We manage the multipurpose State Water Project (SWP) that provides water supply, flood control, fish and wildlife habitat, and outstanding recreational opportunities to millions of Californians. Through partnerships with State, local, and federal agencies, we ensure the public can enjoy extensive water-based activities at dozens of developed areas, including lakes and reservoirs. These include boating, fishing, camping, and visitors centers. 

You can view our recreation map to find state-wide locations with fun things to do and view our recreation photo gallery for inspiration. Remember to check current conditions and water safety tips before you go.

Fishing

There are designated fishing locations at 12 SWP reservoirs and 16 sites along the 444-mile-long California Aqueduct providing varied opportunities for year-round fishing. 

Rainbow trout are stocked seasonally during the cooler months at three SWP reservoirs - Castaic Lake, Pyramid Lake, and Silverwood Lake. Each lake receives 20,000 pounds of trout each season. Stocking typically occurs from late October to early May but may vary from year to year. The dates of each trout stocking event will be posted in below, as they occur. Please check back through the season for stocking updates.

Castaic (Los Angeles County)

Planting Week: April 29, 2024

Location: View map

Species: Rainbow trout

Amount: 5,000 pounds

 

Pyramid (Los Angeles County)

Planting Week: Nov. 11, 2024

Location: View map

Species: Rainbow trout

Amount: 5,000 pounds

 

Silverwood Lake (San Bernardino County)

Planting Week: November 18, 2024

Location: View map

Species: Rainbow trout

Amount: 5,000 pounds

 

*Date to be posted week prior to stocking

Any person who is 16 years of age or older must have a sport fishing license to take any kind of fish, mollusk, invertebrate, amphibian or crustacean in California, except for persons angling from a public pier in ocean or bay waters. Department of Fish and Wildlife’s fishing regulations apply throughout the SWP.

When fishing along the SWP, remember to follow all water safety tips.

Fishing Safety at the California Aqueduct

The Aqueduct has fast and deep currents – up to 30 feet in some places – so please heed all water safety tips, along with these tips for staying safe on the Aqueduct: 

• Wear rubber-soled shoes for safe footing and life jacket. 
• Never fish alone.
• Observe no trespassing and all signs, like restricting vehicles or bicycle use. Keep out of fenced areas.
• Stand back from the Aqueduct’s steep, slippery, and difficult-to-climb sloping concrete sides. 
• Look for the safety ladders and lines. Safety ladders along both sides of the Aqueduct are spaced 500 feet apart and marked by bright yellow paint. The safety lines are strung on plastic floats, close to bridges and other structures that cross the Aqueduct. These ladders and lines can save your life. 
• Do not go into the water to land a fish, recover fishing gear, or for any other reason. 
• Take your own drinking water. The Aqueduct water has not been treated and is not safe to drink. 
• Don’t play near the Aqueduct. 
• Don’t make fires. 
• No camping allowed. 
• Don’t block vehicle access gates or roadways. 
• Do not climb structures or fish from bridges crossing the Aqueduct.

View a map of the 16 designated fishing sites along the California Aqueduct.

Boating and Mussel Prevention

To help prevent the spread of quagga or zebra mussels, DWR partners with California State Parks’ Division of Boating and Waterways (DBW), and California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) to inform boaters to always remember to clean, drain, and dry their boats before entering and leaving lakes, rivers, and other waterways.

 

Castaic Lake and Pyramid Lake Discoveries

 

In 2016, mussels were found in two of the California State Water Project (SWP) reservoirs in Los Angeles County. Discoveries at Pyramid Lake in 2016, Castaic Lake in 2021, and Castaic Lagoon in 2024 resulted in them being classified as infested.

 

Boating Restrictions Implemented at San Luis Reservoir State Recreation Area

 

As of October 29, 2024, boats leaving San Luis Reservoir, O’Neill Forebay and Los Banos Creek Reservoir are required to be inspected by California State Parks staff to help prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species. Golden mussels were recently detected in O’Neill Forebay in Merced County. 

Before leaving, boats will be inspected to ensure all water is drained from outboards, bilges, live-wells, and any other areas where water may have collected. The existing entrance inspection remains in effect. 

A “clean boat” tag, which normally is attached to boats upon departure, will not be granted to boats leaving from San Luis State Recreation Area (SRA) lakes. The tag is an indicator that the boat has only been used in mussel-free lakes and may not require inspection prior to entering other bodies of water, depending upon a lake’s specific launching requirements. Boats leaving San Luis Reservoir, O’Neill Forebay and Los Banos Creek Reservoir will not be allowed to launch in another San Luis SRA lake until a seven-day dry-out period has been observed.

As with boating anywhere in California, it is advised that boaters contact the destination waterbody so they are informed of any inspection requirements before their arrival. Boats and equipment should be cleaned, drained, and dried after every use to prevent spreading invasive species.

DWR urges other waterbody managers with invasive species prevention programs to consider San Luis Reservoir, O’Neill Forebay, and Los Banos Creek Reservoir as potentially infested waters. Watercraft originating from these waterbodies should be considered high-risk and managed accordingly. 

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To protect the SWP water from these invasive aquatic species that can attach to hard services, alter aquatic ecosystems, and clog water delivery systems, DWR routinely monitors for these mussels and takes measures to prevent them from infesting SWP water. As part of DWR’s early detection monitoring program, DWR works with partner agencies, such as DBW and CDFW and routinely samples for adult and juvenile (veliger) mussels at 18 SWP locations. Warning cards are distributed at eight SWP reservoirs to alert California boaters to the harmful effects of invasive mussels on boats and aquatic ecosystems.

 

SWP Reservoir Inspections

Watercraft must pass an entrance inspection before launching in most SWP reservoirs. If watercraft fails an entrance inspection or has been in an infested waterbody, it must observe a seven to eight day dry-out period before a boat can be launched in SWP waters. Dry time requirements vary for other waterbodies, so it is best to check before you go. SWP reservoirs with inspections include:

• Lake Del Valle (Alameda County)
• San Luis Reservoir (Merced County)
• O’Neill Forebay (Merced County)
• Los Banos Creek Reservoir (Merced County)
• Pyramid Lake (Los Angeles County)
• Castaic Lake and Lagoon (Los Angeles County)
• Silverwood Lake (San Bernardino County)
• Lake Perris (Riverside County)

Resources

 

Quagga and Zebra Mussels

• DWR’s Quagga Mussels: Clean, Drain, and Dry Video
• Department of Fish and Wildlife website 
• Division of Boating and Waterways website

Recreational Opportunities – Suisun Marsh

• Suisun Marsh Recreation Storymap

Recreation

• California State Parks
• National Weather Service

Videos

• Folsom, Oroville, and Shasta Reservoirs, July 2015
• Frenchman Lake and Lake Davis_ March 2017
• Oroville Fish Hatchery, April 2013