Native people The Bass Lake area was historically inhabited by the
Mono people. Many were displaced in 1851 during the
Mariposa War. A battle near Goat Mountain in January 1851 resulted in the death of Chief Jose Ray; the site was later called Battle Mountain, before being renamed Goat Mountain in the early 20th century. Some Mono families remained in the area after the war. When the
Sierra National Forest was established in 1897, land-use permits were required to graze livestock, cut timber, or build dwellings. These permits were restricted to U.S. citizens, which excluded Native Americans at the time. The restriction remained in effect until the passage of the
Indian Citizenship Act in 1924, which granted U.S. citizenship to all Native Americans. By the time of the Act’s passage in 1924, most Mono families had left the Bass Lake area.
Lumber industry The first sawmill in the Bass Lake area was built in 1854 at the base of
Willow Creek falls by
Charles P. Converse and Bill Chitiser. It was the first lumber mill in what is now Madera County. Logging in the Crane Valley basin cleared land that was later used for ranching, farming, and eventually the creation of the Bass Lake reservoir. In the 1920s, the town of
Wishon, on the western shore of Bass Lake, became the headquarters of the
Sugar Pine Lumber Company, the last major logging enterprise established in the Southern Sierra Nevada. The company operated a rail line connecting Bass Lake with
Central Camp, its main logging site. The route extended about twelve miles with grades up to 4.5 percent, and was worked by a large saddle-tank locomotive built for the operation. The railroad was not profitable, and in its final two years operated briefly as a tourist line from
Pinedale before closing in 1931. The project was intended to supply hydroelectric power to the
San Joaquin Valley. The dam was raised in 1905 and again in 1910, reaching a height of . A seismic retrofit completed in 2012 added about of rockfill and raised the crest by . Reservoir levels are drawn down each year for irrigation and power generation, with storage reduced to about 35% of capacity by winter to accommodate runoff. Bass Lake is not designed for multi-year storage. In 2020,
PG&E announced plans to sell the Crane Valley Hydroelectric Project, which includes Bass Lake and associated facilities.
Wishon Airport The Wishon airstrip opened in June 1937 on the western shore of Bass Lake. It was originally constructed for
U.S. Forest Service use but was also used by private pilots. The unpaved runway was about long and operated as a one-way strip, requiring approaches over the lake. The
FAA declined to certify the facility in the 1960s, citing safety concerns. Operations ended in the 1980s, and the site was later redeveloped for housing. One of the largest gatherings occurred in July 1965, when Madera County officials secured a court injunction and established roadblocks in anticipation of unrest. Law enforcement photographed and issued warnings to incoming riders. The event was covered by national outlets including
Newsweek and
Life. Journalist
Hunter S. Thompson attended and later described the run in his book, devoting a chapter to the Bass Lake gathering. The 1965 run concluded with only minor arrests for public intoxication. Local media noted the absence of major violence, and Thompson credited local businesses that served the riders as a moderating factor. By the 1980s the events had largely ended, though they remain documented in accounts of California’s cultural history. ==Development==