CLOSE
Sign up to get news on contests, pro events, new products and special offers.
WATERSKI MagazineThe thought of taking a summer road trip to a lake in Northern California can send a chill up even the hardiest skier's spine. Why take a chance on cool temperatures up in the mountains when you're guaranteed warm, sunny days on the Delta? Lakes Tahoe and Almanor are two good reasons. But there's another one sitting 5,000 feet up among the peaks of Plumas National Forest: understated Bucks Lake.
About 100 miles north of Sacramento and 85 miles west of Reno, Bucks is home to almost 2,000 man-made water skiing acres. Despite whatever notion you may have about the temperature, summertime is a skier's high-altitude delight.
“We get down into the 50s overnight in July, but it's usually in the 80s [during the day] with a water temp near 70 degrees,” says Kim Henderson, proprietor of the Bucks Lake Marina on the southeastern shore.
The lake is divided into two sections, Upper and Lower, each with its own calling cards for skiers. Upper Bucks nudges the family-friendly south shoreline, which is dotted with several lodges and two launch ramps. The deep, wide-open waters in the Upper section are perfect for slalom skiers to cut an endless swath between the pine- and red fir-lined shores.
Wakeboarders will want to go across the dam to the prime territory off the shores of Sundew and Sandy Point Campgrounds on Lower Bucks. The water is shallower in this small, narrow section, less wind-affected and perpetually underused by the local ski community.
“Bucks Lake is really small and homey after all these years, even though more and more people are finding out about it,” says Scott Morris, a former local skier who now hosts the syndicated television show Coast Guard: The Series. “It's still a great, down-home place for me to go back to.” – Tony Smith
