Sand Creek
Bass Lake, California
Free — you'll pick up right here.
No verdict for this water
We won't guess. Here is exactly what we do and don't know.
What we do know
Inside Sierra National Forest
2 managing-area boundaries mapped — agency alerts for them feed this page automatically.
Boundary data
What's missing
No access route mapped
We don't yet know which road reaches this trailhead, so we can't tell you if it's gated.
Nobody's filed a report here yet — be the first.
Why you'll love it
River facts
- Water
- Seasonal — can run dry
- Average flow
- 32 cfs
- Average current
- 1.2 ft/s
- Gradient
- 435.3 ft/mi
- Drainage area
- 19 sq mi
Long-term averages modeled by USGS (NHDPlus HR), not today's conditions. Check a gauge before you go.
Here's your day on the water, mapped
Sand Creek
Suggested plan · check conditions before you go
Photos
Directions & GPX
Permits & access
- Managing agency
- Forest Service
About this water
Sand Creek is a 7.8-mile paddling stretch near Bass Lake, California. It is intermittent and may run dry in some seasons. USGS models an average flow of about 32 cfs and a gradient of about 435.3 feet per mile. Land along it is managed by the U.S. Forest Service.
Facts about this water
When to go
Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the Huntington Lake, CA weather station, 16 mi away. High / low in °F.
- Jan43° high24° low
- Feb44° high23° low
- Mar46° high26° low
- Apr50° high29° low
- May56° high36° low
- Jun66° high42° low
- Jul74° high49° low
- Aug74° high49° low
- Sep68° high44° low
- Oct58° high37° low
- Nov49° high31° low
- Dec44° high25° low
Where it is
- Bass Lake Ranger District · Ranger district
- Sierra National Forest · National forest
- Managed by
- Forest Service
Conditions
Active alerts for Bass Lake Ranger District as of Oct 9, 2026:
Mammoth Pool Boat Launch Rehabilitation
caution · posted Aug 24, 2026
Mammoth Pool Boat Launch Order Termination
information · posted Aug 24, 2026
Source: USFS forest alerts
Nearby
- WhiskersCamping0.9 mi
- Gaggs CampCamping1.4 mi
- Browns Meadow TrailHiking1.9 mi
- CorduroyRock climbing2.3 mi
- Haskell TrailHiking2.4 mi
- Shuteye RidgeRock climbing2.8 mi
- North Fork Willow CreekCanoeing3.7 mi
- West Fork Chiquito CreekCanoeing5.1 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
Add to a trip & share
Keep exploring — more water worth the drive
Photo: California High-Speed Rail Authority, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)Fresno River
~27 min drive
Fresno River is a 31-mile paddling stretch near Coarsegold, California. It is intermittent and may run dry in some seasons. USGS models an average flow of about 158 cfs and a gradient of about 75.2 feet per mile.
Chilkoot
~6 min drive
A worthwhile stop near California.
Mammoth Pool Boating Site
~14 min drive
A worthwhile stop near California.
Photo: Kylir Horton from Eagle Mountain, Utah, United States, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Merced River
~44 min drive
Merced River is a 11-mile paddling stretch near Yosemite National Park, California. It flows year-round. USGS models an average flow of about 1,854 cfs and a gradient of about 158.6 feet per mile. Land along it is managed by the National Park Service.
Redinger Boating Site
~23 min drive
A worthwhile stop near California.
Photo: USFS Region 5, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)Dinkey Creek
~48 min drive
Dinkey Creek is a 24-mile paddling stretch near Shaver Lake, California. It flows year-round. USGS models an average flow of about 177 cfs and a gradient of about 322.0 feet per mile. Land along it is managed by the U.S. Forest Service.
Huntington Launching Ramp
~31 min drive
A worthwhile stop near California.
Photo: The Greater Southwestern Exploration Company from Long Beach, California, United States, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)South Fork San Joaquin River
~45 min drive
South Fork San Joaquin River is a 40-mile paddling stretch near Shaver Lake, California. It flows year-round. USGS models an average flow of about 750 cfs and a gradient of about 162.0 feet per mile. Land along it is managed by the U.S. Forest Service.
Florence Lake Boat Launch
~48 min drive
A worthwhile stop near California.
South Fork Willow Creek
~10 min drive
South Fork Willow Creek is a 7.2-mile paddling stretch near North Fork, California. It is intermittent and may run dry in some seasons. USGS models an average flow of about 57 cfs and a gradient of about 170.5 feet per mile. Land along it is managed by the U.S. Forest Service.
