On a recent mild sunny winter weekend afternoon, I visited the Halsey Forebay fishing access area. It's a water reservoir that's occasionally stocked with trout and crawfish. It's managed by PG&E. The reservoir is a lake with shallow rocky edges. It's just for casting fishing, no humans or animals should go into the water. The access and parking is FREE. And as always, anglers 16 and older need a CA fishing license to fish.
I didn't fish here. I looked about and soaked in the sights though. It was rusticly beautiful. However the perimeter doesn't have any shade trees. But vibes were super quiet, I call it library fishing. Shhhh. As I walked about the perimeter of the lake, I noticed folks were quiet even amongst their own groups. Even the elementary school age children there were super quiet. An incredible feat. QuietPlace. And about the fishing situation, not much luck with the anglers that day. Stock was low.
Near the parking lot is a short concrete pier with fishing rod holders. This is closest to the water shed. The picnic area is across the watershed. To get to the area from the parking lot, you will have to walk, on a narrow steel grate walkway, over the watershed. The rushing water provides for a dizzying visual effect. The picnic area is set back enough from the lake so if you bring the kiddos, this is the area where they can go about hooting n hollering. The area has 3-4 concrete picnic tables and a several bbq pits. It's first come, first serve. This area is not paved, dirt packed; shaded with big growth trees.
Plus let me tell you I learned the hard way that the walking path doesn't connect fully around the lake. I don't recommend attempting the mythical loop. The path is mostly gravel with the other parts being dirt. Watch where you step; there was a lot of poop along the trail. There is a stretch of the path that ends and funnels you out to the narrow bike lane on Christian Valley Road near Bancroft Road. There is no adjacent room to the side of the bike lane, only a chain link fence. Cars are going 50plus miles a hour inches away from you; and they are on a curve. So wait until traffic clears for a significant distance to hightail yourself across that stretch which runs about 50 feet. Don't try to walk with cars coming at you; don't risk getting impaled by a side view mirror or worse.
There is a paved parking lot and a public restrooms with vault toilets. Sorry ladies, I can't provide any additional info about the restrooms. As always, I try my best to avoid public park restrooms. But at least they have a restrooms. And to add the landscape of area doesn't provide for any natural discrete spots to answer the call of nature. read more