Lake Billy Chinook

[Carter13]

We are going down to Lake Billy Chinook next weekend. It has been almost 20 years since I was there. Does anybody have any great suggestions about the Lake? What part did you spend the most time at? Can you get gas close by? We will be camping in the Deschutes Campground. Any ideas would be much appreciated.

[b/w05]

Carter 13,

We were there 2 weeks ago. We stayed at Cove Pallisades campground. I believe that is the Deschutes. EXCELLENT camp ground! Clean, green, plenty of shade if needed. The day use area accross the street (1/4 mile?) is also really nice. It has a separated swim area and next to that is plenty of room to anchor your boat for the day with grassy, tree area to spend the day on the beach.

I don't remember how much gas was at the marina, posssibly $3.80?? I paid $ 3.12 for 87 oct in Madras on the way in. Culver is a bout 10 miles from the lake and gas is about the same as Madras. We were there for 4 days, 3 actually on the lake so I didn't need to refill at the marina.

I had not been there for about 10 years and 30+ to the campgrounds. We took the boat to all of the rivers(Metolius, Crooked & Deschutes). Stayed mostly on the Deschutes because it was the closest. Went to the dam just to see it and to the Crooked river slalom course & that's were the Marina is. Water was 62 degrees.

Let me know if need any more info.

Mark

[b/w05]

Carter 13,

email me if you want some photos. I tried to send some with the last reply and i don't have the time to resize, it's easier to just email them. I have a few of the campground, swim area and boat anchor area.

Mark

ps... going to Seattle for the weekend. Without the boat,, ARRRGH!

[Carter13]

Hey thanks for the info Mark I really appreciate it. Did you have any problem fitting your truck and boat in your camping space there? I figured I would park the boat in the camping driveway and have to park my truck somewhere else. They said the driveway is 38 feet and truck and boat is around 45 feet.

[b/w05]

carter 13,

Mine fit. I don't know what the total lenght is, I have a Yukon Denali & 05 22i

Mark

[NICKYPOO]

Get some pics! I've only been there once and that was to fish but I set it as a goal to get my Tige up there. What a lake. Let us know how the campground is. Don't know if I'll ever use it (Dad lives in Redmond) but it's always a possibility. I've heard it's nice.

[Tip]

How far is the lake from Vancouver? I recently moved to Vancouver from the Mid-Atlantic region of the east coast, 62 is pretty chilli for me but I suppose I'll get used to it.

[2kims]

Billy C. is about 3-4hrs away. depends how fast you pull.
lots of local water here that i am fine with.

[Tip]

What do you recommend for my first local outting?

[2kims]

Tip,
Try the Willamitte R. where it crosses I-5 in Wilsonville. the launch is on the west side. You can see it as you cross the bridge. Go west on the water and you have 26 miles to get to Salem. great water. you can always find glass.
Merwin and yale are about the same amount of time to get to. but blow out after 10am. Look for us on the willy!

[b/w05]

Tip,

Go to boatescape.com , good place to check out all of the waterways around oregon. play with it, some of the places give peoples comments on the rivers or lakes.
We go to Hagg Lake 3 to 5 times a week, mostly because it's only 15 minutes away from our house. It would take you about an hour. It OK for water, can get a little choppy from the wind and # of boats. Good place for first time boaters, you don't have to worry about logs, snags and shallow water. Saw 2 other Tige's earlier this week there. have'nt had a chance to say hi yet.
I have a friend that lives in Vancouver, he is always on the Columbia at Government Island. That is accross from PDX. I don't really care for the water,,, can get rough, current is sometimes to much. Have'nt had my Tige' there, we had a 20' centurion, too much for that boat.

As other posts have said, Billy has good water as does Prineville reservoir. SHHHH! if you want R E A L L Y good water drive 10 hours to the east and go to Owhyhee reservoir. 52 miles from one end to the other, maybe 10 boats. It's awsome!

This weekend is the blues festival at Waterfront Park in Portland. You can put your boat in at the St. Johns ramp cruise a couple of miles to downtown. Listen to the music from your boat.

Enough rambling for now, need to check the rest of the posts.

Mark

[b/w05]

2Kims,

Nice boat!

[NICKYPOO]

Very nice lookin' boat. How do you like that tower?

[Tip]

Thanks for the info guys. I'll be flying back to the east coast in a couple of weeks and towing the boat back, I hope to be checking out some of the local water by late July. If you see a yellow 22v that looks lost stop by and say hello.

Tip

[b/w05]

Hey,

Are any of you Oregon or Washington Tige's going to Stayton Motorsports customer appreciation day in August at Detroit?