CaliforniaReservoir, 965 acres, San Diego County
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638.15ft
Steady this week
Sailing
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Kayak and SUP
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Power boating
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Fishing
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Outlook. Monday: WNW wind 1 to 9 kt, gusts to 16 kt, high near 80°F. Tuesday: W wind 1 to 7 kt, gusts to 13 kt, high near 77°F.
7-day wind forecastLoads when you scroll here
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Last hour of NOAA MRMS radar, 1 km resolution. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, OpenMapTiles, OpenFreeMap.
638.15ft NGVD29
-0.01 ft in 7 days52.90 ft below the October normal
Reading from Oct 25, 2026. Shaded band: range of October averages on record; dashed line is the typical level.
El Capitan Reservoir was at 638.15 ft on October 25, holding steady over the past week (-0.01 ft). That is well below normal for October: the typical October level is 691.05 ft, so the lake is 52.90 ft below its usual mark.
Background reading: El Capitan Reservoir on Wikipedia
Set in San Diego County, California, El Capitan Reservoir is a 965-acre reservoir.
Water level on this page comes from USGS gauge 11020600 (El Capitan Reservoir near Lakeside CA). Wind, gusts and rain come from the National Weather Service forecast grid that covers the water.
On water this size, waves stay small even on windy days. The catch is gusts: shoreline terrain funnels the wind into sharp puffs that catch out small boats and paddlers. Reservoir levels move with releases and inflow, so ramps and beaches can change week to week. The water level page tracks that day by day.
The go or no-go calls above are a starting point, not a guarantee. Read how we score conditions, and always check local rules and posted warnings before you launch.
The National Weather Service forecast for the lake from October 26: Monday: WNW wind 1 to 9 kt, gusts to 16 kt, high near 80°F. The panel at the top of this page refreshes the current wind, gusts and direction when you open it and turns them into a call for sailing, paddling, power boating and fishing.
El Capitan Reservoir was at 638.15 ft on October 25, holding steady over the past week (-0.01 ft). That is well below normal for October: the typical October level is 691.05 ft, so the lake is 52.90 ft below its usual mark.
El Capitan Reservoir covers about 965 acres (1.5 square miles) of surface water.
If El Capitan is blown out, these are the closest alternatives. Tap through for their conditions.