreation.gov

Welcome to Pine Flat Lake

Pine Flat Lake provides recreation opportunities for hundreds of thousands of visitors annually. Pine Flat Dam is an impressive structure which impounds the waters of the Kings River. Construction of the 429-foot tall dam was completed in 1954.

Today, Pine Flat continues to provide flood control and irrigation benefits to the San Joaquin Valley. A hydroelectric plant was completed in 1984. At maximum capacity, the lake holds 1,000,000 acre feet of water.


Location:
35 miles east of Fresno in the oak covered foothills of the Sierra Nevada. 

Mailing Address:
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Pine Flat Lake
P.O. Box 117
Piedra, CA 93649-0117 Telephone:
559-787-2589
FAX 559-787-2773

E-mail:
pineflat-info@usace.army.mil

Office Hours:
Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Directions:
From California State Highways 99 or 41 in Fresno, take Highway 180 (Kings Canyon Highway) east out of Fresno. Exit at Fowler Avenue and turn right (south). Then turn left (east) at the first stop light (Belmont Avenue).

Continue driving 23 miles east on Belmont Avenue, which turns into Trimmer Springs Road just before the town of Piedra. To visit Park Headquarters, turn right on Pine Flat Road and continue for two miles.

Pine Flat Dam is closed to the general public. To visit Deer Creek, Island Park, Lakeview or Trimmer Recreation Areas, continue east on Trimmer Springs Road.


Please help us make everyone's visit enjoyable by:

  • Keeping your pets on a leash at all times.
  • Keeping fires confined to firerings/grills and using only dead and down wood.
  • Maintaining quiet between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.
  • Operating vehicles only on designated roads and parking areas provided.
  • Camping only in designated campsites.
  • Helping clean up litter.
  • Reporting safety hazards to park personnel.
  • Reading the park rules, copies of which are posted throughout the park.

All areas are patrolled by Corps of Engineers rangers and deputies of the Fresno County Sheriff's Department. If you need help, contact a park ranger or deputy sheriff.

image - scenic Pine Flat Lake

District Park Events Calendar

Recreation at Pine Flat Lake

Day Use:
Pine Flat Lake has many recreation opportunities available to the public, including but not limited to boating, swimming, fishing, camping, sightseeing, hiking, and hunting. As of January 2012 a $4.00 day use fee is required at the four major recreation areas at the lake: Deer Creek, Island Park, Lakeview, and Trimmer.

Camping:
Island Park Campground and Trimmer Campground are both managed by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and provide the highest quality camping amenities in the area at the best value. Island Park has 97 campsites, 20 of these campsites are equipped with 50-amp/30-amp combination outlets. Island Park campers also have access to multiple restroom facilities with showers, an RV dump station and a fish cleaning station. Trimmer Campground offers 10 recently redesigned campsites with one restroom and shower facility. These facilities are open year round with peak visitation during the summer months.

Group Camping:
There are two large group sites (Blue Oak and Buckeye) available at Deer Creek Point Group Campground, which are accessed from within the Island Park Recreation Area. Each site can accommodate multiple RVs and/or tents, and the sites are suitable for up to 80 people. A shade shelter, BBQ pit, fire ring, restroom, and water are available at each group site to accommodate most camping needs. There is also a sand volleyball court, playground and horseshoe pits available for use exclusively by campers in the group sites.

Camping Reservation Links:
Reservations can be made by visiting the Recreation Reservation site at www.recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777. Direct links to Island Park and Trimmer Campground reservations are provided here:

Island Park Campground

Trimmer Campground

Fees:

Camping

Group Camping

Special Use

Day Use

$20 standard

$30 electric

$100

$50-$250

$4 daily

$30 annual

The Golden Age and Golden Access Passport Program expired December 31, 2006. However, both passes are still honored for related discounts at all U.S. Army Corps of Engineers parks. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers also honors two of the America the Beautiful - The National Parks and Federal Recreation Lands Passes: the Interagency Senior and Interagency Access passes. These passes qualify the holder to a 50% discount on camping and day use fees. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers does not sell or issue either pass; however, passes may be purchased at the following offices: U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Annual Pass:
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and local stores in the immediate area sell annual passes for $30. The Annual Pass gives unlimited day use at all Pine Flat Lake Recreation Areas and at all U.S. Army Corps of Engineers operated parks nationwide for 12 months from the date of purchase.

Boating:
Boat launch facilities are available at four recreation areas at Pine Flat Lake, including Deer Creek, Island Park, Lakeview, and Trimmer. There are also two commercial marinas on the lake operated at Deer Creek Recreation Area and Lakeview Recreation Area. Services include: house boat and fishing boat rentals, boat slip rentals, fuel, camping, and fishing supplies. Four floating restroom facilities are located in our busiest coves on the lake to better serve boaters.

Boaters are reminded that there is a counter-clockwise direction of travel on the lake, a 50 mph speed limit and water surface levels fluctuate daily.

Fishing:
The lake offers a variety of gamefish, including large and smallmouth bass, spotted bass, rainbow trout, king (chinook) and kokanee salmon, catfish, crappie and bluegill. Anglers can fish for native rainbow trout in the upper Kings River, which is a special management area that encourages natural reproduction of wild trout without the planting of domestic stock. Anglers must have a valid state fishing license and comply with all California Department of Fish & Wildlife rules & regulations.

 

Hunting:
Hunting with bow or shotgun during open season is permitted in certain approved hunting areas. Hunting is not permitted in campgrounds or developed recreation areas. Hunters must be licensed and comply with California Department of Fish & Wildlife (DFW) rules and regulations with regard to open seasons and bag limits.

Ranger Programs:
School group dam tours and ranger programs can be scheduled by calling (559) 787-2589. Tours and programs shall be requested no later than 30 days in advance.

Campfire programs are offered weekends from Memorial Day through Labor Day at the Island Park Campground Ampitheatre.

Conservation