Back in May 2010 we spent a quiet week with my in-laws at Clear Lake, fishing and relaxing at a relatively small motel on Soda Bay known then as the Ferndale Resort. It was nothing fancy but was a nice, comfortable place, with a string of guest rooms and one or two single-wide mobile homes available for those who didn’t mind spending a bit more money. Nearby sat the reproduction sternwheeler Clear Lake Queen. Originally launched in 1990 from Library Park in Lakeport, she operated for several years as a tour boat, floating restaurant, and special event site. Sometime in 2004 she tied up in Soda Bay, and there she remains to this day. I don’t believe it was open to the public at the time of our stay.

We enjoyed our brief time at Ferndale and would have liked to go back, but the motel closed not long after our visit. In 2012 the property was purchased by the Konocti Vista Casino and eventually reopened as the Clearlake Vista Resort and Marina. It’s located along Soda Bay Road, on the west shore of Clear Lake, just south of the state park and 9 miles from Lakeport.

The Big Guy’s parents and Uncle Jim (checking his phone) at the motel

Fishing was good on the water…

… and just as good from the shore

Pro tip: Holding your fish far away makes it look minnow sized!

Keeping it close shows the true size of this healthy bass

The Clear Lake Queen is still docked at the former Ferndale Marina