| Lake Henshaw | |
|---|---|
 Lake Henshaw from Mesa Grande Road | |
  Lake Henshaw  Lake Henshaw | |
| Location | San Diego County, California |
| Coordinates | 33°14′30″N 116°45′47″W / 33.241706°N 116.763078°W |
| Type | Reservoir |
| Catchment area | 217 square miles (560 km2) |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Managing agency | Vista Irrigation District |
| Surface area | 1,140 acres (460 ha) |
| Water volume | 55,000 acre-feet (68,000,000 m3) |
| Shore length1 | 5 miles (8.0 km) |
| Surface elevation | 2,723 feet (830 m) |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
Lake Henshaw is a reservoir in San Diego County, California, at the southeast base of Palomar Mountain, approximately 70 miles (110 km) northeast of San Diego, California, and 100 miles (160 km) southeast of Los Angeles.[1]
The lake covers approximately 1,140 acres (460 ha) and holds 55,000 acre-feet (68,000,000 m3) of water when full (lowered in 1978 from its original capacity of 203,581 acre-feet (251,113,000 m3) out of earthquake concerns),[2] in addition to groundwater stored in its local basin. It drains an area of 207 square miles (540 km2) at the source of the San Luis Rey River.
The lake was constructed in 1923 with the building of Henshaw Dam, an earth dam 123 feet (37 m) tall and 650 feet (200 m) long. It is owned by the Vista Irrigation District and used primarily for agricultural irrigation.
The lake features opportunities for catfish and carp fishing. Boats and cabins are available for rental. It hosts The Carp Throwdown fly fishing tournament organized by the Fly Stop.
- ^ Gorman, Tom (December 8, 1985). "Agency, Indians Closer to Reaching Agreement Over Water Rights". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ Zieralski, Ed (October 18, 2003). "Historic lake has suffered through low times, but new concessionaires have high hopes". San Diego Union-Tribune.[dead link]