Overview
Lake Perris is an approximately 2,290-acre terminal reservoir of the State Water Project's East Branch in Riverside County, about 10 miles southeast of Riverside. Perris Dam was completed in the early 1970s and is owned and operated by the California Department of Water Resources, storing imported Northern California water for Southern California municipal and industrial use while supporting a major state recreation area.
At maximum operating pool near 1,588 feet above mean sea level the lake holds on the order of 127,000 acre-feet, with about 10 miles of shoreline and depths commonly approaching 100 feet. Rocky points, open-water flats, and a relatively compact basin make it a concentrated boating and fishing lake rather than a long riverine reservoir.
Lake Perris State Recreation Area is a heavily used Southern California destination for swimming, scuba, camping, and fishing for largemouth bass, trout (when stocked), and other warmwater species managed by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Multiple boat ramps, marinas, and day-use beaches provide public access just east of the Inland Empire population centers.
Water levels are managed by DWR for State Water Project deliveries and dam-safety constraints; a long seismic remediation drawdown beginning in 2005 kept the pool well below full for more than a decade before refilling resumed after repairs. Elevations still respond to SWP supply and demand, so monitoring current lake levels matters for ramps, beaches, and fishing. Diamond Valley Lake nearby provides complementary regional storage.
Current Conditions
Lake Perris is currently 2.98 feet below full pool and has risen slightly over the past week.
- 7-day trendRisingLatest movement can differ from the seven-day trend.
- 7-day changeUp 0.10 ft
- 30-day changeUp 0.26 ft
- Drought conditionsAbnormally Dry
- Active advisories2 active (Advisory)
About This Lake
Learn how this lake is managed, what affects its water level, and where Lake Insights gets its data.
Lake Perris is a 2,292-acre reservoir on the California Aqueduct managed by California Department of Water Resources (State Water Project).