--- title: "Lyons Reservoir — Quiet Fishing Above Twain Harte | Arnold Haven" description: "Lyons Reservoir from Arnold: stocked trout, flat water for a paddle and a calm morning in the pines above Twain Harte." lang: en json-ld: --- [Skip to content](#main-content) [![](/__l5e/assets-v1/84bf9984-9cf8-406b-aaf5-dbde0a9f8c6a/arnold-haven-mark-white.png)Arnold Haven Arnold · California ](/) [Cabins](/cabins)[Explore](/explore)[Guides](/guides)[Membership](/circle)[Support](/chalet-bruin-future)[Merch](/merch)[Book a stay](/cabins) ![Lyons Reservoir](/assets/lyons-reservoir-water-BISE1HW1.jpg) Explore Arnold # Lyons Reservoir A small, quiet reservoir in the pines above Twain Harte — shore fishing, a paddle on flat water, and a shoreline that stays green when the foothills have burned brown. About an hour and a quarter from the cabins. [Check availability](/cabins)[See the cabins](/cabins) First things first ## First things first Lyons sits at about 4,200 feet on the South Fork Stanislaus, a few miles off Highway 108 above Twain Harte. It is a water-supply reservoir rather than a recreation lake, which shapes everything about it: modest facilities, a low speed limit, and a calm that the bigger lakes lose by July. From Arnold it is about an hour and a quarter by way of Sonora. It suits a morning rather than a whole day — fish, paddle, eat a sandwich on a rock — often combined with lunch in Twain Harte on the way home. ![The calm green water of Lyons Reservoir reflecting pines and oak-covered hills](/assets/lyons-reservoir-water-BISE1HW1.jpg) Geography ## Where Lyons Reservoir sits ![Illustrated antique-style map of California inside the United States with a gold marker on Lyons Reservoir above Twain Harte, with an engraved small forested reservoir and a dam](/assets/lyons-reservoir-DbLqJhI-.jpg) Illustrated locator map — for orientation, not navigation. Lyons is a water-supply reservoir on the South Fork Stanislaus, part of a system first built in the nineteenth century to serve the Gold Rush towns downhill. It is small, calm and shaded, with modest facilities and rules that reflect its role as drinking water rather than recreation. It is about 45 miles from Chalet Bruin and Koda Loft via Sonora — roughly an hour and a quarter. Region Western Sierra Nevada, upper foothills County Tuolumne County Elevation About 4,200 ft Nearest town Twain Harte, about ten minutes below Getting there Highway 108 to Twain Harte, then the Lyons Reservoir road 02 ## Fishing and paddling The reservoir is stocked with rainbow trout and holds browns and some warm-water fish in the shallows. It fishes well from the bank in spring and autumn, and from a small boat, kayak or paddleboard through the summer. A California fishing licence is required for anyone sixteen or older. Non-motorised and small electric craft suit the water best; check the current rules with the operator and the Forest Service before arriving with anything larger, because access and boating restrictions on water-supply reservoirs change without much fanfare. ![A fishing rod resting on a rock on the gravel shore of a quiet reservoir](/assets/lyons-reservoir-fishing-DiZ13k5A.jpg) ![The calm green water of Lyons Reservoir reflecting pines and oak-covered hills](/assets/lyons-reservoir-water-BISE1HW1.jpg) 03 ## The dam, the flume and a bit of history The reservoir is part of a nineteenth-century water system built to serve the Gold Rush towns below, and the old ditch and flume alignments still run through the woods nearby. It is a modest, human-scaled piece of engineering next to the big Sierra dams — a wall, a spillway and a lot of quiet water. Swimming is generally discouraged or prohibited on drinking-water reservoirs, and the rules here are posted on site. Read them when you arrive rather than assuming, and go to the Stanislaus River or Pinecrest if swimming is the point of the day. 04 ## Season and access Spring and autumn are the best times: mild air, cool water and active fish. Summer is pleasant early and hot by midday, and at this elevation winter brings occasional snow that can make the access road briefly awkward but rarely closes it for long. Facilities are limited to a small parking area and a launch spot. There are no shops; Twain Harte, ten minutes away, has a market and somewhere to eat. ![An old wooden flume and a small concrete dam at the end of a forested reservoir](/assets/lyons-reservoir-dam-fmDa8vax.jpg) 05 ## Where to stay for a Lyons morning This is a stop rather than a destination, and it slots neatly into a stay based in Arnold — an hour and a quarter each way, with Twain Harte, Sonora and Columbia all on the same loop. - [CHALET BRUIN — 12 guests, 5 bedrooms→ ](/cabins/chalet-bruin) - [KODA LOFT — 4 guests, 2 bedrooms→ ](/cabins/koda-loft) Nearby ## Keep exploring [ ![Twain Harte](/assets/twain-harte-village-Cd0LIJnr.jpg) ### Twain Harte Ten minutes down the hill for lunch, the village street and the lake. Discover ↗ ](/explore/twain-harte-ca) [ ![Beardsley Lake](/assets/beardsley-canyon-dlxnW0U2.jpg) ### Beardsley Lake Bigger, deeper and further up the corridor, with a real boat ramp. Discover ↗ ](/explore/beardsley-lake) [ ![Sonora](/assets/sonora-main-street-BaMbrser.jpg) ### Sonora The town at the bottom of the hill for groceries and a proper meal. Discover ↗ ](/explore/sonora-ca) Good to know ## Frequently asked questions Can you swim at Lyons Reservoir? + Swimming is generally restricted on drinking-water reservoirs and the rules are posted on site. For a swim, head to Pinecrest Lake or the Stanislaus River instead. What fish are in Lyons Reservoir? + Mainly stocked rainbow trout, with browns and some warm-water species in the shallows. A California fishing licence is required from age sixteen. Can you take a boat? + Small non-motorised and electric craft suit the reservoir. Boating and access rules on water-supply reservoirs change, so check current restrictions before you drive up with anything larger. How far is it from Arnold? + About an hour and a quarter via Sonora and Highway 108, ten minutes above Twain Harte. ![](/__l5e/assets-v1/84bf9984-9cf8-406b-aaf5-dbde0a9f8c6a/arnold-haven-mark-white.png) Arnold Haven Cabin stays in Arnold, California — minutes from Calaveras Big Trees State Park, White Pines Lake and Bear Valley. 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