Category Archives for "Canyon Lake Recreation"

Canyon Lake has a new club dedicated to the sport of show skiing called the “ShowCal Skiers”.  If you’ve ever seen a ski show at Sea World, Cypress Gardens, or Magic Mountain, then you’re familiar with the excitement and crowd pleasing action these show skiers provide.  And in fact many of the members of Canyon Lake’s newest club have performed professionally at those ski show venues.

Show Skiing has been called the most entertaining discipline in the sport of water skiing.  It is fast-moving, exciting, graceful, and most of all, fun to watch.  Virtually all aspects of the sport – barefooting, jumping, slalom, tricks, wakeboarding and kneeboarding – are choreographed into one grand performance.  Unique to show skiing are ballet/swivel skiing, adagio doubles, adagio trios, freestyle jumping and human pyramids.

It makes sense to have a club like this in Canyon Lake since it’s already considered a classic water skiing community, and home to numerous national and world champion skiers, boarders and hydrofoilers.  ShowCal Skiers bring yet another dimension to the already popular sport.  They plan to perform several Ski Shows for our community throughout the summer.

And anyone can participate in this new club even if you don’t have any experience – the club is open to all members of the community.

“The biggest advantage to joining ShowCal Skiers, is that you and your family will have the ability to utilize Canyon Lake’s Greatest Amenity – The Lakes – without having to own a boat or water ski equipment.  It truly is an organization where all members of a family can participate together.  Age and skill are not factors since ski club performers can range from young children to grandparents and beginner to expert.”

Dry land practice is usually on Sundays at Holiday Harbor and rumor is there may be a wet practice on the jump lagoon March 23rd.  Best to check out their calendar to confirm dates and times for all practices.

If you would like to get more information about the club membership or upcoming events, you can visit their website at showcalskiers.org or contact Mary Tortomasi at 951-722-2010 or Cherie Schiafone at 239-707-6002.

Check back here for updated photos of the ShowCal Skiers in action.

Canyon Lake has a reputation as one of the best fishing lakes in California with many anglers who really enjoy the thrill of the catch in the lake’s well stocked waters.  Canyon Lake So Cal recently interviewed two such fishermen, Lance and Lee, who shared a little information about what they like to catch and where they like to fish and a few tips about bait and gear:

CLSC:  How long have you guys been fishing Canyon Lake?

L & L: About 4 years.

CLSC:  How many times a week?

L & L: 2-3 times a week at least

CLSC:  What’s your favorite part of the lake to fish?

Lance:  Depends on the time of year – we travel around the lake.  If we aren’t catching much we move to a better spot.  Our best areas are Sierra Park, Ski Jump Lagoon, Harrelson Park for Catfish.

Lee:  Holiday Harbor is great spot – we caught a big catfish there last night.

CLSC:  At Ski Jump Lagoon are you shore fishing or tube fishing?

Lee:  Both, but mostly shore fishing.

CLSC:  What kind of fishing do you like to do the most – boat, shore, or tube?

Lance:  It just depends on where the fish are hanging out. Today 3 of us were on the boat and we caught 19 fish.

Lee:  This time of the year (late spring),  a lot of fish are near the shore so we stay close to the shoreline on the boat or fish off the banks a lot.

CLSC:  What kind of fish are you after this time of the year?

Lee:  Bass, catfish

Lance:  Mostly bass for us right now, that’s we like to fish for most of the time because they put up a great fight.  Late at night, we go after the catfish.

CLSC:  Is this the best time of the year to fish for bass?

Lee:  Absolutely!

Lance:  Right now… they’re all done spawning.

CLSC:  What about in the winter time?

Lance:  Whatever we catch.  We still catch a lot of bass, but it’s slower.

CLSC:  What size fish you catching these days?

Lee:  He caught a six and a half pounder today.

Lance:  Yeah, it was a six and a half today.

Lee:  Usually they average about three to four pounds.

CLSC:  What are you fishing with?

Lee:  We use live bait.

Lance:  We use shad to catch our bass.

Lee:  We catch a bunch of shad, keep them in the live well, and then hook ’em up as bait for the bass.  They swim hard and the bass go after ’em.  The guys in the fishing tournaments out here aren’t allowed to use shad.

CLSC:  What’s the best time of the day to fish?

Lee:  Morning.

Lance:  Morning and evening from 3:00 until the sun goes down.

CLSC:  Is Canyon Lake easy fishing or some of the best fishing you’ve done?

Lee:  You’ll catch a lot of fish here.  Last year around this same time we caught 200 fish in one week.

Lance:  I took a week off last summer and caught 80 bass in one week.

CLSC:  What rules about fishing in Canyon Lake should people know about?

Lee:  It’s catch and release for anything under 12″.  You’re take home limit is 5 fish.

Lance:  We catch and release all our fish like most of the guys here, but you can eat ’em and they’re good eating – both the bass and the catfish.

CLSC:  What about fishing licenses?

Lance:  You have to have a state license.  Visitors can only fish in the presence of a property owner and then they need a state license and Canyon Lake fishing permit.

Lee:  And you have to fish within 10′ of that member.

CLSC:  What’s one of your favorite spots?

Lance:  At the north end of the main lake near the 3 tubes from the slalom lake.

CLSC:  Anything else you want to add?

Lance:  It’s all about catching the fish and having fun.

Step outside on a spring morning in Canyon Lake and you’ll see that the streets belong to walkers, runners, and cyclists getting their early morning exercise on.  Canyon Lake’s rolling hills make for a challenging and varied course and local residents attack it with vigor.  You’ll see Mommies doing the uphill double stroller push across the causeway and cyclists racing against golf carts.  Some residents make fitness a high priority and often you’ll see the same faces out there every day pounding the pavement around the community.

It’s no surprise that Canyon Lake is a fit community given that most of our amenities center around recreation.  The streets make a great place for training and fortunately we have a nice wide bike lane that is easily shared by cyclists, runners, and walkers.  And even when they’re out there huffin’ and puffin’ most athletes still have enough breath to say hello or give a friendly nod to other pedestrians making the exertion a little more enjoyable.

If you’re thinking of putting in some miles this spring, here’s some approximate distances to help you set your course:

• Main Gate to Vacation Drive Stop Sign 1.4 miles
• East Gate to Vacation Drive Stop Sign 1.7 miles
• North Gate to Vacation Drive Stop Sign 1.9 miles
• Continental Drive 1 mile
• Longhorn Drive 1.7 miles
• Evans Park West also features a walking/running trail

If you’re looking for a few events to test your fitness level, the Canyon Lake Triathlon Club sponsors the annual “Fit Community” 5k & 10k walk/run and the annual “Tour de Canyon Lake” bike ride.  The club also sponsors and participates in several other events annually including triathlons and duathlons.  You can get more information about the club, group training and events through their website.

If you plan to exercise on the streets of Canyon Lake, here’s a few things to remember:

1. Wear bright or reflective clothing and be aware of your surroundings; you’re sharing the roads with motorists and you never know if they’re paying attention, so protect yourself by being alert and visible.
2. If your exercising with Fido, keep him on a leash so for his safety as well as yours and others sharing the path.
3. As temperatures warm up into summer carry water and stay hydrated to avoid heat stroke and other heat related illnesses.
4. If your cycling, be sure to wear a helmet and follow the rules of the road to protect yourself and make drivers aware of your presence.
5. Carry your cell phone with you in case of an emergency.

Go at your own pace and most of all have fun.  We’ll see you in the lane!

* runner’s leg image courtesy of eHow