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Mokelumne River, Camanche Lake
2000 Camanche Rd, Ione, CA 95640
Max Depth: 36-40ft/11-12m
Average Viz: 5-10ft/2-3m
Entry Type: Boat
Bottom Composition: Rock
Aquatic Life: Might See Something
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Spring: 50-55°F/10-13°C
Summer: 71-75°F/22-24°C
Fall: 66-70°F/19-21°C
Winter: 50-55°F/10-13°C
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Mokelumne River, Camanche Lake is a boat accessible fresh water dive site, located at 2000 Camanche Rd, Ione, CA 95640. The maximum depth is 36-40ft/11-12m. The average visibility is 5-10ft/2-3m.
To get to this dive site you will need to launch from North or South shore of Camanche lake and take your boat upriver as far as you can go until your reach a string of orange bouys across the river channel. That is were you can tie off to rocks and depending on the time of year and lake level there may be a beach to prepare and don your gear. There is no current but the water coming into lake Camanche is coming from Pardee Lake, a 300ft deep lake of snow melt off. Therefore the thermocline is severe at about 10-12 feet, again depending on time of year and water level. I dove there in October when the surface water was 75+ degrees but below the thermocline it was in the low 50’s. Visibility is good and the huge rock walls and formations that make up the banks make an impressive dive for just a lake. There is an infinite amount of places to look at that hasn’t been touched or seen by humans in many decades (except maybe me). Going up the river channel you will see the foundation of an old rock bridge and the cables of the ferry car that used to cross the river a century ago.