LAKES & RESERVOIRS in San Diego County

THE QUEST

I'm on a quest to locate, visit and report on all the lakes and ponds in San Diego County. 

Because we live near the Pacific Ocean, I never felt a need to look for fresh water, because I had all the water I needed, west of our house (see my blogs on Whale Watching or Sailing to Seattle). I tended to think that San Diego Water = Ocean Salt Water. Now I know it's not true.

During the first part of my quest I went after LAKES and those reports are accessible from this page. It soon became apparent that I also needed to consider smaller bodies of water  called PONDS and intermittent bodies known as VERNAL POOLS. 

Click to visit:

LAKE / RESERVOIR              POND             VERNAL POOL              HOME

I hope this site will be helpful to others looking for San Diego lakes. I don't know of any other comprehensive online inventory of fresh water bodies in San Diego County. 

STRUCTURE & ORGANIZATION

A LAKES spreadsheet is below; click HERE to go to the PONDS page and spreadsheet. You have 3 options to learn about our local lakes:

1. POSTS (like this page) give a general details and an introduction. Go to HOME for general information applying to all Lakes, Ponds and Pools.

2. PAGES report on my visit(s) to an individual body of water, with my photos, descriptions, leaflets, etc. They have specific information.  To visit them: 

• Click on the name of a LAKE (spreadsheet 1st column) OR
• Select from the long list at the right side of this page ->

3. LOCATIONS are described by latitude / longitude, zone, and nearest town, because most lakes don't have a street address.  

• Click on Latitude,Longitude (spreadsheet 2nd col) for a quick map or satellite view
• HIGHER 1st number means farther NORTH (33 is farther NORTH than 32)
• HIGHER magnitude 2nd number means farther WEST (-117 is farther WEST than -116)

NOTE: I created easy to understand "Lake Zones", which are bounded by major roads and highways. The Northern limit for 3, 4 & 5 is San Diego county's border and the Southern limit for 8, 9 & 10 is the US/Mexican border. Zone numbers are also shown in the spreadsheet.

LEGEND for SPREADSHEET

Succeeded in finding lake

Haven’t visited lake yet

Visited area failed to find lake

San Diego Lakes & Reservoirs
Name	Latitude & Longitude	Lake	Nearest	Elevation	Area	Capacity
Lake Report	Location on map	Zone	Town	(Ft)	(Acres)	(Acre/Ft)
Anthony’s	32.779211,-116.992253	0	La Mesa	665	1.5
Barrett	32.691156, -116.663444	9	Alpine	1580	891	34,800
Calavera	33.171142, -117.283781	2	Carlsbad	215	35	520
Campo	32.608734,-116.485535	9	Campo	2500	dry?
Case Springs Lake	33.4499372,-117.4240465	MCB	Pendleton	660	5
Chollas	32.737015, -117.063304	0	San Diego	418	16	310
Cinnamon Canyon	33.013421, -117.113597	2	4S Ranch	575	6
Corte Madera	32.7742423,-116.577809	9	Pine Valley	3932	69	325
Cuyamaca	32.986507, -116.580666	7	Julian	4622	110	8200
Discovery	33.124206, -117.179201	2	San Marcos	640	5
Dixon	33.1608962,-117.0484001	4	Escondido	1046	69	2600
Domingo	32.614932,-116.271145	9	Boulevard	3376	2
Eastlake	32.653860, -116.977619	10	Chula Vista	562	11	77
El Capitan	32.908252, -116.781788	7	Santee	727	1560	112,800
Fairbanks	33.002540,-117.179790	2	Fairbanks	143	16	100
Fairbanks Lake S	32.999074,-117.172294	2	Fairbanks	187	5
Foss	33.263048, -117.311399	3	Oceanside	80	75
Gomez Creek	33.358660,-117.108175	4	Pala	4134	40
Grassmont	32.784798,-116.98719	0	La Mesa	665	3.5	70
Guajome	33.244834, -117.278970	3	Vista	100	12
Helix	32.772267, -116.984773	0	La Mesa	826	2.5
Henshaw	33.236703, -116.745442	4	Warner Springs	2685	1140	51,800
Hideaway	33.233662, -117.056169	4	Valley Center	1302	2
Hodges	33.060961, -117.106407	2	Escondido	316	1234	30,600
Hubbert	33.225736,-117.355367	3	Oceanside	27	3
Jennings	32.857641, -116.887803	7	Lakeside	690	170	9800
Kumeyaay	32.841026,-117.037740	0	San Diego	288	5
Laguna, Big	32.880722, -116.463036	7	Mt. Laguna	5408	29
Laguna, Little	32.885700, -116.453697	7	Mt. Laguna	5458	15
Las Rasalies	32.874882, -116.466175	7	Mt. Laguna	5378	8
Libby, Big & Little	33.250158,-117.310887	3	Oceanside	70	1 & 4
Lindo	32.859197, -116.918378	7	Lakeside	400	20
Loveland	32.787185, -116.774788	9	Alpine	1345	454	25,400
Mallard	33.177878, -117.04506	4	Escondido	1505	5
Meadowlark	33.093897, -117.222812	2	Carlsbad	594	5	8
Miramar	32.915915, -117.099049	6	San Diego	706	162	6700
Morena	32.685521, -116.534247	9	Potrero	2998	1475	50,700
Murray	32.786729, -117.04283	0	San Diego	530	171	4700
Olivenhain	33.074044, -117.134473	2	Rancho SF	1075	200	25,000
O’Neill	33.330589, -117.322641	MCB	Pendleton	108	120	1200
Orinoco Creek	33.065386, -116.628021	7	Julian	3825	5.5
Otay Lower	32.627206, -116.923254	10	Chula Vista	471	1100	47,000
Otay Upper	32.654494, -116.933755	10	Chula Vista	520	20	2825
Palo Verde	32.812060,-116.724653	9	Alpine	1788	25	730
Picnic	32.619125,-116.60566	9	Potrero	2300	3
Pilgrim Creek	33.276522,-117.303846	MCB	Oceanside	97	5
Poway	33.007452, -117.010383	6	Poway	935	60	3400
Pulgas Lake	33.344498, -117.437513	MCB	Pendleton	377	7
Ramona	33.026579,-116.996608	6	Ramona	1264	155	12,000
Rancho Santa Fe Lakes	32.9711,-117.1762	2	Rancho SF
Ross	33.440267, -117.285075	3	Fallbrook	883	7
San Dieguito Lake	33.005216, -117.196100	2	Rancho SF	30	50	850
San Dieguito Reservoir	33.038878,-117.194637	2	Rancho SF	245	50	850
San Marcos	33.119924,-117.208013	2	San Marcos	500	80
San Vicente	32.918347,-116.917654	6	Lakeside	643	1600	250,700
Santa Fe Valley Res	33.025609, -117.134006	2	4S Ranch	430	4
Santee Lakes	32.846160, -117.004751	6	Santee	330	54
South	33.11504, -117.1655895	2	San Marcos	824	4	224
Sutherland	33.111105, -116.783730	4	Ramona	2054	556	29,500
Sweetwater	32.697658, -116.988915	10	National City	230	960	25,400
Talone	33.239044,-117.294257	3	Oceanside	77	27
Tule	32.674769, -116.245964	8	Boiulevard	3435	11
Turner	33.222978, -117.07723	4	Valley Center	1075	40	1600
Whelan	33.242661, -117.337966	3	Oceanside	57	30
Windmill	33.248388,-117.335822	3	Oceanside	60	20
Wohlford	33.173509, -116.992570	4	Valley Center	1490	146	2800

SOME PHOTOS

[Click on any image to enlarge it]

Henshaw (Zone 4)

San Dieguito (Zone 2)

Sweetwater (Zone 10)

Santee (Zone 6)

Morena (Zone 9)

Please check my other posts to learn more about San Diego Lakes, Reservoirs and Ponds!