Lake Size: 2,700 Acres Shoreline Length (Miles): 50 miles Deepest Depth: 25 feet average depth Latitude: 38.718056 Longitude: -123.009444 Lake Level Above Sea Level: 200 feet Counties: Sonoma County Cities: Sonoma County Lake Management: US Army Corps of Engineers
Information: Lake Sonoma is a reservoir west of Healdsburg in northern Sonoma County, California, U.S.A., created by the construction of Warm Springs Dam. Access from U.S. Route 101 is by way of Dry Creek Road from Healdsburg.
The lake provides water for countywide growth and development, and for recreation. At full capacity, it has 50 miles (80 km) of shoreline, a surface area of more than 2,700 acres (11 km2), and holds 381,000 acre-feet (470,000,000 m³) of water. Activities include boating, swimming, fishing, riding, hiking, camping, and hunting. Notable features include the Milt Brandt Visitor Center, the adjacent Congressman Don Clausen Fish Hatchery, and the Warm Springs Recreation Area below the dam.
Boating
Fishing
Business
Miscellaneous Info
Boating Rules
All Coast Guard and California navigation and boat operation rules apply. Several areas on the lake are designated for water-skiing and some areas are no wake. Check with the visitor center or a Park Ranger for specific information.
* There is a 50 mph maximum speed limit on this lake.
* Children under 12 are required to wear a "life jacket" while underway.
Safety Recommendations
This lake is a popular boating area. In order to assure the enjoyment and safety of all please remember...
* Respect all boaters and non-boaters alike.
* Wear your life jacket.
* Always keep a lookout.
* Take a Safe Boating Course.
* Don't boat and drink.
Trails
More than 40 miles of trails weave through redwood groves and oak woodlands that surround Lake Sonoma. Hikers, mountain bike and horseback riders will delight in the beautiful areas open for exploration. To avoid conflicts, some trails have limited use. Trails are closed to bikes and horse travel during the wet season, generally from November 1 through the end of April. Call the visitor center for details. A detailed brochure on the trail system is available at the visitor center.
Fishing
Submerged trees left after the filling of Lake Sonoma provide excellent underwater habitat for a wide variety of game fish. As a result, it produces some of the best bass fishing in the state. Various pan fish, such as Sacramento perch, channel catfish, sunfish and bluegill, are also abundant
The US Army Corps of Engineers built Warm Springs Dam across Dry Creek. Completed in 1982, this rolled-earth embankment dam is 319 ft (97 m) high, 3,000 ft (900 m) long, and 30 ft (9 m) wide at the top. It contains 30,000,000 cu yd (23,000,000 m3) of earth. The dam aids in flood control, and a hydroelectric plant produces electricity from the water released downstream. A minimum amount of flow must be maintained in Dry Creek to allow fish migration.
Pomo people had lived in the Dry Creek area since at least the 1700s, and some of them resisted the creation of the lake. Archaeologists at Sonoma State University have written about the prehistory and history of Warm Springs Dam, Lake Sonoma, and the Dry Creek Valley.
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