Lake Elsinore, CA

Lake Elsinore is the largest natural freshwater lake in Southern California and is situated at the lowest point within the San Jacinto River watershed of 750 square miles (1,900 km2) at the terminus of the San Jacinto River. Lake levels are healthy at 1,244 feet (379 m) (above sea level) with a volume of 30,000 acre·ft (37,000,000 m3) that often fluctuate, although much has been done recently to prevent the lake from drying up, flooding, or becoming stagnant.

At 1,255 feet (383 m), the lake will spill into the outflow channel on its northeastern shore, known properly as Temescal Wash, flowing northwest through Temescal Canyon feeding Aberhill Creek which joins Temescal Creek, which in turn dumps into the Santa Ana River just northwest of Corona. Lake Elsinore is the largest sag pond in the Elsinore Fault Zone.

Lake Elsinore is ideal for motor boating, jet skiiing, waterskiing, wake boarding, kayaking and fishing. It boasts public beaches with picnic and shade features, plenty of safe easy-access parking, a three mile levee for hiking, nature watching and fishing (some areas restricted), and a tournament channel for professional ski instruction and club and pro competitions.  Lake hours are sunrise to sunset and no swimming is permitted.