---
title: "Beardsley Lake — Boat Ramp, Fishing & the Drawdown | Arnold Haven"
description: "Beardsley Lake from Arnold: a quiet deep reservoir with a real boat ramp, a steep access road, and the drawdown to check before you tow."
lang: en
json-ld:
---

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![Beardsley Lake](/assets/beardsley-canyon-dlxnW0U2.jpg)

Explore Arnold

# Beardsley Lake

A narrow reservoir at the bottom of a steep canyon off Highway 108 — a real boat ramp, deep cold water, almost no crowds, and a drawdown that can leave the ramp high and dry by autumn.

[Check availability](/cabins)[See the cabins](/cabins)

First things first

## First things first

Beardsley is a working reservoir on the Middle Fork Stanislaus, held behind a dam in a granite canyon about 3,400 feet up. It is reached by a paved road that drops a thousand feet in a few miles of switchbacks from Highway 108 — the descent is the memorable part, and the reason the lake stays quiet while Pinecrest fills up. 

From Arnold it is about an hour and three quarters by way of Sonora. Come for water skiing, fishing or a swim off the rocks in genuine solitude; do not come expecting a beach, a marina or a shop, because there are none. 

![Beardsley Lake seen far below from a high road, a narrow blue reservoir between forested canyon walls](/assets/beardsley-canyon-dlxnW0U2.jpg)

Geography

## Where Beardsley Lake sits

![Illustrated antique-style map of California inside the United States with a gold marker on Beardsley Lake in the Stanislaus canyon, with an engraved narrow reservoir between steep forested walls](/assets/beardsley-lake-BJoRwyod.jpg)

Illustrated locator map — for orientation, not navigation.

Beardsley is a hydroelectric reservoir held in a granite canyon a thousand feet below Highway 108, reached by a switchback descent that keeps the crowds away.

It is drawn down through the season for power and downstream water, so the shoreline and the usable ramp move month to month.

It is about 65 miles from Chalet Bruin and Koda Loft via Sonora — roughly an hour and three quarters.

Region

Central Sierra Nevada, Middle Fork Stanislaus canyon

County

Tuolumne County

Elevation

About 3,400 ft

Nearest town

Strawberry and Pinecrest, up the highway

Getting there

Highway 108 east, then the steep paved Beardsley Lake road

02 

## The water and the boats

There is a concrete launch ramp, a small day-use area and a campground near the dam. The lake is long, deep and steep-sided, which makes for glassy water in the morning and a wind that funnels up the canyon in the afternoon. Trout fishing is decent, best trolled deep once the surface warms. 

Swimming is off rocks rather than sand, and the water stays cold well into summer because most of it comes from snowmelt upstream. Facilities are minimal, so bring water, shade and everything else you need. 

![A concrete boat ramp running into low water on a forested Sierra reservoir](/assets/beardsley-ramp-BFf9QMuT.jpg)

![Granite domes and pine forest above the narrow water of Beardsley Lake](/assets/beardsley-view-Y8WaEVW-.jpg)

03 

## Drawdown, and the one thing to check

Beardsley is drawn down for power generation and downstream water needs, and by late summer in a dry year the shoreline can drop far enough that the ramp is unusable and the lake becomes a river between mud banks. This is the single most important thing to check before towing a boat up here. 

Current levels are published by the operator and the Forest Service; look them up the week you plan to go. Early summer, after the melt and before the heavy releases, is almost always the best water. 

04 

## The road down

The access road is paved but steep, narrow in places and hard on brakes. Use low gear going down, watch for vehicles towing boats coming up, and think twice with a large trailer. In winter it is not maintained and the gate is often closed by snow, which effectively makes Beardsley a May-to-October destination. 

There is no fuel and no phone signal at the lake. Fill up in Sonora or Twain Harte, and tell someone where you are going if you are on the water alone. 

![A steep switchback road descending through pine forest toward a reservoir](/assets/beardsley-road-lFOHhs83.jpg)

![Beardsley Lake seen far below from a high road, a narrow blue reservoir between forested canyon walls](/assets/beardsley-canyon-dlxnW0U2.jpg)

05 

## Where to stay for a Beardsley day

There is a campground at the lake and nothing else. A cabin in Arnold puts you an hour and three quarters away with a kitchen for the cooler, a hot tub after a day on the water, and the rest of the Highway 4 country for the days you stay closer to home. 

-   [CHALET BRUIN — 12 guests, 5 bedrooms→ ](/cabins/chalet-bruin)
-   [KODA LOFT — 4 guests, 2 bedrooms→ ](/cabins/koda-loft)

Nearby

## Keep exploring

[

![Donnells Vista](/assets/donnells-overlook-Cucw-WT_.jpg)

### Donnells Vista

The reservoir in the next canyon east, seen from a five-minute walk off the highway.

Discover ↗ 

](/explore/donnells-vista)

[

![Pinecrest Lake](/assets/pinecrest-lake-shoreline-ByS9bVzH.jpg)

### Pinecrest Lake

The busy, warm, sandy alternative twenty minutes further up the road.

Discover ↗ 

](/explore/pinecrest-lake)

[

![Lyons Reservoir](/assets/lyons-reservoir-water-BISE1HW1.jpg)

### Lyons Reservoir

Smaller and lower, down near Twain Harte — an easy fishing morning.

Discover ↗ 

](/explore/lyons-reservoir)

Good to know

## Frequently asked questions

Can you launch a boat at Beardsley Lake? + 

Yes, there is a concrete ramp near the dam — but the lake is drawn down through the season and the ramp can become unusable in a dry late summer. Check current lake levels before towing a boat.

How far is Beardsley Lake from Arnold? + 

About an hour and three quarters via Sonora and Highway 108, including a steep switchback descent from the highway.

Is there a beach or a store? + 

No. Swimming is off rocks, and there are no shops, fuel or phone signal. Bring water, shade and supplies with you.

Is the road open in winter? + 

Generally not. The access road is not maintained for snow, so treat Beardsley as a May-to-October destination.

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