There are no concession services at the City Reservoirs, no sale of State fishing licenses, bait, food or drinks. Please make sure you bring you own bait, and refreshments, and obtain your State fishing license in advance. Reservoirs accept cash only, no credit or ATM cards.

Reservoir staff is selling daily permits and renting rowboats and fishing boats with 5 hp motors on certain days only (please check each lake schedule below). Hodges, Lower Otay, Miramar, and Murray also rent kayaks. Check individual lake schedules below for rental days.

Dogs must be on a leash at all times and kept at least 50 feet away from the water. They are not permitted on private or rental boats.

Lake hours are one-half hour before sunrise to sunset on open days only.

NOTICE: Due to increased security measures, vessels may be inspected as a requirement for entry into the reservoirs.

New permit fees effective Feb. 1, 2009, please see Permits & Fees (daily).

Current Operating Schedules:

On Friday, July 3rd, all City Lakes, except Barrett, will be open for fishing and boating. All lakes except El Capitan and Sutherland will also offer boats for rent. El Capitan will be open for both fishing and water contact activities. On Saturday, July 4th, all lakes will be open on their normal schedules.

For general City Reservoir information not found on these pages, please call our office (Monday through Friday) at 619-668-2050 or email ssmith@sandiego.gov.

Barrett is open for fishing on a Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday schedule. There are still reservations available for July. August's reservations will go on sale through Ticketmaster (619) 220-8497 or www.ticketmaster.com on Tuesday, July 14, 2009, at 7:00 p.m.

Waterfowl hunting is offered on a Wednesday and Saturday schedule October through January. See Hunting section below for more infomation.

All persons (age 8 and older) entering reservoir property are required to pay daily use fees, including launch and per person fees, see Permits & Fees (daily).

El Capitan is now open on its summer schedule (May - Oct) as follows:

Lake hours are one-half hour before sunrise to sunset.

Thursday, Friday, Saturday - fishing, general boating, and water contact (waterskiing, jetskiing, wakeboarding, towing inflatables).

Sunday - water contact only (no fishing).

Monday - fishing and general boating only (no water contact).

Paddleboards are not permitted at any time.

Tuesday and Wednesday - closed.

Kayaks are permitted Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Monday (no kayaks on Sundays). The $2.00 kayak launch permit fee does NOT apply at El Capitan. Each person pays the $8.00 (adult) or $2.50 (youth) user fee, but there is no additional fee for the kayak.

There are no rental boats during June, July and August.

On Saturdays and Sundays there is a limit of 120 vessels total on the lake at one time and the lake may max out early in the day. You can call the new boat info line at 619-668-2770 which will be updated when the lake reaches capacity.

All private boats wishing to launch at Lake Hodges will be inspected for quagga mussels. Boats must be clean and dry or they will not be permitted to launch. Please review inspection procedures (PDF: 15K).

Hodges is open on a Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday schedule. Rental boats are only available on Saturdays and Sundays. Hodges is also renting kayaks.

Permits on Wednesdays must be purchased from the electronic pay station or the iron ranger pay station (please bring exact change for the iron ranger). For permit prices please see Permits & Fees (daily).

For information on trails that are open or closed please check the San Dieguito River Park's web site at sdrp.org

Lower Otay is open for fishing and general boating on Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday only, from one-half hour before sunrise to sunset. Iron Ranger Pay Stations and an electronic pay station are available to purchase permits (please bring exact change for the iron ranger) as well as permit sales from the boat dock. For permit prices please see Permits & Fees (daily).

Otay rents motorboats, rowboats and kayaks on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

Kayaks are permitted Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday only.

Miramar is open to fishing and private boats seven days a week from one-half hour before sunrise to sunset. The picnic area, and perimeter road are open seven days a week, however, vehicles are only allowed on the road Saturday through Tuesday. Patrons can walk completely around the lake, a distance of 4.92 miles. Gates to the dam close at sunset, same as the main gates/parking lot.

Boat rentals (motorboats, rowboats and kayaks) are available on Saturdays and Sundays only. Private boats, including kayaks, are permitted seven days a week.

Permits on Monday - Friday must be purchased from the iron ranger pay stations or the electronic pay station (please bring exact change for the iron ranger). For permit prices please see Permits & Fees (daily).

Murray is open for shore fishing and private boats seven days a week from one-half hour before sunrise to sunset. Permits can be purchased from Iron Ranger Pay Stations around the lake or from the electronic pay station by the concession building. The picnic area and perimeter road are open seven days a week.

Boat rentals (motorboats, rowboats and kayaks) are available on Saurdays and Sundays only. Private boats, including kayaks, are permitted seven days a week.

Permits on Monday - Friday must be purchased from the iron ranger pay stations or the electronic pay station (please bring exact change for the iron ranger). For permit prices please see Permits & Fees (daily).

San Vicente is now closed to all public access and recreation for construction on the San Diego County Water Authority's San Vicente Dam Raise Project.

It is expected to be closed for 6-9 years and reopen between 2014 and 2017.

For questions about the project, please call the toll-free project information line at 877-426-2010. or check the San Diego County Water Authority's web site at www.sdcwa.org and click on San Vicente Dam Raise.

All private boats wishing to launch at Lake Sutherland will be inspected for quagga mussels. Boats must be clean and dry or they will not be permitted to launch. Please review inspection procedures (PDF: 15K).

Sutherland Reservoir is open for fishing and boating on Saturdays and Sundays and is also open on Mondays for shore fishing and float tubes only (no boats on Mondays). Sutherland is no longer renting boats. The water level is very low; boats can launch but at their own risk.

All permits must be purchased from the electronic pay station or the iron ranger pay station (please bring exact change for the iron ranger). For permit prices please see Permits & Fees (daily).

Turkey hunting is offered on a Wednesday and Saturday schedule for the spring season only.

The gates to Upper Otay are now open again and patrons can drive up to the lake.

Upper Otay is open for fishing on Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday only from one-half hour before sunrise to sunset. Patrons can purchase permits from the Iron Ranger pay station (please bring exact change). Upper Otay is a catch and release only fishery. Bait is not permitted, only artificial lures with barbless hooks. Boats are not permitted on Upper Otay, only shore fishing, waders and float tubes.

Hunting

Waterfowl hunting is allowed at Barrett only and the season runs from Oct. thru Jan. Turkey hunting is allowed at Sutherland only and the season runs from the end of March to the beginning of May.

To be added to the mailing list for the 2009-2010 waterfowl season or the 2010 turkey season, call 619-668-2050, or email ssmith@sandiego.gov and include your physical mailing address and which hunting list you want to be included in.

Boat Reservations

Fish Stocking

Special Events

For more details on special events at the City Reservoirs, or if you would like to have an event at one of the City Reservoirs, please call (619) 668-2050 or email ssmith@sandiego.gov for more information on fees and regulations and to request an application form. All participants at events on weekends held at Lake Miramar must park off site and be shuttled in. At Murray for weekend events there is a limit of 50 parking spaces for event parking in the new lot just outside the main gate.

Club Bass Fishing Tournaments

To hold a night tournament, a tournament on a closed day, or any other type of on-water event at a City Reservoir, please download our application form (PDF: 27K) .

Form should be returned to ssmith@sandiego.gov or faxed to 619-443-7681.