Lakes

Lakes and reservoirs in California

This guide covers 32 lakes and reservoirs in California. 14 of them have a public water level gauge, and together they hold 52 mapped swimming spots. Each page carries the live level where an agency publishes one, plus weather, access points and sources.

32Lakes
14Live gauges
52Swimming spots

Lakes in California

Click a marker to open the lake page.

Every lake, by relevance

Ordered by how much people search for them.

Folsom Lake

California · Placer, El Dorado and Sacramento counties

Folsom Lake

Folsom Lake sits on the American River in the Sierra Nevada foothills northeast of Sacramento. The reservoir and its shoreline…

Reservoir
Shasta Lake

California · Shasta County

Shasta Lake

Shasta Lake is a 30,000-acre reservoir on the Sacramento River in California. It lies in Shasta County. It is managed by USFS…

Reservoir
Lake Berryessa

California · Napa County

Lake Berryessa

Fed by the Putah Creek, Lake Berryessa holds roughly 19,250 acres of water in California. The lake is in Napa County. It is…

Reservoir
Lake Oroville

California · Butte County

Lake Oroville

Lake Oroville is a 2,520-acre reservoir on the Feather River in California. The lake is in Butte County. It is managed by…

Reservoir
Lake Tahoe

California · Placer and El Dorado counties (CA); Washoe, Douglas and Carson City (NV)

Lake Tahoe

Lake Tahoe straddles the California and Nevada state line in the Sierra Nevada at about 6,225 feet. It reaches 1,645 feet deep…

Natural lake24 beaches
Big Bear Lake

California · San Bernardino County

Big Bear Lake

Big Bear Lake is a reservoir of some 2,971 acres on the outflow =, in California. It lies in San Bernardino County. BBMWD manages…

Reservoir1 beach
Bass Lake

California · Madera County

Bass Lake

Bass Lake is a 1,166-acre reservoir on the Willow Creek in California. Its shoreline falls inside Madera County. Madera County…

Reservoir
Lake Nacimiento

California · San Luis Obispo County

Lake Nacimiento

Fed by the Nacimiento River, Lake Nacimiento holds roughly 5,400 acres of water in California. The lake is in San Luis Obispo…

Reservoir
New Melones Lake

California · Calaveras County

New Melones Lake

Fed by the Stanislaus River, New Melones Lake holds roughly 12,500 acres of water in California. You will find it in Calaveras…

Reservoir
Millerton Lake

California · Madera County

Millerton Lake

Millerton Lake is a 4,900-acre reservoir on the Friant-Kern Canal Madera Canal San Joaquin River in California. You will find it…

Reservoir
Lake Casitas

California · Ventura County

Lake Casitas

Lake Casitas covers about 1,100 acres of the Coyote Creek in California. Its shoreline falls inside Ventura County. It is managed…

Reservoir2 beaches
Lake Isabella

California · Kern County

Lake Isabella

Lake Isabella is a 1,111,974-acre reservoir on the Kern River in California. Its shoreline falls inside Kern County. Management…

Reservoir1 beach
Lake Almanor

California · Plumas County

Lake Almanor

Lake Almanor is a 28,170-acre reservoir on the North Fork of the Feather River in California. It lies in Plumas County. It is…

Reservoir2 beaches
Lopez Lake

California · San Luis Obispo County

Lopez Lake

Lopez Lake is a 974-acre reservoir on the Arroyo Grande Creek in California. Its shoreline falls inside San Luis Obispo County.…

Reservoir
Lake Cachuma

California · Santa Barbara County

Lake Cachuma

Lake Cachuma covers about 3,100 acres of the Santa Ynez River in California. It lies in Santa Barbara County. Management is in…

Reservoir3 beaches
Lake Perris

California · Riverside County

Lake Perris

Lake Perris is a 2,200-acre reservoir on the outflow = in California. The lake is in Riverside County. It is managed by…

Reservoir3 beaches
Pyramid Lake

California · Washoe County

Pyramid Lake

Fed by the Truckee River, Pyramid Lake holds roughly 120,340 acres of water in Nevada. Its shoreline falls inside Washoe County.…

Reservoir3 beaches
Castaic Lake

California · Los Angeles County

Castaic Lake

Castaic Lake is a 2,235-acre reservoir on the Castaic Creek in California. You will find it in Los Angeles County. Management is…

Reservoir
Huntington Lake

California · Fresno County

Huntington Lake

Huntington Lake covers about 1,441 acres of the Big Creek in California. You will find it in Fresno County. USFS Sierra NF / SCE…

Reservoir2 beaches
Salton Sea

California · Imperial County

Salton Sea

Salton Sea covers about 219,430 acres of the evaporation in California. It lies in Imperial County. Management is in the hands of…

Natural lake6 beaches
Lake Tulloch

California · Calaveras County

Lake Tulloch

Lake Tulloch is a 1,260-acre reservoir in California. You will find it in Calaveras County. Tri-Dam Project manages it. The gauge…

Reservoir
Trinity Lake

California · Trinity County

Trinity Lake

Fed by the Trinity River, Trinity Lake holds roughly 16,400 acres of water in California. You will find it in Trinity County. It…

Reservoir2 beaches
Silverwood Lake

California · San Bernardino County

Silverwood Lake

Fed by the West Fork Mojave River, Silverwood Lake holds roughly 976 acres of water in California. It lies in San Bernardino…

Reservoir
Loon Lake

California · El Dorado County

Loon Lake

Loon Lake is a 1,100-acre reservoir in California. The lake is in El Dorado County. Management is in the hands of Sacramento…

Reservoir
Whiskeytown Lake

California · Shasta County

Whiskeytown Lake

Whiskeytown Lake is a 3,458-acre reservoir on the Clear Creek in California. You will find it in Shasta County. It is managed by…

Reservoir1 beach
Lake Natoma

California · Sacramento County

Lake Natoma

Fed by the American River, Lake Natoma holds roughly 500 acres of water in California. It lies in Sacramento County. Management…

Reservoir
San Luis Reservoir

California · Merced County

San Luis Reservoir

San Luis Reservoir is a reservoir of some 12,700 acres on the California Aqueduct, in California. It lies in Merced County. It is…

Reservoir2 beaches
Don Pedro Reservoir

California · Tuolumne County

Don Pedro Reservoir

Don Pedro Reservoir is a 13,000-acre reservoir on the Tuolumne River in California. You will find it in Tuolumne County. It is…

Reservoir
Lake Sonoma

California · Sonoma County

Lake Sonoma

Fed by the Dry Creek, Lake Sonoma holds roughly 2,700 acres of water in California. Its shoreline falls inside Sonoma County. It…

Reservoir
Frenchman Lake

California · Plumas County

Frenchman Lake

Fed by the Little Last Chance Creek, Frenchman Lake holds roughly 1,580 acres of water in California. It lies in Plumas County.…

Reservoir
Donner Lake

California · Nevada County

Donner Lake

Donner Lake is a reservoir of some 840 acres on the Donner Creek to Truckee River, in California. It lies in Nevada County.…

Reservoir
Pine Flat Lake

California · Fresno County

Pine Flat Lake

Pine Flat Lake is a 5,970-acre reservoir on the Kings River in California. Its shoreline falls inside Fresno County. Management…

Reservoir

 California overview · Swimming beaches in California