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Lake Cuyamaca

Part of Julian, Mountains & Anza-Borrego, our guide to Julian, Descanso, Pine Valley, the Laguna Mountains and Borrego Springs.

Lake Cuyamaca, at 15027 Highway 79 near Julian, charges $10 per car for day use, and campers and anglers with a fishing permit enter free. Park access runs from one hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset. A boat launch is $8 a day and a kayak launch is $5.Checked October 23, 2026.

$10Day Use Per Car
$8Boat Launch Per Day
$5Kayak Launch
$40Yearly Day-Use Pass
Blue Lake Cuyamaca with grassy hills and pines on the far shore
Lake Cuyamaca. Pink Floyd Fan 101, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
Address15027 Highway 79, Julian, CA 92036. Phone (760) 765-0515.
Hours“Park access runs from one hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset.” Fishing every day, ending one hour after sunset, with no night fishing. Tackle shop, effective October 1, 2026: Main, Monday to Thursday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Friday to Sunday 6 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Chambers, Saturday and Sunday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
AdmissionDay use “$10.00 per car”; campers and anglers with a fishing permit enter free. Boat launch $8 per day; kayak launch $5. A yearly day-use pass (not fishing) is $40 per person.
Fishing PermitsPer a search excerpt of the lake’s fishing-fees page (not re-read on the page): adult $10, youth 8 to 15 $5, 7 and under free with a paying adult. Ages 16 and up also need a California fishing license.
OperatorThe lake’s own site names the Lake Cuyamaca Recreation and Park District. The state park page says the lake is two miles north of Paso Picacho.

Nearby

Cuyamaca Rancho State Park is just south of the lake, with its own $10 per vehicle day use.

Lake Cuyamaca Open the map. © OpenStreetMap contributors.

What We Could Not Verify

  • Fishing permit prices were read only in a search excerpt of lakecuyamaca.org, not on the page itself.
  • Operator wording differs: the state park page says Helix Water District, and the lake’s own site names the Lake Cuyamaca Recreation and Park District. The lake’s own site wins.
  • Free days and the youth fishing derby date: not confirmed.
  • Map point is from OpenStreetMap, not an official coordinate.

More in Julian, Mountains & Anza-Borrego

FAQ

How much is day use at Lake Cuyamaca?

Day use is $10 per car, and campers and anglers with a fishing permit enter free, per the lake’s hours-and-fees page read October 23, 2026.

Do I need a fishing license at Lake Cuyamaca?

Per the lake’s fishing-fees page as seen in a search excerpt, ages 16 and up also need a California fishing license. Confirm at 760-765-0515.

Sources

  1. Lake Cuyamaca: Hours and Fees
  2. Lake Cuyamaca: Fishing Fees
  3. California State Parks: Cuyamaca Rancho State Park

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.