San Vicente Reservoir reopened for fishing and boating on September 22nd, 2016 after being closed for more than 8 years while it underwent a massive project to raise the height of the dam by 117 vertical feet – the tallest dam raise in United States history. San Vicente is located 25 miles northeast of San Diego in the rural foothills of Lakeside. (13600 Moreno Ave. Lakeside, CA 92040).
San Vicente Reservoir is by far the largest reservoir in San Diego County in terms of water volume with a total capacity of 249,358 acre feet, more than twice that of the 2nd largest reservoir, El Capitan. The original dam at San Vicente Reservoir was completed in 1943, creating a reservoir with 1,069 surface acres and 14 miles of shoreline with a maximum depth of 190 feet. In 2009, the San Diego County Water Authority began a project to raise the dam an additional 117 feet, allowing the lake to store an additional 152,000 acre feet of water providing another 500 surface acres. That project was completed in 2012, and the reservoir reopened on September 22nd, 2016 after a new marina and dock facilities were added. San Vicente Reservoir is owned and operated by the city of San Diego. Concession services, including the rental boat fleet is operated by Rocky Mountain Recreation.