Popular Modesto fishing spot has been fenced off for 20 years. What is next for Naraghi Lake?

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Remember hearing rumors about piranhas in Modesto’s Naraghi Lake?

The 13-acre lake along Oakdale Road north of Floyd Avenue has been fenced off for more than 20 years, leaving locals to wonder what’s next for the once-popular fishing spot.

In 1979, Modesto City Council first approved the 293-acre “landmark development” plan for Naraghi Lake, The Modesto Bee reported in 2002. However, the land surrounding the lake has remained undeveloped for more than 40 years.

Richard Jones asked The Bee’s Bee Curious — a community-driven series where reporters answer reader questions about the Modesto region: “What plans do our city leaders have for Naraghi Lake?”

“It is an eyesore on the east side of town as it continues to be fenced off,” Jones wrote to The Bee. “I’d personally love to see it turned into a community walking park and nature area.”

Other Modesto residents have echoed similar thoughts, turning to social media site Reddit to discuss the man-made lake’s future.

“I’ve lived near this lake for many years now. It’s got so much potential ,” Reddit user Bumpaudio wrote in a 2017 post. “I walk by, looking (through) the chain linked fence like Charlie looking (through) the fence at the Chocolate Factory, waiting for one day this lake can become something great and we all can enjoy it.”

“Quite a few years ago, I spoke to one of the Naraghi daughters who was working on developing some empty lots on Hashem Drive that goes around the lake,” Reddit user shannodot wrote in a reply to that post. “Back then they had envisioned building on the north side of the lake a boardwalk that skirted around that side with business and restaurants there, outdoor cafe, eating lakeside, etc.”

Is anything planned for the land surrounding Modesto’s Naraghi Lake?

Here’s what a member of the Naraghi family, which owns the lake, had to say:

What’s the history of man-made Modesto lake?

Naraghi Lake was built in 1980 as part of a planned housing and commercial development.

The lake — and the undeveloped land around it — is owned by the Naraghis, family representative Wendell Naraghi confirmed in an email to The Bee on Friday, Sept. 13.

“It is a master-planned lake community consisting of over 300 homes, two shopping centers, an apartment home community — the Marina — and dozens of duplexes, with the focal point being the lake,” Naraghi wrote.

The Naraghi family sold some of the construction rights for homes and shopping centers, including a corner at Oakdale Road and Floyd Avenue, around the lake in the early 1980s, The Bee reported in March 2002.

Despite remaining undeveloped, the lake and surrounding land served as a popular walking and fishing spot for 20 years, The Bee reported in 2018.

Are there piranhas at Naraghi Lake?

Wildlife issues around Naraghi Lake have surfaced over the years.

The lake was a popular destination for fishing enthusiasts until 2001.

That’s when boys caught pacu fish — a species native to South America that’s related to and often mistaken for piranhas — in the lake, leading to the area being fenced off.

The Modesto Police Department and California Fish and Wildlife Department recommended installing a fence “to prevent similar issues in future,” Naraghi said. “Thus access (was) limited.”

The vegetarian pacu fish were deemed harmless by state wildlife officials and left in the lake, The Bee reported in July 2001.

“As soon as that lake starts getting cold, those fish are going to die off,” Hugh Rutherford, a spokesman for the state Fish and Wildlife Department, told The Bee in 2001.

It was unclear as of Wednesday whether pacu fish remain in the lake.

In 2007, more than 30 geese around the lake were found dead, but the culprit behind the killings was never identified .

In 2015, concerns arose that geese living at the lake didn’t have enough food, The Bee previously reported, and there have been ongoing worries about jackrabbit dens being destroyed by tilling in the area.

The state Department of Fish and Wildlife has investigated the public’s concerns .

Jeff Moran, a warden with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, visited Naraghi Lake in 2018 after receiving a report that tilling around the area was harming goslings.

While state law protects bird nests and chicks, Moran found no evidence of injured or dead Canada geese. He did discover nests with eggs.

Though the property was regularly tilled to reduce weeds and fire hazards at the time, the Naraghi family was advised to stop tilling or flag nests to avoid them.

Are there any developments planned around Naraghi Lake?

Since the lake’s closure in 2001, a shopping center has sprung up around the fenced-off, undeveloped land surrounding Naraghi Lake.

Work on The Marketplace shopping center began in 2018 with the construction of Save Mart, and developments continue to this day.

The grocery store is now surrounded by several businesses, including Starbucks coffee shop, Vitality Bowls restaurant and NT Nail Spa.

An In-N-Out location is under construction at the northeast Modesto shopping center, with no set opening date.

The Lakes Shopping Center sits at the south end of Naraghi Lake, with several businesses, including McDonald’s, Subway and CVS. The center was first developed in 1987 .

“We are currently in the process of developing our plans for the last phase of the lake development,” Naraghi wrote. “We are excited about this, as the lake has always been the primary focus of our design.”

Over the years, various development plans have emerged, Naraghi said, adding that current projects aim to complete the final phase of the lake community.

“We are currently working on projects to complete the last pieces of the lake community, including an area around (the) lake and introducing new landscaping and features,” he said.

He had not shared any information with The Bee regarding a timeline for these projects, as of Wednesday, Sept. 18.

“We look forward to sharing (further developments) with the community at the appropriate time,” Naraghi said.

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