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AROUND SPOKANE, Liberty Lake, & OUT LINING AREAS |
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 Spokane Ponds
& Mirabeau Park
Just a note of interest,
there are several ponds around Spokane, particularly on the
South hill, which are great ponds for ducks but not good for
Radio Controlled (RC) Model boating due to the dirty
water and too many trees or buildings for the wind to get to the lake, etc. Mirabeau Park has a beautiful pond with a water fall going into
it, this pond sits low in the ground, is small, with low possibility
for the wind to get to it, so not suitable for RC model
sailing or power boating. All the ponds that would be good for RC model sailing are
noted below.
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Arthur Lake (2 acres) - Model Sailboats
Arthur Lake is on the
Gonzaga University campus right off the Spokane River (there
is a dike separating the lake from the river). This is a
fine little lake to model sail on with its nice
open location for winds and shoreline to sit and relax
on. There are some low lying trees that do affect the wind
around the edges of the lake. No motorized RC model boats
are allowed. Directions: From I90 take the Exit 292 N. to Gonzaga U.,
turn left (West) onto Boone Ave, then take a left (South)
onto Astor St. into the parking lot. Check for time of year
for parking fees or just find a spot on any of the city
streets and walk to the lake. Maps: On Mapquest type in
Spokane WA. & Gonzaga University. In the aerial sitting to you
can see Arthur Lake (usually not labeled on mapquest). |
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Avista Pond - RC Model Boats
Avista Pond is great
for most RC model boats but not suited to high speed boats
and deep draft draft sailboats. If you join the local
Spokane Model Boat Club they have permission to increase the
level of the pond during their events via blocking the
outlet with a board. Winds on this pond are inconsistent and
shifty due to the amount of buildings and trees around the
lake, yet is still a some what popular RC sailing pond.
Still most of the activity on this lake are with motor power
model boats. Directions & Maps:
To locate this pond, type in Spokane WA. on
www.mapquest.com then
locate Mission Ave. and on this street locate Mission Park. Avista Pond is right across the street from Mission Park. To view the pond set mapquest on aerial view
and pan in significantly.
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 Bailey Lake (20 acres)
Dinghies
Bailey Lake is totally
surrounded by a private gated community (private
lake) and is a no motor lake. This lake is 11 acres and is stocked with fish for
its community members fishing pleasure. The lakes is 5-10'
deep and 15' at its deepest;
its a nice little sailing lake as well.
Directions: Going North on Highway 2 from Spokane
take a left on E. Bailey Rd. (there is a gate and so you can
only access this lake as a guest). Maps: To view a
map click on
www.mapquest.com and type in Bailey Lake, WA. |
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Bear Lake -
Dinghies
This lake is a moderate size, and would be fun lake to do a little sailing,
kayaking
and fishing on. It's best to sail here when the winds come
from the N. E. or S. because when the winds come from the
west the trees create a large wind shadow.
The lake is 5-15' deep and about .5 miles long. There is NO
boat launch on this lake so you will have to walk your
vessel to the shore and manually launch it. The best place
to launch from is the N.W. shore near the designated swim
area.
List of Amenities: 175
parking spaces, 80 acres of park, paved bike trail, play equipment, hiking
trails, shelters, BBQ areas and swimming, restrooms, and
fishing boat rentals. Additional Information:
Seasonal entry fee to the lake between mid June and Labor
Day is $2.00 per person; children 5 and younger free.
Seasonal passes available. Lifeguards are on duty. Fishing
(non-motorized boats only), Boat Rental, Handicap Access
Trail, and Volleyball are also available.
Directions/Maps:
To view a map click on
www.mapquest.com and type in Bear Lake, WA and select #3
for the correct lake.
Location: N. 29601 Hwy. 2: 15 miles north of Francis
on Newport Highway, 1 mile north of Chattaroy on west side
of Hwy 2. Call 509-238-4368 & See:
http://www.spokanecounty.org/parks/prhome.htm .
CLICK HERE
FOR PDF LAKE MAP!
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Beacon Hill
Pond RC Model Boats
The pond is located on private
land next to a restaurant and facility. The only way you
could access this pond for model boating is to reserve
the facility for a party of 6 or more. You may also be able
to call the facility to see if they would allow you as an
individual to boat on their pond. The pond is situated on a hill
overlooking the city of Spokane. High speed motor powered
model boats are not allowed. This is best pond around
Spokane for model sailing due to the wind being able to get to
it easily except from the East. There is also a beautiful garden and
artificial stream on the grounds. Directions:
For directions and info call
509-482-3556 -
www.beaconhillevents.com.
From I90 in Spokane WA. take the Division St. exit, follow
this road and then turn right (E.) onto Wellesley Ave. this
road will turn into Valley Springs Rd. after you cross
Market St. Follow the road up the hill, the Beacon Hill
facility will be on your left (S.) when you get almost up
the hill. |
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Davis Lake
Davis Lake is really a
swamp with some open water during the spring otherwise its
all grass and lily pads. This lake also dries up by mid
summer if not earlier. The land around this lake/marsh
is private.
Directions: To view this lake take HWY 90 W to HWY 2 from Spokane like you are going to
the air port. You will pass the air port and the town of Deep Creek.
After Deep Creek turn right (N.) onto S. Wood Rd. and continue on
this road after it turns into N. Wood Rd. You will come over a hill
after you pass Kitt
Rd. on your left. Look to your right (E.) as you come down this road
and you will see some open water in the spring or a marsh
during the summer and this is the place. Maps: To view a map click
on
www.mapquest.com and type in
Davis
Lake, WA. and select number #1 to see the correct lake. |
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Dead Mans Lake (2 acres)
This
lake is full of lily pads and no good for any recreational
activities, other than for bird watching; but unfortunately
its totally surrounded by private land so you can not really
do any bird watching either. There is also no mention of
fishing on this lake. This lake is more of a
pond in size than a lake. This
lake is just above Bailey Lake (see Bailey lake above).
Directions: To view to this lake from Spokane
travel North on HWY 2 and turn left (East) on Deer Park Millan
Rd. (heading toward the town of Deer Park) then turn right
(North) onto N. Findley road. Follow this road North until
it tees. Turn right again and follow the road until it tees
again and straight ahead and slightly to the left you will
see the lake. |
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Dragon Lake
(5 acres of weeds) Kayaks
This lake is full of weeds and no good for any recreational
activities, and is not mentioned as a fishing lake either. I
checked it out and its a dead lake. I even saw a dead
swan floating in the lake. It wasn't pretty and would be a
lake I think a dragon would like.
You could kayak on it if you lake dead lakes. This lake is on the North side and on the outskirts of the city
of Deer Park. Directions/Maps: Type in Dear Park,
WA. on
mapquest.com
too see is this dead lake on the N.W
outskirt of town. You will need to view the lake in aerial
view setting. |
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 Eloika Lake
(660 acres) Mid Draft Boats
Located 7 miles north of Chattaroy off the Newport Highway
in a wooded area, Eloika has one resort (Jerrys Landing
Resort) with primitive launch (no power lines), RV & Tent
sites, cabins, fishing boat & canoe rentals, etc. There is
also a public boat launch (Grays Landing) with restrooms on
E. Bridges Rd. The road to get to this public launch site
has no visible public access sign, but when you get to the
right road to turn on there is a blinking red light and
Millers One Stop Store kitty corner to Gray's Landing; turn
left (west on this road) here. This is a fine lake to boat
on but is pretty weedy so is best suited for fishing.
Sailing on this lake is possible via a swallow draft
sailboat on toward the middle of the lake. There is a lot
of weeds and lily pads around the edge of this lake so stay
in the middle to avoid rudder(s) and motor intakes from being fouled up with
weeds. Directions: From Spokane, go north on
US 2, go 23 miles to Grays land Road, then west on E.
Bridges Rd. 1 mile. To access Jerrys Landing Resort
from Spokane travel North on Hwy 2 towards Newport 23 miles
and follow signs - Call 509-292-2337 (the road to get to the
resort is on W. Oregon Rd. Maps: To view a map
click on
www.mapquest.com and type in Eloika Lake, WA.
CLICK HERE FOR PDF
LAKE MAP! |
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Fish Lake (47 acres)
Dinghies
Fish
Lake is a
fun little lake to dinghy out on with nice facilities for
swimming and picnicking. This is a no motor lake. This lake is nice to sail on and very open
to the wind out in the middle with very nice seasonal winds.
Location:
S.14314 Myers Road: I-90 east to exit 195, south to Cheney-Spokane
Rd., turn right, 7 miles to park entrance signs. At Myers Rd.,
turn left & follow directional signs to park. List of
Amenities: Boat launch, 52 acres, 43 parking spaces, play
equipment, hiking trails, basketball court, swimming and BBQ area.
Restrooms are available.
Additional Information:
Seasonal entry fee to the lake between mid- June and Labor Day is
$2.00 per person. Boat Launch (non-motorized boats only), Swim Dock,
Handicap Accessible, Paved Trailways, Lifeguards, and Ό Basketball
court are also available. Maps: To view a map click on
www.mapquest.com and type in
Fish Lake, WA.
& on the map that will appear select #9. Park fees may change from
year to year. Call
the park @ 509-235-1382.
CLICK HERE FOR
PDF LAKE MAP! |
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Horseshoe Lake (68 acres Next to Woods Lake) Dinghies
Overall
this is a shallow lake, but the SE portion of the lake next
to the put-in site is an area up to 51'
deep, and very open to the wind. This lake is 10 miles west
of Nine Mile Falls. Horseshoe is a popular fishing lake and can be a nice lake to sail
and kayak
on. This lake is a popular fishing lake known mostly by the
locals. While at this lake my son and I took
pictures of a Bald Eagle at its nest on the shore of this
lake eating a fish, very beautiful location. The put-in site
is not an official boat launch but gravel dirt area suited
for kayaks/canoes and small light weight fishing boats. This
site is available via a private land owner and can be closed
quickly if users do not take care of it (the lake is
privately owned). Pick up trash whether its yours or not.
Directions & Maps:
Go to
www.mapquest.com
type the city of Deep Creek WA. (on HWY 2 next to the
Spokane Airport) then zoom in and locate N. Wood Rd. just
west of this city, follow this road N. to W. Kitt Rd. turn
onto this road to access this lake. Note that you can also
travel further North on N. Woods Rd. then turn west onto
Prewitt Rd, then South onto N. McLaughlin Rd, and east onto
W. Kitt Rd. (You will see a yellow sign that will say Summer
Road to keep you on track Beware this road has a lot of
ruts).
CLICK HERE FOR PDF LAKE MAP! |
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Knight Lake (36
acres) Dinghies
This
lake is 36 acres and approximately 20 ft deep at its
deepest spot, and heavily wooded all the way around it with
a small marsh on the west end and a private dock on
the East side of the lake. The info I have on this lake thus
far is that it is totally private with only one road to it
that is also private (no trespassing sign). As you can see from the picture its a very beautiful
little lake and has fish in it. It would be a nice dinghy sailing lake if one
could access it. Directions/Maps: As a point of reference to locate the lake
go to
www.mapquest.com
and type in Nine Miles Falls, follow W. Charles Rd to N
South Bank Rd. When this road is as close as it gets to Long
Lake to the west you will see the lake on Map Quest. |
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Liberty Lake
(711 acres) Mid Draft Boats
Liberty Lake for years has been a popular water skiing lake
due to it being a warm and flat water lake. Sailing is also
very popular on this lake due
to the thermal winds that come off the hills from the south
and winds from the Spokane valley from the desert. In the 1980s Liberty
Lake was the official site of a Hobie catamaran sailing fleet. Many sailors in
the area still remember the great regattas that took place
on this lake. The
Lakes only boat launch (North Boat Launch) has 20 parking spaces in its upper and lower
parking lots, plus it has a dock, restrooms, and fishing
pier. DO NOT STEP your mast in the upper parking lot due a
power line crossing this upper parking lot.
Location:
I-90, take the Liberty Lake exit (296), east on E. Appleway to
N. Molter Rd.
From N. Molter Rd. you can either go to the North boat launch
or to Liberty Lake Park/Campground). North boat launch
- on N. Molter Rd. go straight ahead and take a left on 3rd
Ave. & at the end of this street is the North Liberty Lake
boat launch. Liberty Lake Park/Campground - on Molter
heading south turn left onto E. Valleyway, east to Zephyr (S.
3707 Zephyr Rd.). List of Amenities @ Liberty Lake
Park: 2983 acres, 200 parking spaces, play
equipment, hiking trails, shelters, BBQ area and swimming.
Restrooms are available. Additional Information -
Camping is available from mid April to October 15th.
Prime Season (mid June - Labor Day) fee per nights stay.
R.V.- $24 includes lake entrance/general park admission for
first 4 people; additional persons $2 each, children 5 and
under free.Tents - $18 includes lake entrance/general park
admission for first 4 people; additional persons $2 each,
children 5 and under free. Off Season (April 15 - mid June
and Labor day - October 15) fee per nights stay. R.V. -
$20, Tents - $15. Sites are available on a first come, first
serve basis. These fees may have changed since posted here;
talk to the park for current sure rates. Maps/Info:
To view a map click on
www.mapquest.com and type in Liberty Lake, WA. focus in
on the middle of the north end of the lake in aerial view
setting and you will be able to see the boat launch. To get
more info about the Liberty Lake park go to
http://www.spokanecounty.org/parks/prhome.htm .
CLICK
HERE FOR PDF LAKE MAP!
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Liberty Lakes only Boat Launch -
Picture from upper parking lot |
Liberty Lake
Park beach with dock - No boat launch |
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Meadow Wood Golf Course Ponds
Dinghies |
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Many golf courses have
ponds and I do not normally put them on this Local Lakes
Guide report but the Liberty Lake Meadow Wood Golf Course is
unique due to its theme of sailing in its signage and 2
large ponds (along with 5 smaller ponds). One of the ponds
has a patriotic Hobie 14 floating in it. Also their main
pond by the golf house & restaurant is very large and
actually is the largest pond on any golf course within the
Inland NW. The main pond would be big enough to sail a
dinghy or a Hobie 14 on. Of
course the pond would be an excellent site for RC model
sailing as well. Also the main pond is right out in
the open with no trees around it so the wind would
have an easy time blowing across it. Directions:
From
I-90, take the Liberty Lake exit (296), east on E. Appleway to
N. Molter Rd.
From N. Molter rd., turn left onto E. Valleyway. As you go
down this road you will see the correct golf course to your
left.
509-255-9539. Maps: Go
to www.mapquest.com type in 24501East Valley Way,
Liberty Lake, WA. |
Catamaran sailboat carved into
sign |
Hobie 14 floating in West pond |
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Newman Lake (1200
acres)
Mid Draft Boats
This lake is 14 miles east of Spokane on Highway 290. The lake is
great for all types of water sports. For sailing the lake tends to have some good thermal winds that
come from the North West hills. I have sailed this lake personally
and had a great time sailing on it. There is a Sutton Bay Resort (12016 N Sutton Bay Rd, Newman Lake, 509-226-3660
www.suttonbayresort.net)
on the S.W. side of the lake with ramp, dock (& fishing dock),
restrooms, camping/RV, cabins, store, and hiking trails. On North East shore
there is Newman Lake Resort and Marine (12515
N East Newman Lake Dr, Newman Lake,
509-226-2727
http://newmanlakeresort.com)with
a ramp, restrooms, dock, camp/RV, store and deli, and boat rentals. and
there is a resort launch on the South shore. The NE public launch
has restrooms and NO dock, and no over head power lines.
Directions: From Spokane, go east on
Trent 8 miles to Newman Lake Road, then north on Newman Lake Road
4.5 miles to Public Fishing sign. Maps: To view a map
click on
www.mapquest.com and type in Newman Lake, WA.
CLICK HERE FOR
PDF LAKE MAP! |
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NO POWER LINES & LOTS OF PARKING SPACES |
POWER LINES & LIMITED PARKING AREA |
NO POWER LINES & LOTS OF PARKING SPACES |
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Owens Lake
(66 acres) - Kayaks
Owens lake averages 1-7' deep, 10' at its deepest
and is
about a mile West of Bear Lake on gravel roads.
It is very weedy yet might be a fun lake for you to kayak
on and do some water foul photography on. Directions:
To access the lake travel North in HWY 2
from Spokane turn Left (West) onto N. Findley Rd. (just pass
the access road to Bear Lake Park), then turn left onto N.
Regal Rd. and follow this road until you see the lake to
your right (West). Go down this road until you see a white
sign that says Danger Skating and Swimming With Written
Parental Permission At Your Own Risk. There is a
primitive trail to the water that passes an old travel trailer. Once
in the water go North through the channel to the main body of the
lake under a wood bridge. You can only access this lake through the
channel when there is high water during Spring and very early summer
as all the land around it is private.
Maps:
To view a map click on
www.mapquest.com
and type in Bear Lake, WA and select #3 then pan West a little of
Bear Lake in aerial view setting to see Owens Lake. |
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Reflection Lake
(58
acres) - Dinghies
This lake is a nice dinghy sailing lake and for a lake its size it
has a lot of private docks on its East shore line with and a small
private boat launch on the South East end of the lake. It is also a
electric motor only lake. This lake is
totally private and is monitored by it's home owners association
security. You could call the lake association security by
going to their website at
http://reflectionlake1.com asking for permission to sail or kayak on it
(highly unlikely you will get permission. Its best to befriend one
of he home owners and enter as a guest). Reflection Lake is 58 acres
a dam on either end
of the lake, and is 8-23' deep.
Directions: From Spokane, go north on
US 2, go 23 miles to turn left E. Elk Hwy Rd., there is a
blinking red light and Millers One Stop Store on this road. Turn Right (East) on this road.
Maps: To view a map
click on
www.mapquest.com and type in Eloika Lake, WA.
then pan West in aerial view setting to locate the lake. |
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Shelley Lake
(6 acres - Private) - Dinghies
This
lake is only accessible to people who are members of the Shelley
Lake Home owners association (see Shelley Lake Home Owners Assoc. at
http://shelleylake.org). Shelley Lake is 5-15' deep and is ---
acres in total surface area. This lake would be appropriate for
kayaking and dinghy sailing. Maps: To view a map click
on
www.mapquest.com
and type in Shelley Lake, WA. To see the lake you will need to pan
in and select aerial view. |
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Wandermere Lake
RC Model Boats
There city is a private golf course on the North side of this
lake and there is a housing development on the South side with a
depth of 10'. This pond is off limits to all water craft except RC
model sailboats. You have to seek permission to sail this pond via
the office at the golf course.
When it gets hot this lake does tend to have some algae build up on
it, but there is a water circulating system on the lake that helps
to reduce this build up. There is
no visible water outlet and inlet to this lake such as a stream.
Directions/Maps:
To view a map click on
www.mapquest.com and type in 13700
N Wandermere Rd, Spokane, WA. INFO: Wandermere Golf
Course;
509-466-8023,
13700 N Wandermere Rd,
Spokane,
WA 99208. |
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Woods Lake (32
acres) Dinghies
This lake is not well known and there is no info on this
lake anywhere (except here). It is a totally private lake with no
public access. If one could access it it would be a nice lake to
boat on or sail your dinghy on. It is 5-10' deep with good winds from the N. or
S. W. & E. winds tends to create wind shadows on it.
Directions: Horseshoe Lake is just a half mile S.W. of this
lake. Again this lake is totally private with No Trespassing Signs
posted. Maps: To view a map click
on
www.mapquest.com and type in Woods
Lake, WA. and select number #1 to see the correct lake. |
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STAY TUNED
THERE'S ALWAYS MORE TO COME!
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