Boating on California's Inland Lakes and Reservoirs

Inland California boating runs from small, slow San Diego drinking-water reservoirs to huge houseboat lakes in the north, and the rules change from one lake to the next. Two things matter most before every trip: the mussel rule for that exact lake, and whether the ramp works at today's water level. The details below come from our lake guides, last verified October 2, 2026.

Check water levels before you tow

Reservoir levels swing with rain, snowpack and releases, and ramps work only within a level range. Check the manager's page on the day you go.

• Lake Oroville: State Parks' April 29, 2026 page listed Bidwell Canyon open from elevation 900 to 740 feet and Lime Saddle from 900 to 707. Those are ranges, not today's status.
• Lower Otay Lake: the City closed the ramp June 3, 2026 for low water. El Capitan lists its ramp closed for low water, Lake Murray closes its ramp when the level is between 80 and 86 feet, and the City's Lake Hodges page says no launch is available.
• Shasta Lake ramp lanes depend on drawdown; Trinity Center ramp opens only to a 65-foot drawdown.
• Millerton: Ramps 1 and 6 work at all levels. Pine Flat: Deer Creek and Lake View stay open year-round.
• Lake Elsinore varies widely; its optimal level is 1,240 feet.

Mussel rules differ lake by lake

• Quarantine or seal: Folsom inspects and then seals for 30 days or hot-water decontaminates (since April 14, 2025). Berryessa uses a red 30-day seal or hot-water decontamination. Casitas requires 35 days, Cachuma 30 days for trailered boats, and Skinner county pages describe 7 days.
• Lake Perris: failed inspection means an eight-day quarantine that also covers Silverwood and Diamond Valley. Golden mussels were not found at Perris as of the September 2025 notice.
• Lake Del Valle: golden mussels reported September 2026; 30-day quarantine, with an exemption for boats launching only there.
• Golden mussels found September 2025: Pyramid (exit inspections since 2016) and Silverwood, where State Parks' boating page says incoming inspections were discontinued. Call before you go.
• Inspection at launch: Big Bear (plus permit), Castaic (quagga found 2021), Hodges, Puddingstone, Piru (in and out), New Bullards Bar (free screening) and Lake Sonoma.
• Self-certification: Whiskeytown, Shasta and Trinity require an Invasive Mussel-Free Certification. A Forest Order (December 4, 2025 to December 4, 2027) bans possessing mussels at Shasta and Trinity. Millerton uses stickers and a self-inspection form.
• Rules ended: DWR stopped mandatory inspections at Oroville on April 29, 2026; Clean, Drain, Dry is still asked.
• No inspection step is described in our guides for Murray, San Vicente, Jennings, Englebright, Bass, Shaver, Elsinore or Pine Flat; call the manager.

Southern California

Big Bear Lake has a 26-foot boat limit. Castaic Lake has a gas-engine-free lagoon below the dam. Pyramid Lake has an eight-lane ramp. Lake Perris is a State Recreation Area. Lake Elsinore is run under the City's lake code. Silverwood has a seven-lane ramp. Lake Skinner has a 10 mph limit. Diamond Valley Lake requires boats of 12 feet or more. Puddingstone is open Wednesday to Sunday. Lake Casitas, Cachuma and Lake Piru run their own permit or inspection programs.

San Diego reservoirs

The City runs Murray, Hodges, Lower Otay, El Capitan and San Vicente with set open days, and several close one day a month; San Vicente allows waterskiing. Lake Jennings (Helix Water District) allows boating Friday to Sunday and holidays.

Sierra

Folsom Lake (5 mph on Lake Natoma), Englebright Lake (boat-in camping), New Bullards Bar, Millerton Lake, Bass Lake, Shaver Lake and Pine Flat Lake.

Northern California

Shasta Lake (houseboats; Bridge Bay Resort & Marina), Lake Oroville (Bidwell Canyon Marina), Whiskeytown Lake (no personal watercraft), Trinity Lake, Lake Sonoma, Lake Berryessa and Lake Del Valle (10 mph, no personal watercraft).

Other rules

Many lakes limit speed, hours, boat size or days. A California Boater Card is required for all operators of motorized vessels since January 1, 2025.

Boat services

Decontamination, drying and cleaning before and after each lake matter most; houseboat and ski-boat owners also need engine, hull and canvas service.