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Old 07-01-2015, 10:05 PM
 
3 posts, read 5,140 times
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I see a few houses with incredible views of the lake there. I like Napa weather (based on accuweather.com). However, I wonder if the Berryessa lake area has the same kind of weather as Napa Valley. Does it get cold at the lake area? Thank you.
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Old 07-02-2015, 01:12 AM
 
Location: Silicon Valley
18,812 posts, read 32,248,860 times
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I owned a condo in Davis. Lake Beryessa is a really weird area. I considered buying property there and decided that I would never buy there.

Most of the land is actually leased and not owned, because of the dam. I think all of the land around the lake is owned by the Bureau of Land Management, but don't hold me to that. But, whoever owns the land, which is a govt agency, it probably won't be yours to buy.

Secondly, it's a weird lake, IMO. It was created with a dam in a small valley in high "mountains" or hills. There is no beach. Picture a lake with basically cliffs that come out of the water. Now picture your kids playing in water that immediately is hundreds of feet deep. It doesn't get gradually deeper like natural bodies of water.

And the area is really, really small. There is no cute downtown or anything. It's a lake created by the govt, with cliffs that come out of the lake, and some homes on BLM land that they don't own, and a couple of grocery stores.

Honestly, I found the area to be creepy. I wouldn't even go there for recreation. It was a pretty view as I drove from Davis to Napa, but I wouldn't suggest anyone spend more time there than that. FWIW.

As far as weather, it's the same as Winters, CA, basically, or Napa, CA.
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Old 07-02-2015, 01:43 PM
 
Location: State of Transition
102,052 posts, read 106,836,948 times
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I never heard it was "weird" or "creepy" from classmates who loved going there when I was in HS. It used to be a favorite weekend getaway spot. Generally, the lakes around the north Bay were formed as part of local water district projects, and in the case of Berryessa, for electricity as well. They're not natural lakes. That doesn't make them "weird" or "creepy", though, but I suppose it could depend on your expectations. Some have hiking trails around them and are part of regional recreation areas.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Berryessa
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Old 07-02-2015, 01:54 PM
 
Location: Bay Area
3,981 posts, read 8,949,054 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hle2013 View Post
I see a few houses with incredible views of the lake there. I like Napa weather (based on accuweather.com). However, I wonder if the Berryessa lake area has the same kind of weather as Napa Valley. Does it get cold at the lake area? Thank you.
Same weather as you'd find in Napa/Sonoma. It gets hot in the summer...mild in the evenings. Winters would be no different than the rest of the region---some rain, not super cold, no snow, perhaps some frosty and cooler mornings.

My dad used to take us fishing there and bring his raft. It's a beautiful area and good for camping, swimming and picnicking too! A lot of younger people used to party out there at night. I can't say I ever remember anything being "creepy" though.
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Old 07-02-2015, 02:29 PM
 
290 posts, read 286,378 times
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As a part- (and soon to be full-) time Napa resident, I'd have to disagree with the characterizations about the weather expressed here. As it's further away from the moderating effect of the bay, the Lake Berryessa area will generally be hotter in the summer and cooler in the winter than most of the Valley and certainly more so than the town of Napa proper. As I write this, the difference is 10 degrees F.
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Old 07-02-2015, 03:14 PM
 
Location: New York City
675 posts, read 1,184,632 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NoMoreSnowForMe View Post
I owned a condo in Davis. Lake Beryessa is a really weird area. I considered buying property there and decided that I would never buy there.

Most of the land is actually leased and not owned, because of the dam. I think all of the land around the lake is owned by the Bureau of Land Management, but don't hold me to that. But, whoever owns the land, which is a govt agency, it probably won't be yours to buy.

Secondly, it's a weird lake, IMO. It was created with a dam in a small valley in high "mountains" or hills. There is no beach. Picture a lake with basically cliffs that come out of the water. Now picture your kids playing in water that immediately is hundreds of feet deep. It doesn't get gradually deeper like natural bodies of water.

And the area is really, really small. There is no cute downtown or anything. It's a lake created by the govt, with cliffs that come out of the lake, and some homes on BLM land that they don't own, and a couple of grocery stores.

Honestly, I found the area to be creepy. I wouldn't even go there for recreation. It was a pretty view as I drove from Davis to Napa, but I wouldn't suggest anyone spend more time there than that. FWIW.

As far as weather, it's the same as Winters, CA, basically, or Napa, CA.
The Zodiac killer in the 1960's killed one there and wounded another. I always got the creeps driving towards Lake Berryessa. Even driving near Vallejo gives me the creeps because of the Zodiac killer.
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Old 07-02-2015, 04:05 PM
 
Location: Silicon Valley
18,812 posts, read 32,248,860 times
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It's the same vibe as Clearlake, CA, which is also a beautiful, sort of remote area. Clearlake is kind of a depressed economy, and Berryessa has people living in homes where they don't own the land under them. At least Clearlake is a natural lake with a gradual deepening around the edges.

Also, driving from Davis to Berryessa, where you drive past the high dam wall, I just found it scary, too.

Nobody has to agree with me, obviously. But, just so the OP has another opinion, that's mine.
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Old 07-02-2015, 04:06 PM
 
Location: CA
47 posts, read 117,659 times
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The lake is not creepy at all. It's big (although shrinking as of late), beautiful, and has all kinds of recreational opportunities including beach swimming. I've taken my kids here for the day 10+ times over the last couple summers. There is a beach area that is a lot of fun and the deepness is very gradual, perfect for little kids. It get's very hot in the summer but I don't mind because we're always there to go swimming. I've also gone on a few three night camping trips there and it's always a great spot and pretty uncrowded. I think it's really somewhat of a hidden gem in the bay area. By far the best lake within a short drive of most of the bay area population centers.
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Old 07-02-2015, 04:11 PM
 
Location: Silicon Valley
18,812 posts, read 32,248,860 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 72bug View Post
The lake is not creepy at all. It's big (although shrinking as of late), beautiful, and has all kinds of recreational opportunities including beach swimming. I've taken my kids here for the day 10+ times over the last couple summers. There is a beach area that is a lot of fun and the deepness is very gradual, perfect for little kids. It get's very hot in the summer but I don't mind because we're always there to go swimming. I've also gone on a few three night camping trips there and it's always a great spot and pretty uncrowded. I think it's really somewhat of a hidden gem in the bay area. By far the best lake within a short drive of most of the bay area population centers.
My assumption was that the OP was considering moving there and buying a house. Sure, go boating, as long as you stay away from the dam, etc., but would you want to buy a home there to live in? That's my main point. Although, I'd choose a different lake for recreation, too, personally. But I'd never buy a home there, no matter how cheap it was. Same for Clearlake, and at least in Clearlake you own the land under your house. I looked at both areas very closely with buying in mind, and decided I'd rather rent than buy in either place. FWIW.
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Old 07-02-2015, 04:19 PM
 
Location: CA
47 posts, read 117,659 times
Reputation: 68
I agree, I also wouldn't buy a house there. I got sidetracked by the creepy statements. To sum it up, I think it's a cool place to hang out for a day or the weekend but wouldn't want to live there.
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