City Lakes and Reservoirs in San Diego

Everything else on this page is for problems that are not emergencies. The City's reservoir rules ask visitors to report concerns, emergencies and questions to City staff on site.

The City's About Reservoirs and Lakes page explains that what people call the San Diego City lakes are impounding reservoirs that are part of the City's municipal water supply. The City has offered public recreation on them since 1913, with supervised access for fishing, boating, hiking, picnicking and waterfowl hunting, plus a seasonal water contact program for water-skiing, jet skiing and windsurfing. The Reservoirs and Lakes site is run by the Public Utilities Department's Reservoirs and Recreation Program, not by Parks and Recreation.

The reservoirs in the program, each with its own page for hours, rules, fees and current notices:

Murray Reservoir sits inside Mission Trails Regional Park, which Parks and Recreation manages, but the reservoir itself, its docks and its fishing and boating are part of the Public Utilities program. Chollas Lake, a former reservoir, is a Parks and Recreation park; see below.

• Reservoirs and Recreation Program office. The Reservoirs and Lakes home page and every lake page list the same contact: 619-668-2050 and [email protected]. There is no separate phone number posted for each lake.
• On site. The rules brochure for each lake asks visitors to report concerns, emergencies and questions to City staff. For something happening right now, such as an off-leash dog, people swimming or a boat speeding, telling staff at the reservoir lets them deal with it while it is still going on.
• For damage or upkeep. A broken dock or pier, a damaged restroom, a washed-out trail or overflowing trash cans can go to [email protected]. Include the reservoir, the exact spot (the rules brochure for some lakes, such as Murray, has a map naming coves and points), what is wrong, and a photo.

Before reporting a closed gate, check the lake's page. The schedules are not the same at every lake and they change by season, so this guide links to them rather than repeating them.

• One extra closed day a month. Since a 2019 budget reduction, each reservoir is closed one additional weekday every month, for example Murray on the second Tuesday and Miramar on the first Tuesday. All City reservoirs are closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day.
• Seasonal lakes and set days. Some lakes open only on certain days of the week or months of the year, and some allow water-skiing only on certain days. Barrett is open only by reservation, with each group escorted in. The current schedule for each lake is on its page: Barrett, El Capitan, Hodges, Miramar, Murray, Lower Otay, Upper Otay, San Vicente and Sutherland.
• Launch ramps and notices. Ramp closures for low water or pipeline work, algae warnings and other temporary changes are posted at the top of the lake's page. Hodges and Sutherland also require every boat to be inspected for quagga mussels by City staff before it goes in the water.
• Permits and fees. Daily fishing, boating and admission fees are listed on each lake page; the lake pages say payment is by cash or check only. The City's reservoir recreation user fee list covers the hunting programs and other fees. Groups of 50 or more need a City permit; see Plan an Event. Older announcements are on the program's news page.

Each lake publishes a rules and regulations brochure, linked from its page. The rules below appear in the brochures for the City's reservoirs, for example Murray and Otay; check the brochure for the lake you visit, since some details differ.

• Reporting a violation. Tell lake staff on site, or call 619-668-2050. The brochures remind visitors that each lake is a domestic water supply and ask them not to contaminate it, so swimming, dogs in the water and fuel spills are treated seriously. A dog that bites or menaces someone is also an animal control matter; see our guide to loose and dangerous dogs.
• Unsafe boating. Reckless operation, speeding and boating under the influence are prohibited on every City reservoir; the Murray brochure also sets a 5 mph limit there and requires children under 13 to wear a life jacket while under way. If people are in danger, call 911.

• Algae warnings. The City posts algae bloom notices on the lake's page and at the lake. Such a notice warns that a bloom can produce cyanotoxins that may harm people and pets who come into direct contact with the water, and asks visitors not to touch the water and to keep pets out of it. A 2023 news release about Lower Otay described the same kind of bloom (cyanobacteria producing microcystin) and caution signs posted at the lake. Follow the posted signs.
• Reporting a bloom or dead fish. Report scum, unusual discoloration or dead fish to lake staff or [email protected], with photos and the location. The State Water Boards' California Harmful Algal Blooms portal also takes public reports through its online bloom report form and maps reported blooms.
• Wildlife. The Murray rules prohibit feeding wildlife. For an injured bird or animal, tell lake staff and see our wildlife guide for rescue contacts; for a dead animal outside the lake grounds, see our dead and stray animals guide.

The lake pages say anglers 16 and older need a valid California fishing license, and that the California Department of Fish and Wildlife's freshwater sport fishing regulations and the City's own rules are strictly enforced. Anglers 8 and older also need a daily City fishing permit. At Barrett and Upper Otay, fishing is catch and release only, with barbless artificial lures, to protect a population of northern-strain largemouth bass. The program's fishing and hunting page lists the species at each lake.

• Reporting poaching. CDFW's CalTIP program (Californians Turn In Poachers and Polluters) takes reports of any fish and wildlife violation at 1-888-334-2258 (1-888-334-CALTIP), 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and you do not have to give your name. You can also text "CALTIP" followed by a space and your message to 847411, or use the free CalTIP app. CDFW says online tips are read only during business hours, so call for a violation in progress.
• What to include. CDFW asks for as full an account as possible: a description of the person, any vehicle, its license number and direction of travel, the type of violation, and when and where it happened. Tell lake staff too, since City permit and catch rules apply as well.

• Current levels. The City's water levels page lists each reservoir's depth, storage and percent full, and the lowest level at which each launch ramp works. The City says the table is updated weekly but may be late, and links to automated level sensors with webcams. Low water is the usual reason a launch ramp is closed.
• Dams and water releases. The City's reservoir dams page says its dams are regularly inspected by the California Division of Safety of Dams, and that planned or emergency water releases are announced on the Reservoirs and Lakes site and City social media. For flooding on City streets, see our storm drains and flooding guide.

The lakes store raw water; it is treated before it reaches homes. When the City has posted algae warnings at Miramar and Lower Otay, it said the bloom did not affect the safety of its treated drinking water. A problem with the water from your tap (color, taste, smell, particles) is a separate matter for the Public Utilities Department's Water Quality team at 619-668-3232 or [email protected]. Our tap water quality guide covers that in detail, including why tap water can taste earthy when reservoirs have algae.

• Chollas Lake. Built as a reservoir in 1901, it was turned over to Parks and Recreation in 1966 and is a youth-only fishing lake for ages 15 and under. Its park page lists 619-527-7683 and [email protected] for questions and closures, and 858-538-8082 to report illegal activity, encroachment or maintenance needs. The park rules prohibit swimming and wading and require pets on a leash. For other park problems, see our park and playground guide.
• Other lakes. The City's related information page lists lakes it does not run, including Cuyamaca, Dixon, Henshaw, Jennings, Lindo, Loveland, Morena, Poway, Ramona, Santee Lakes, Sweetwater and Wohlford. Problems there go to the agency that operates each one. Two are County parks: Lake Morena County Park, (619) 579-4101, and Lindo Lake County Park, (619) 443-1666. Morena also appears in the City's water levels table, but the park on its shore is run by the County.
• Mission Bay and the ocean. Not reservoirs; see our beach and bay problems guide.

For problems elsewhere in the city, see our guide to reporting a problem to the City of San Diego.