Top lakes
LakeButte Lake
LakeSalton Sea
LakeTenaya Lake
LakeDonner Lake
LakeClear Lake
LakeLake Berryessa
LakeLake Merced
LakeConvict Lake
LakeCastle Lake
LakeSnag Lake
LakeBig Bear Lake
LakeEmerald Lake
Lakes by county
- Alameda County3
- City and County of San Francisco5
- El Dorado County10
- Fresno County5
- Lassen County4
- Los Angeles County3
- Marin County3
- Mariposa County5
- Mono County7
- San Bernardino County6
- Shasta County8
- Siskiyou County4
- Tuolumne County4
All lakes (93)
| Name | County | Elevation | Nearest town | Sky |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Butte LakeLassen Volcanic | Lassen County | 1,845 m | Chester | 2 |
| Salton Sea | Imperial County | — | Salton City | 3 |
| Tenaya LakeYosemite | Mariposa County | 2,482 m | Yosemite Valley | 2 |
| Donner Lake | Nevada County | 1,810 m | Truckee | 4 |
| Clear Lake | Lake County | 405 m | Lucerne | 4 |
| Lake Berryessa | Napa County | — | Angwin | 4 |
| Lake Merced | City and County of San Francisco | 6 m | Parkside | 8 |
| Convict Lake | Mono County | 2,311 m | Mammoth Lakes | 3 |
| Castle Lake | Siskiyou County | 1,658 m | Dunsmuir | 2 |
| Snag LakeLassen Volcanic | Lassen County | 1,853 m | Chester | 2 |
| Big Bear Lake | San Bernardino County | — | Big Bear Lake | 5 |
| Emerald LakeLassen Volcanic | Shasta County | 2,470 m | Chester | 2 |
| Manzanita LakeLassen Volcanic | Shasta County | 1,787 m | Shingletown | 2 |
| Eagle Lake | Lassen County | 1,558 m | Susanville | 2 |
| Lake Elsinore | Riverside County | 379 m | Lake Elsinore | 8 |
| Thousand Island Lake | Madera County | 2,999 m | Mammoth Lakes | 2 |
| Summit Lake (Reading Peak, Shasta County)Lassen Volcanic | Shasta County | 2,036 m | Chester | 2 |
| May LakeYosemite | Mariposa County | 2,844 m | Yosemite Valley | 3 |
| Horseshoe LakeLassen Volcanic | Shasta County | 1,994 m | Chester | 2 |
| Lake Havasu | San Bernardino County | — | Lake Havasu City | 5 |
| Emerald PoolYosemite | Mariposa County | 1,543 m | Yosemite Valley | 3 |
| Ostrander LakeYosemite | Mariposa County | 2,593 m | Yosemite Valley | 3 |
| Lake VernonYosemite | Tuolumne County | 2,002 m | Yosemite Valley | 3 |
| Gilmore Lake | El Dorado County | 2,536 m | South Lake Tahoe | 4 |
| June Lake | Mono County | 2,323 m | Mammoth Lakes | 2 |
| Kibbie Lake | Tuolumne County | 1,986 m | Twain Harte | 3 |
| Tulainyo Lake | Tulare County | 3,910 m | Lone Pine | 2 |
| Black Butte Lake | Tehama County | 139 m | Orland | 3 |
| Bristol Lake | San Bernardino County | 183 m | Twentynine Palms | 3 |
| Dog LakeYosemite | Tuolumne County | 2,798 m | Yosemite Valley | 2 |
| Lake Sabrina | Inyo County | 2,784 m | West Bishop | 2 |
| Budd LakeYosemite | Tuolumne County | 3,042 m | Yosemite Valley | 2 |
| Bernice LakeYosemite | Mariposa County | 3,115 m | Yosemite Valley | 2 |
| Reflection LakeLassen Volcanic | Shasta County | 1,796 m | Shingletown | 2 |
| Lake Isabella | Kern County | — | Wofford Heights | 4 |
| Lake Piru | Ventura County | — | Piru | 5 |
| Baker LakeLassen Volcanic | Shasta County | 1,620 m | Burney | 2 |
| Lake Virginia | Fresno County | 3,153 m | Mammoth Lakes | 2 |
| Lake Elizabeth | Alameda County | 15 m | Fremont | 8 |
| Lake Gregory | San Bernardino County | 1,388 m | Crestline | 6 |
| Wrights Lake | El Dorado County | 2,122 m | South Lake Tahoe | 3 |
| Soda Lake (San Luis Obispo County) | San Luis Obispo County | 580 m | Taft Heights | 3 |
| Eagle Lake | El Dorado County | 2,131 m | South Lake Tahoe | 4 |
| Echo Lake | El Dorado County | 2,264 m | South Lake Tahoe | 3 |
| Hume Lake | Fresno County | 1,586 m | Yokuts Valley | 3 |
| Francis Lake | El Dorado County | 1,912 m | Tahoma | 3 |
| Cascade Lake | El Dorado County | 1,967 m | South Lake Tahoe | 4 |
| Lake MaryDevils Postpile | Mono County | 2,733 m | Mammoth Lakes | 4 |
| Honey Lake | Lassen County | — | Janesville | 2 |
| Shasta Lake | Shasta County | — | Shasta Lake | 4 |
| Lake Oroville | Butte County | — | Oroville East | 4 |
| Pyramid Lake | Los Angeles County | — | Castaic | 5 |
| Tule Lake | Siskiyou County | — | Altamont | 2 |
| Baldwin Lake | San Bernardino County | 2,040 m | Big Bear City | 5 |
| Belvedere Lagoon | Marin County | -4 m | Belvedere | 7 |
| Waca Lake | El Dorado County | 2,493 m | South Lake Tahoe | 3 |
| Lloyd Lake | City and County of San Francisco | 59 m | Parkside | 8 |
| Rodeo LagoonGolden Gate | Marin County | 3 m | Marin City | 7 |
| Minaret LakeDevils Postpile | Madera County | 2,987 m | Mammoth Lakes | 2 |
| Nüümü Hu Hupi | Fresno County | 3,143 m | Mammoth Lakes | 2 |
| Spreckels Lake | City and County of San Francisco | 42 m | Parkside | 8 |
| Indian Tom Lake | Siskiyou County | 1,246 m | Altamont | 2 |
| Elizabeth Lake | Los Angeles County | 998 m | Green Valley | 5 |
| Ellis Lake | Yuba County | 16 m | Marysville | 8 |
| Lake Norconian | Riverside County | 199 m | Norco | 8 |
| Peeler Lake | Mono County | 2,892 m | Yosemite Valley | 2 |
| Agnew Lake | Mono County | 2,591 m | Mammoth Lakes | 2 |
| Loch Leven | Inyo County | 3,276 m | West Bishop | 2 |
| Pelican Lake | Marin County | 56 m | Bolinas | 5 |
| Jenks Lake | San Bernardino County | 2,054 m | Big Bear Lake | 5 |
| Laguna Honda Reservoir | City and County of San Francisco | 119 m | Parkside | 8 |
| Laguna Lake | Sonoma County | 69 m | Petaluma | 5 |
| Elk Glen Lake | City and County of San Francisco | 53 m | Parkside | 8 |
| San Andreas Lake | San Mateo County | — | Millbrae | 8 |
| Lower Klamath Lake | Siskiyou County | — | Altamont | 2 |
| Pine Flat Lake | Fresno County | — | Yokuts Valley | 4 |
| Lake Almanor | Plumas County | — | Chester | 2 |
| Lake Earl | Del Norte County | 2 m | Fort Dick | 3 |
| Lake of the Lone Indian | Fresno County | 3,115 m | Mammoth Lakes | 2 |
| Castac Lake | Kern County | 1,062 m | Lebec | 4 |
| Pyramid Lake | El Dorado County | 2,458 m | South Lake Tahoe | 3 |
| Alpine Lake | Mono County | 3,362 m | Yosemite Valley | 2 |
| Hughes Lake | Los Angeles County | 973 m | Green Valley | 5 |
| Freshwater Lagoon | Humboldt County | 3 m | Westhaven-Moonstone | 2 |
| Lake Cahuma | Santa Barbara County | — | Santa Ynez | 4 |
| Trinity Lake | Trinity County | — | Lewiston | 2 |
| Folsom Lake | El Dorado County | — | Granite Bay | 7 |
| Lake Anza | Alameda County | — | Kensington | 8 |
| Lake Aloha | El Dorado County | — | South Lake Tahoe | 3 |
| Lake Britton | Shasta County | — | Burney | 2 |
| Lake Casitas | Ventura County | — | Oak View | 5 |
| Lake Chabot | Alameda County | — | San Leandro | 8 |
| Crowley Lake | Mono County | — | Mammoth Lakes | 2 |
Sky = estimated Bortle class (1 darkest – 9 brightest).
Map
How to photograph lakes
Lakes reflect best in calm air — usually the first hour after sunrise, before breezes ripple the surface.
- For mirror reflections, get low and close to the water; the reflection grows with a lower camera.
- A polarizer can remove reflections to show the lakebed — or keep them, depending on rotation.
- Mist often lifts off lakes on cold mornings after warm days, especially in autumn.
- Include shoreline rocks, reeds or a log as foreground to give the reflection depth.
- Expose for the brighter sky; reflections are typically half a stop to a stop darker.
Season: Autumn mornings bring mist and fall color; high-elevation lakes are usually ice-free only from early summer to mid-autumn.