Nacimiento Reservoir

About Nacimiento Reservoir

Lake Nacimiento is located in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California, USA, north of San Diego. Called "Dragon Lake" in many quarters, this 18.6-mile beauty is the largest lake in California and the second largest in North America, and it's truly a sight to behold. Lake NACIMIENTO is covered with grassy slopes covered with pine and oak forests and has an average depth of 0.8 meters.

Lake Nacimiento was created in the 1950s after the NACIMIENto River was drained, and the Monterey County Water Authority (MCWRA) completed the construction of a 2.6-kilometer dam in 1961. The lake supplies the city of Santa Cruz with water and the water supply of the district. Private apartment sharing has been available on the coast since 1950, with a total of 1,000 units for rent in San Diego.

Lake Nacimiento is almost 200 metres deep at the end of the dam, and the lake level is lowered to make way for heavy rain and snow melt upstream to replenish capacity on May 1. In winter, the MCWRA should have lowered the lake's water level by a further 17 feet (765 feet) to improve flood defences. The modifications to the dam and the overflow of NACIMIENTo planned for spring 2008 and autumn 2009 will help to stop the infiltration of seawater into the lake and improve flood protection of both dams.

Lake Nacimiento is the only lake in California where white perches live, and with an average temperature of 72 degrees, clean water is maintained. Although there are only white perches, there are also a number of other fish species, such as blue fish, white-legged sturgeon and black-eyed ducks, which live in the lake.

Lake Nacimiento attracts year-round visitors, but anglers should follow the California Sport Fish Consumption Advisories (see link below). You cannot fish without a California fishing license, and you must obtain it from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) or the county's local fisheries department.

Accommodation ranges from cabins to tents and campers, and on Lake Nacimiento there is a fully equipped marina with fishing and boat boats.

Lake Nacimeiento is a must-see, but visitors must also be satisfied with the natural attractions of Lake Dragon.

The annual fee for the lake is $75 and is the best in Nacimiento and San Antonio, and the fees for both lakes are $5 per day.