Top Lakes in California

Is California a lake destination?

While famous for its Pacific coastline and trendy beach towns, California is also home to numerous pristine lakes and reservoirs where travelers can unwind and enjoy the refreshing waters.

Dinogo Travel offers a quick tour of some of California's finest lakes:

Shasta Lake

Shasta Lake, California’s largest reservoir, spans 30,000 acres. Located in Northern California, it’s about a -hour drive from San Francisco. With 370 miles of shoreline, renting houseboats is a favorite activity here.

Visitors can enjoy breathtaking views of Mt. Shasta, whose peak remains snow-capped year-round. The Shasta Dam, constructed between 1938 and 1945 on the lake’s western side, is part of the Central Valley Project.

Castaic Lake

Situated northeast of Los Angeles, Castaic Lake offers the perfect outdoor retreat from the city’s smog. The lake features two main sections, Upper and Lower, each offering unique activities.

The Lower lake is dedicated to canoeing, non-motorized boating, and swimming from mid-May to mid-September, while the Upper lake permits power boats, fishing, and Jet Skis.

Big Bear Lake

Big Bear Lake is an ideal day trip destination for those traveling from Los Angeles, just a two-hour drive away. Animal enthusiasts can visit the Big Bear Alpine Zoo to see the lake’s namesake up close.

The lake is surrounded by numerous hiking and biking trails and offers many fishing spots. Visitors can rent boats and equipment at the several marinas located around the lake.

Lake Havasu

Lake Havasu straddles the California-Arizona border and serves as a desert oasis. It’s a five-hour drive from Los Angeles and two and a half hours from Las Vegas. Visitors can enjoy fishing and boating on the lake, which was created by the Colorado River.

Lake Havasu City, located on the Arizona side, is home to the original London Bridge, which was dismantled and shipped brick-by-brick from England. The bricks were numbered for accurate reconstruction, and some of the original markings remain visible.

Mono Lake

Mono Lake, located in the Sierra Nevada mountains, stretches over 70 miles. It’s a five-hour drive from either Los Angeles or San Francisco.

For fishing enthusiasts, this is not the lake to visit, as Mono Lake is fishless. It’s a saline lake, two to three times saltier than the ocean, and home to unique limestone formations called tufa towers.

Clear Lake

Located in the heart of Wine Country, Clear Lake boasts over 100 miles of shoreline. Popular activities include bass fishing, kayaking, and boating.

Outdoor enthusiasts can camp at one of the four campgrounds in Clear Lake State Park. Wine lovers can explore nearby wineries, such as Brassfield Estate Winery and Gregory Graham Winery.

Lake Tahoe

Did you think we'd skip Lake Tahoe? Straddling the border of California and Nevada, Lake Tahoe offers a wide range of outdoor activities, from kayaking to horseback riding. It’s a three-and-a-half-hour drive from San Francisco and under an hour from Reno, Nevada.

Over 2 million years old, Lake Tahoe has a maximum depth of more than a quarter mile. The lake is divided into North and South Lake Tahoe, each offering unique trails, beaches, and water sports. But its most striking feature is its crystal-clear blue waters, reflecting the surrounding mountain peaks.