There are more than 3,000 named lakes, reservoirs, and dry lakes in the U.S. state of California.[1]
In terms of area covered, the largest lake in California is the Salton Sea, a lake formed in 1905 which is now saline. It occupies in the southeast corner of the state, but because it is shallow it only holds about 7.5e6acre.ft of water. Tulare Lake in the San Joaquin Valley was larger, at approximately, until it was drained during the later years of the nineteenth century.[2]
In terms of volume, the largest lake on the list is Lake Tahoe, located on the California - Nevada border. It holds roughly of water. It is also the largest freshwater lake by area, at 191mi2, and the deepest lake, with a maximum depth of .
Among freshwater lakes entirely contained within the state, the largest by area is Clear Lake, which covers .[3]
Many of California's large lakes are actually reservoirs: artificial bodies of fresh water. In terms of both area and volume, the largest of these is Lake Shasta, which formed behind Shasta Dam in the 1940s. The dam can impound 4.552e6acre.ft of water over 29740acres.[4]
Lake Elsinore, which covers 3000acres, is billed as the largest natural freshwater lake in Southern California.[5]
The list is alphabetized by the name of the lake, with the words lake, of, and the ignored. To sort on a different column, click on the arrows in the header row.
Geographic coordinates, approximate elevations, alternative names, and other details may be obtained by following the Geographic Names Information System links in the third column. Note: Lakes grow and shrink due to precipitation, evaporation, releases, and diversions.For this reason, many of the surface areas tabulated below are very approximate. For reservoirs, the areas at maximum water storage are indicated. Reservoirs used for flood control are seldom allowed to reach maximum storage. Swimming, fishing, and/or boating are permitted in some of these lakes, but not all.
| Name | data-sort-type="number" | GNIS id(s) ! | Type (origin) | data-sort-type="number" | Surface area | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| natural lake (submerged valley)[6] | [7] | |||||
| reservoir (Almaden Dam) | [8] | |||||
| reservoir (Lake Almanor Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Medley Lakes Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Alpine CA00422 Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Alpine CA00204 Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Jackson Creek Dam) | [9] | |||||
| reservoir (Leroy Anderson Dam) | ||||||
| natural lakes (glacial tarns) | ||||||
| reservoir (Antelope Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (1908) | [10] | |||||
| reservoir (C L Tilden Park Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Lake Arrowhead Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir | ||||||
| natural lake (alpine) | ||||||
| natural dry lake (endorheic basin) | ||||||
| natural lake | ||||||
| [11] | ||||||
| former reservoir (Baldwin Hills Dam) breached in 1963 | ||||||
| natural lake[12] | ||||||
| natural intermittent lake | ||||||
| reservoir (Balsam Meadow Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Barker Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir | ||||||
| reservoir (Crane Valley Storage Dam) | ||||||
| natural lake | ||||||
| reservoir (Bear Gulch Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Bear River Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Beardsley Dam) | ||||||
| artificial lagoon | [13] | |||||
| reservoir (Monticello Dam) | [14] | |||||
| reservoir (Bethany Forebay Dam) | ||||||
| natural lakes | ||||||
| natural dry lake (endorheic basin) | ||||||
| reservoir (Bear Valley Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Big Dry Creek Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Big Sage Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Big Tujunga No. 1 Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Black Butte Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Boca Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Bon Tempe Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Bouquet Canyon Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Bowman Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Brea Dam) | ||||||
| flooded quarry | ||||||
| reservoir (Bridgeport Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Briones Dam) | ||||||
| natural dry lake (endorheic basin) | ||||||
| reservoir (Pit #3 Dam) | [15] | |||||
| natural dry lake (endorheic basin) | ||||||
| reservoir (2010) | [16] | |||||
| reservoir (Brush Creek Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Bucks Storage Dam) | ||||||
| former natural lake drained in the mid 20th century | ||||||
| reservoir (Butt Valley Dam) | ||||||
| natural lake | ||||||
| reservoir (Bradbury Dam) | ||||||
| Reservoir | [17] | |||||
| reservoir (Calaveras Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Calero Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Calero Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Camanche Dam) | ||||||
| natural lake (endorheic sink) | ||||||
| reservoir (Camp Far West Dam) | ||||||
| natural lake | ||||||
| reservoir (Railroad Canyon Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Caples Lake Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Carbon Canyon Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Casitas Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Castaic Dam) | ||||||
| natural lake | ||||||
| natural lake (glacial tarn) | [18] | |||||
| natural lakes | ||||||
| reservoir (Cedar Lake Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Lake Chabot Dam) | ||||||
| natural lake | ||||||
| reservoir (Cherry Valley Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Elmer J. Chesbro Dam) | ||||||
| natural lake raised by Cache Creek Dam | ||||||
| reservoir (Clear Lake Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (North Fork CA10110 Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Clifton Court Forebay Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Cogswell Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Virginia Ranch Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Concow Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Contra Loma Dam) | ||||||
| natural lake | ||||||
| Natural lake, former name Lake Klamea name changed when dam was built (Copco No 1 Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Courtright Dam) | ||||||
| natural dry lake (endorheic basin) | ||||||
| reservoir (Coyote Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Long Valley Dam) | ||||||
| natural lake | ||||||
| and | reservoirs (Lower Crystal Springs Dam) | |||||
| natural dry lake (endorheic basin) | ||||||
| reservoir (1979) | [19] | |||||
| reservoir (Cuyamaca Dam) | ||||||
| natural dry lake (endorheic basin) | ||||||
| reservoir (Grizzly Valley Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Desabla Forebay 97-005 Dam) | ||||||
| natural lake | ||||||
| reservoir (Del Valle Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Diamond Valley Lake Dam) | ||||||
| [20] | ||||||
| natural lake | ||||||
| natural lake | ||||||
| reservoir (Donovan 179 Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Dorris Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Dixon Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Red Rock No. 1 Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Don Pedro Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Donnells Dam) | ||||||
| natural lake (dammed by moraine) raised by Donner Lake Dam | [21] | |||||
| reservoir (Duvall Dam) | ||||||
| natural lake | ||||||
| natural lake (endorheic) | [22] | |||||
| natural lake | ||||||
| natural lagoon | ||||||
| reservoir (East Park Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Buchanan CA10243 Dam) | ||||||
| flood-control reservoir (Eaton Wash Debris Basin Dam) | ||||||
| and | natural lakes raised by Echo Lake Dam | |||||
| natural lake | ||||||
| reservoir (El Capitan Dam) | ||||||
| natural lake | 24acres | |||||
| natural dry lake (endorheic basin) | ||||||
| reservoir (Elderberry Forebay Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Lake Eleanor CA00121 Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Lake Eleanor CA00737 Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (1960s) | [23] | |||||
| natural lake (sag pond) | ||||||
| natural lake (sag pond) | ||||||
| reservoir (Austrian Dam) | ||||||
| natural lake | ||||||
| natural lake | ||||||
| natural lake | ||||||
| natural dry lake (endorheic basin) | ||||||
| reservoir (Encino Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Englebright Dam) | ||||||
| [24] | ||||||
| Natural lake Fallen Leaf Dam raised level | ||||||
| flood-control reservoir (Farmington Dam) | ||||||
| natural lake | ||||||
| reservoir (Florence Lake Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Folsom Dam) | ||||||
| Foster Lake | reservoir | |||||
| reservoir (Fountaingrove Dam) | ||||||
| natural lake | ||||||
| natural lake | ||||||
| reservoir (French Lake Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (L L Anderson Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Frechman Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir | ||||||
| reservoir (Gibraltar Dam) | ||||||
| natural lake | ||||||
| natural dry lake | ||||||
| natural intermittent lake (glacial) | ||||||
| reservoir (Grant Lake Dam) | ||||||
| former reservoir | ||||||
| reservoir (Green Valley Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Lake Gregory Dam) | ||||||
| natural lake | ||||||
| reservoir (Grizzly Forebay 94-003 Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Guadelupe Dam) | ||||||
| flood-control reservoir (Hansen Recreational Lake Dam) | ||||||
| natural dry lake | ||||||
| reservoir (Parker Dam) | ||||||
| natural lake (glacial tarn) | ||||||
| and | reservoir (Lower Hell Hole Dam) | |||||
| reservoir (Lake Hemet Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Conn Creek Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Henshaw Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Hidden Dam) | [25] | |||||
| reservoir (Hernandez Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (O'Shaughnessy Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir | ||||||
| natural lagoon | ||||||
| reservoir (Lake Hodges Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Hog Flat Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Mulholland Dam) | ||||||
| natural lake (endorheic sink) | [26] | |||||
| natural lake | ||||||
| flooded quarry | ||||||
| natural lake | ||||||
| natural lake | [27] | |||||
| natural lake (sag pond) | ||||||
| reservoir (Hume Lake Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Huntington Lake 1 Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (1950s) | [28] | |||||
| reservoir (Imperial Diversion Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Indian Valley Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Iron Canyon Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Iron Gate Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Santiago Creek Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Isabella Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (1906) | [29] | |||||
| natural dry lake (endorheic basin) | ||||||
| reservoir (Jackson Meadows Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Sly Park Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir | ||||||
| reservoir (Chet Harritt Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (1922) | [30] | |||||
| natural lake (subalpine) | ||||||
| natural lake (glacial) | ||||||
| natural lake | [31] | |||||
| reservoir (Terminus Dam) | ||||||
| and | reservoir (Peters Dam) | |||||
| former natural lake drained in the 19th century | ||||||
| former drainage reservoirs (1971) now wetlands[32] | ||||||
| reservoir (Keswick Dam) | ||||||
| natural lake | ||||||
| natural dry lake (endorheic basin) | ||||||
| reservoir (La Grange Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Lafayette Dam) | ||||||
| flooded quarry | ||||||
| natural lake | ||||||
| reservoir | ||||||
| natural intermittent lake | ||||||
| natural lakes | ||||||
| former natural lake | ||||||
| reservoir (Lagunita Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Lagunitas Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Lake Leavitt Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Lee Lake Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Lewiston Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (James J. Lenihan Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Little Grass Valley Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir | ||||||
| natural lake | ||||||
| natural lakes | ||||||
| reservoir (Newell Dam) | ||||||
| natural lake | ||||||
| natural lake raised by Loon Lake Dam | ||||||
| reservoir (Lopez Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Los Vaqueros Dam) | ||||||
| natural lake | ||||||
| Lost Lake | natural lake | |||||
| reservoir (Lake Loveland Dam) | ||||||
| natural lake (endorheic sink) | ||||||
| reservoir (Lower Bear River Dam) | ||||||
| natural lake | ||||||
| reservoir (Savage Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Roberts 157-002 Dam) | ||||||
| natural dry lake (endorheic basin) | ||||||
| reservoir (Lyons Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Magalia 73 Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Malibu Lake Club Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Rindge Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Mammoth Pool Dam) | ||||||
| former natural lake (glacial) | ||||||
| former natural lake (endorheic rift) | ||||||
| natural lake (dammed by landslide) | ||||||
| natural lake | ||||||
| reservoir (Martis Creek Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir | ||||||
| reservoir (Mathews Dam) | ||||||
| natural lake | ||||||
| reservoir (McCloud Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (New Exchequer Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (McCoy Flat Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (McKay's Point Diversion Dam) | ||||||
| natural lake (endorheic) | [33] | |||||
| reservoir (Coyote Valley Dam) | ||||||
| natural lake (dammed by sand bar) | [34] | |||||
| natural inlet dammed in the 1860s | [35] | |||||
| natural lake (endorheic sink) | ||||||
| flooded quarries | ||||||
| reservoir (Friant Dam) | ||||||
| natural lake | ||||||
| natural lake | ||||||
| reservoir (Kern River County Park Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Miramar Dam) | ||||||
| natural lake (glacial) | [36] | |||||
| reservoir (Lake Mission Viejo Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Modesto Dam) | ||||||
| former natural lake (glacial) | ||||||
| reservoir (Tule Lake Dam) | ||||||
| natural lake (endorheic) | [37] | |||||
| reservoir (Morena Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Morris Dam) | ||||||
| natural lake | ||||||
| reservoir (Indian Ole Dam) | ||||||
| natural lake | ||||||
| natural lake (sag pond) | ||||||
| natural lake | ||||||
| former natural lake | ||||||
| reservoir (Murray Dam) | [38] | |||||
| natural lake | ||||||
| reservoir (Nacimiento Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (1980) | [39] | |||||
| reservoir (Nimbus Dam) | ||||||
| natural dry lake (endorheic basin) | ||||||
| reservoir (New Bullards Bar Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (New Hogan Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (New Melones Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (New Spicer Meadow Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Seeger Dam) | ||||||
| artificial lake | ||||||
| natural lake | ||||||
| reservoir (Olivehain Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (O'Neill Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Oroville Dam) | ||||||
| natural lake | [40] | |||||
| natural lake | ||||||
| natural dry lake | ||||||
| reservoir (North Fork CA00299 Dam) | ||||||
| and | reservoir (Pacoima Dam) | |||||
| reservoir (Harold Reservoir Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Paradise 73-002 Dam) | [41] | |||||
| reservoir (Pardee Dam) | ||||||
| natural lake | ||||||
| natural lake | ||||||
| reservoir (Perris Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Lawler Dam) | [42] | |||||
| reservoir (Philbrook 97-008 Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Scott Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Pine Flat Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Main Strawberry Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Santa Felicia Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Pit #6 Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Pit No. 7 Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (dike) | ||||||
| flooded quarry | ||||||
| reservoir (Lake Poway Dam) | ||||||
| flood-control reservoir (Prado Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Prosser Creek Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Puddingstone Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Pyramid Dam) | ||||||
| natural lake | ||||||
| reservoir | ||||||
| natural lakes | ||||||
| flooded quarry | ||||||
| reservoirs (Big Dobe North Dam, Big Dobe South Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Lake Ralphine Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Lake Ramona Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Rancho Seco Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Rector Creek Dam) | ||||||
| natural dry lake (endorheic basin) | ||||||
| reservoir (Big Creek No. 7 Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir | ||||||
| natural lake (submerged valley) | ||||||
| natural dry lake (endorheic basin) | ||||||
| natural lake | ||||||
| natural dry lake (endorheic basin) | ||||||
| reservoir (Robert W Matthews Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Sabrina Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Salt Springs Valley Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Salt Springs Dam) | ||||||
| natural basin (endorheic rift) flooded since 1905 | [43] | |||||
| reservoir (San Andreas Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (San Antonio CA00813 Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (James H Turner Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (San Antonio CA10023 Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (San Gabriel No 1 Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (San Joaquin Reservoir Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (San Justo Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (B. F. Sisk Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (San Pablo Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (San Vicente Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Big Santa Anita Dam) | ||||||
| flood-control reservoir (Santa Fe Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Salinas Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Santa Rosa Creek Reservoir Dam) | ||||||
| natural lake | ||||||
| reservoir (Scotts Flat Dam) | ||||||
| natural dry lake (endorheic basin) | ||||||
| reservoir (Searsville Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Senator Wash Dam)[44] | [45] | |||||
| flood-control reservoir (Sepulveda Dam) | ||||||
| natural lake | ||||||
| flood-control reservoir (Seven Oaks Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Shasta Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Shasta River Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Shaver Lake Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Lake Sherwood Dam) | ||||||
| flooded quarry | ||||||
| Silver Lake | reservoir (Silver Lake CA00377 Dam) | |||||
| reservoir (Silver Lake CA00081 Dam) | ||||||
| natural dry lake (endorheic basin) | ||||||
| reservoir (Cedar Springs Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Box Canyon Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Skinner Clearwell Dam) | [46] | |||||
| reservoir (Slab Creek Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Sly Creek Dam) | ||||||
| natural lake | ||||||
| natural lake | ||||||
| natural lake | ||||||
| natural dry lake (endorheic basin) | ||||||
| natural alkali lake (endorheic basin) | ||||||
| reservoir (Warm Springs Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (South Lake Reservoir) | ||||||
| reservoir (Lake Spaulding Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir | ||||||
| reservoir (Spring Creek Dam) | ||||||
| natural lake (tarn) | ||||||
| reservoir (Novato Creek Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Stampede Dam) | ||||||
| natural lake | ||||||
| natural lake (tarn) | ||||||
| reservoir (Stevens Creek Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Stone Canyon Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Stony Gorge Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Success Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Sugar Pine Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Sulphur Creek Dam) | ||||||
| natural lake | ||||||
| reservoir (Sunset North Basin Dam) | ||||||
| natural dry lake | ||||||
| reservoir (Suttenfield Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Sweetwater Main Dam) | ||||||
| natural lake raised by Lake Tahoe Dam | [47] | |||||
| reservoir (Lake Temescal Dam) | ||||||
| natural lake (alpine) | ||||||
| reservoir (Thermalito Afterbay Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Thermalito Forebay Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Vermilion Valley Dam) | ||||||
| natural lake (alpine) | ||||||
| reservoir | ||||||
| natural lake | ||||||
| reservoir (Tinemaha Dam) | [48] | |||||
| reservoir (Tioga Lake Dam) | ||||||
| natural lake partly drained in the 19th century | 200acres | |||||
| natural lake | ||||||
| natural lake raised by diversions and levees | [49] | |||||
| reservoir (Trinity Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (1955) | ||||||
| former natural lake drained in the late 19th century | ||||||
| natural intermittent lake | [50] | |||||
| reservoir (Tulloch Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Turlock Lake Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Twain Harte Dam) | ||||||
| natural lakes | ||||||
| reservoir (Twitchell Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir | [51] | |||||
| reservoir (Union Valley Dam) | ||||||
| natural lake (endorheic sink) | ||||||
| reservoir (Uvas Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Vail Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Van Arsdale Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Vasona Percolating Dam) | ||||||
| natural lake | ||||||
| natural lake | ||||||
| natural lakes | ||||||
| natural lake | ||||||
| reservoir (West Valley Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Whale Rock Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Whiskeytown Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir | ||||||
| reservoir | ||||||
| flood-control reservoir (Whittier Narrows Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Wishon Dam) | ||||||
| reservoir (Lake Wohlford Dam) | ||||||
| natural lake (glacial) | ||||||
| reservoir (Woodward Dam) | ||||||
| natural lake | ||||||
| reservoir (Lake Yosemite Dam) |