Payette Lake

Payette Lake is the main summertime attraction of the small resort town of McCall. With limited resources available, one must plan carefully for an extended stay. On this large lake, only 2 docks are available for public use. Deep draft boats must use the dock at Ponderosa State Park . All other boats may use the city dock. When using Ponderosa State Park, a daily fee will be charged for each day your vehicle is left parked on the lot. No overnight parking is allowed at the boat ramp. The vehicle and trailer must be removed from the area and parked in overflow parking, which is located about 1 ½ miles from the ramp. It is possible, and advisable, to move the boat to the docks at the campground while the vehicle is being parked. This shortens the walk back to the boat to approximately ½ mile. If any Park facilities (parking, hiking trails, showers) are to be accessed, permission needs to be granted at the Visitor's Center. Expect to pay a use fee for any of these privileges. On the lake, there are no public docks for overnight moorage. Neither are there any mooring buoys. However, there are 3 coves that provide for excellent anchorage: Duck Bay, Secret Cove and the lily pads at Pilgrim cove. (1) City Dock (2) Deep Draft Ramp (3) Campground Dock (4) Duck Bay (5) Lily Pads at Pilgrim Cove (6) North Beach