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Lakes and Lake Guides

This guide covers eight San Diego County lakes and parks with water, plus a rules page on licenses, permits, mussels and swimming bans. Camping is at Lake Morena, Guajome and, per the District, Lake Henshaw. On October 23, 2026 Sutherland was closed for the season.Checked October 23, 2026.

8lakes and parks
16+needs a CA license
3with camping
ClosedSutherland, Oct 23
A calm lake with green hills and mountains beyond
A lake backed by hills. Illustrative photo, not one specific reservoir.

Places in Lakes and Lake Guides

Guide

Lake Fishing Rules and Permits

License, operator permits, mussel rules, swimming bans and camping at the lakes in this guide.

Lake and Camping

Lake Morena County Park

County lake near Campo with 86 campsites, cabins, boat rentals and fishing. All ages.

City Reservoir

Miramar Reservoir

City reservoir in Scripps Ranch for fishing and private boats. Algae notice and ramp closure posted.

City Lake

Lake Wohlford

Escondido-run lake with rental boats. Weekends only until mid-December.

Reservoir and Resort

Lake Henshaw

Large inland reservoir near Santa Ysabel with camping and fishing. Most details unconfirmed.

Shore Fishing

Sweetwater Reservoir Shoreline Fishing

Bank fishing Friday to Monday along 2.5 miles near Bonita. Fees suspended.

Shore Fishing

Loveland Reservoir

Daily bank fishing near Alpine. No boats, no pets.

City Reservoir

Sutherland Reservoir

Weekend-only City reservoir near Ramona. Closed September 30 through February.

Park and Ponds

Guajome Regional Park

Oceanside county park with two ponds, trails and 33 campsites. All ages.

Map of Lakes and Lake Guides

4 of 9 places are pinned. Tap a pin for the page and directions. Dashed pins were placed from the street address we printed and are approximate. © OpenStreetMap contributors. Confirm the spot on the official page before you drive.

Not pinned (no confirmed location yet): Lake Fishing Rules and Permits, Lake Henshaw, Sweetwater Reservoir Shoreline Fishing, Loveland Reservoir, Sutherland Reservoir.

Bigger Lakes Elsewhere on This Site

Ten larger lakes have their own pages: Lake Cuyamaca, Lake Murray, Santee Lakes, Lake Jennings, El Capitan Reservoir, San Vicente Reservoir, Lower Otay Reservoir, Dixon Lake, Hodges Reservoir, Lake Poway.

Events in Lakes and Lake Guides

0 confirmed dates are on the Lakes and Lake Guides events page, from the organizers’ own pages.

What We Could Not Verify

  • Lake Henshaw details (hours, fees, species, rules), Lake Morena camp rates, Lake Wohlford current fees and Guajome fishing rules are not confirmed. See each page.
  • No map points are shown because no coordinates were looked up.
  • Barrett Lake, Upper Otay Reservoir and Lake Calavera were not covered: no recreation details were read for them.

FAQ

Which lakes allow camping?

Lake Morena and Guajome Regional Park, and Lake Henshaw per the Vista Irrigation District.

Is Sutherland Reservoir open?

Not on October 23, 2026. It is closed September 30 through February.

Where do I start?

With the lake rules page, then the lake you plan to visit.

Sources

  1. County Parks
  2. City of San Diego: reservoirs and lakes
  3. Sweetwater Authority
  4. Vista Irrigation District: Lake Henshaw
  5. CDFW: fishing licenses

Checked October 23, 2026 by It’s San Diego. Cite this page: It’s San Diego (itssandiego.com), checked October 23, 2026. Free to quote with a link to this page; tables are licensed CC BY 4.0.