‘The Andy Griffith Show’: Mayberry’s Myers Lake Fishing Spot Has Appeared in Other Iconic Shows and Album Covers
If you’ve watched the catchy opening sequence of “The Andy Griffith Show” enough times, you recognize Myers Lake.
Beyond just the opening sequence, Myer’s Lake is also the main fishing hole on the outskirts of Mayberry. Countless episodes use the lake as a focal point of the story. It’s a symbol of sorts of the touching father-son relationship between Andy and Opie.
Barney Fife and Gomer Pyle got lost while on a camping trip in the woods surrounding the lake. Andy has taken a number of girls to the lake and in many ways it’s his go-to dating spot. He took Barney, Helen Crump, and Peggy McMillan there.
Eddie Brooke and Dirksen hid in the woods after escaping prison. One of the most notable moments is when an illusion of a monster is created in the depths of Myers Lake to scare residents.
While Myers Lake is the calming landmark of the show, “The Andy Griffith Show” certainly didn’t have remote access to the lake.
Other Appearances of ‘The Andy Griffith Show’ Iconic Lake
The actual name of the lake is Franklin Lake. It sits in Franklin Canyon Park in Los Angeles, California. Due to its prime location, several other productions went ahead with using the water and nearby woods for their stories.
In the 1960s especially it was a hot commodity.
According to MeTV, the lake was used for certain rural scenes in “Bonanza” and provided different scenery for the popular cult-classic show, “Star Trek.” Besides that, the lake appears in “The Brady Bunch,” “Green Acres,” “The Rifleman,” and “Mannix.”
While Ernest T. Bass’ fake monster in the show may have scared residents, it wasn’t the only time the show saw a beast.
In fact, the infamous lagoon creature that killed its way through characters from “The Creature from the Black Lagoon,” used the murky waters as its home. The film was made in 3D so viewers saw the bright blue waters in a new horrific and suspenseful way than ever before.
Beyond Myers Lake
More than just the lake has been used as well. The woods were iconic in “The Andy Griffith Show.” However, the roads leading to it all have been used in “It Happened One Night” and even “Nightmare.” There are no two types of entertainment more different than a Freddy Krueger slasher and a sweet and intimate, whistling-filled opening sequence in “The Andy Griffith Show.”
Speaking of music, Prince even used the area to film parts of his musical drama, “Purple Rain.” Simon and Garfunkel used it for the cover of “Sounds of Silence.” The Rolling Stones also used it for “Big Hits (High Tide and Green Grass.)”
From scenic album covers to musical movie scenes to a father-son fishing hole to a home for a Black Lagoon creature to a champagne dumping zone, the lake has been through a lot.
