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 | Lumsden Bridge Campground Stanislaus National Forest | Campsite | 37.84749, -120.03321 | Small riverside forest campground on Lumsden Road above the put-in. |
| 2 | South Fork Campground Stanislaus National Forest | Campsite | 37.83757, -120.04508 | Forest Service campground at the South Fork confluence, used by boaters staging for the canyon run. |
| 3 | Lumsden Campground Stanislaus National Forest | Campsite | 37.83841, -120.05113 | Riverside campground beside the Meral's Pool launch. |
| 4 | Meral's Pool Wild and Scenic put-in - permit required | Access / boat ramp | 37.83676, -120.05375 | The launch for the 29 km Wild and Scenic run to Ward's Ferry. Reached by the unpaved Lumsden Road; a Forest Service permit is required to launch. |
| 5 | Groveland Ranger District Office Stanislaus National Forest | Agency / conservation office | 37.82219, -120.09874 | District office for the Wild and Scenic reach, road conditions and launch permits. |
| 6 | La Grange Dam Head of the valley tailwater | Dam / hazard | 37.67215, -120.44438 | Diversion dam below Don Pedro. No passage; the tailwater fishery starts immediately below it. |
| 7 | USGS gauge - Tuolumne River below La Grange Dam Site 11289650 | USGS gauge | 37.66630, -120.44210 | The release gauge for the lower Tuolumne; everything downstream reads off this number. |
| 8 | La Grange Regional Park Stanislaus County, below the dam | Park / conservation area | 37.66521, -120.46075 | Day-use park and bank access on the first mile of the tailwater. |
| 9 | Turlock Lake Campground Turlock Lake SRA, California State Parks | Campsite | 37.63034, -120.58111 | State park campground set on the river below the lake, with a ranger station on site. |
| 10 | River Point Park Waterford riverfront | Park / conservation area | 37.63662, -120.74770 | Small city park with bank access at Waterford. |
| 11 | Fox Grove Park Stanislaus County river park | Park / conservation area | 37.62104, -120.84021 | Riverside county park at the Hughson reach, long used as a bank-fishing and shore-launch spot. |
| 12 | River Bluff Regional Park Ramp at Ceres | Access / boat ramp | 37.61605, -120.92784 | City of Ceres river park with a launch on the bank. |
| 13 | Tuolumne River Regional Park Modesto riverfront | Park / conservation area | 37.62180, -120.95676 | The long Modesto park strip along the river, with several bank-access points. |
| 14 | USGS gauge - Tuolumne River at Modesto Site 11290000 | USGS gauge | 37.62688, -120.98799 | Lower-river gauge at Modesto, useful for the last 25 km to the confluence. |
| 15 | Dos Rios State Park At the San Joaquin confluence | Park / conservation area | 37.60146, -121.16018 | California's newest state park, restored floodplain on the point where the Tuolumne meets the San Joaquin. |
Gauge: USGS 11289650 — Tuolumne R bl LaGrange Dam nr LaGrange, CA. Live flow on the web page.
Species: Channel Catfish, Chinook Salmon, Largemouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Smallmouth Bass, Steelhead, 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.
La Grange Bridge on Highway 132 - the uppermost practical launch and the closest access to the cold-water trout reach.
Basso Bridge below La Grange - popular put-in for the upper drift and the first good gravel spawning water.
Turlock Lake State Recreation Area - developed park access with a ramp on the middle river.
Waterford river access at the Highway 132 crossing - the standard mid-river take-out and a common half-day pull.
Legion Park in Modesto - lower-river access below the Dry Creek confluence, warmwater and striper oriented.
Shiloh Road boat ramp near Grayson - the lowest ramp before the San Joaquin, used for jet sled trips.
Fox Grove Fishing Access near Hughson - county park with p
Spring: irrigation releases climb, striped bass move up from the San Joaquin, and the trout reach fishes well on nymphs before the water warms.
Summer: high, cold releases keep the upper miles fishable while the lower river turns to a bass and catfish game in serious valley heat.
Fall: the season the river is known for, with Chinook entering from October and holding on the restored gravel through