Print it. Bag it. Bring it.Phones die, screens crack, and most of this water has no signal. Print this map, fold it into a zip-top bag or dry bag with your license, and you have a backup your electronics can’t give you. Every marker is numbered so you can say exactly where you are.
| # | Point | Type | Lat, Lon | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Friant Dam Head of the tailwater, Millerton Lake above | Dam / hazard | 37.00055, -119.70511 | No passage. The restored flow regime on the river below starts with releases from this dam. |
| 2 | USGS gauge - San Joaquin River below Friant Site 11251000 | USGS gauge | 36.98439, -119.72431 | The release gauge for the tailwater; the number to read before fishing or floating the upper reach. |
| 3 | San Joaquin Hatchery CDFW hatchery below Friant Dam | Agency / conservation office | 36.98893, -119.71446 | State trout hatchery on the north bank a short way below the dam. |
| 4 | Lost Lake Recreation Area Fresno County park below Friant Dam | Access / boat ramp | 36.97416, -119.73154 | Day-use park and campground on the first river bend below the dam; the usual starting point for the upper tailwater. |
| 5 | Lost Lake Drive Inn & Tackle Shop Tackle on the Lost Lake road | Bait, tackle & fly shop | 36.97431, -119.72518 | Small tackle counter and drive-in on the approach to Lost Lake, the closest shop to the dam. |
| 6 | K'uik'ui Ranch (formerly Ball Ranch) San Joaquin River Parkway and Conservation Trust | Park / conservation area | 36.93849, -119.73859 | Parkway property with river frontage and trails on the gravel-pit reach. |
| 7 | Jensen River Ranch San Joaquin River Conservancy | Park / conservation area | 36.87606, -119.78434 | Conservancy river ranch at the Fresno end of the Parkway, with trail and bank access. |
| 8 | Eaton Trail Park Fresno County Parks | Park / conservation area | 36.87984, -119.77984 | Trailhead park on the bluff above the river, linking the Parkway properties. |
| 9 | Woodward Park City of Fresno | Park / conservation area | 36.86737, -119.78526 | Large city park on the south bluff; the main parking and trail entry to the Fresno river reach. |
| 10 | Sportsman's Warehouse Tackle and licenses, Friant Road | Bait, tackle & fly shop | 36.85605, -119.78261 | Nearest full tackle counter to the Parkway, on Friant Road above Woodward Park. |
| 11 | Mendota Dam Bottom of the restored reach | Dam / hazard | 36.78812, -120.37279 | Diversion dam forming Mendota Pool. No passage; the restoration flows are routed out of the river here. |
| 12 | Mendota Pool Park Bank access at Mendota Pool | Park / conservation area | 36.77953, -120.37336 | Small public park on the pool above the dam. |
| 13 | USGS gauge - San Joaquin River near Mendota Site 11254000 | USGS gauge | 36.81050, -120.37823 | Lower gauge on the restored reach, above Mendota Dam. |
Gauge: USGS 11251000 — SAN JOAQUIN R BL FRIANT CA. Live flow on the web page.
Species: Brown Trout, Channel Catfish, Largemouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Sacramento Pikeminnow, Sacramento Sucker, Smallmouth Bass, Striped Bass
Regulations: wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/Inland/Regulations
Emergency: call 911 and give the number of the nearest point on this map plus its coordinates.
Lost Lake Recreation Area below Friant Dam - the main public access to the cold tailwater reach.
Winchell Cove and the Millerton Lake south shore - launching for the impoundment above the dam.
Camp Pashayan and the Fresno river parks - bank access along the north Fresno reach.
Highway 41 river access near Lanes Bridge - walk-in water and a common float take-out.
Sycamore Island - fee access to a long stretch of the middle river through private ground.
Skaggs Bridge Park near Kerman - lower-river bank fishing and small-boat launching.
Mendota Pool and Highway 180 - warmwater access on the lower river for stripers and catfish.
Spring: strong restoration releases and good trout fishing in the tailwater, with stripers moving up the lower river.
Summer: cold water holds in the upper reach while the valley river warms hard - fish early and high.
Fall: falling releases, clearer water and the best wading conditions of the year below the dam.
Winter: low, stable flows, technical trout fishing up top and a quiet lower river.