East of the Napa Valley, between Blue Ridge and Cedar Roughs, Lake Berryessa is the largest lake in Napa County. It formed after Monticello Dam was built on Putah Creek in the 1950s, according to Wikipedia.

By the numbers

  • It stores 1.6 million acre-feet when full, making it one of California's largest bodies of fresh water, according to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.
  • Reclamation says it is 23 miles long and 3 miles wide with 165 miles of shoreline. Wikipedia puts the length at about 16 miles.
  • It covers more than 20,000 acres when full.

The lake is the reservoir for the Solano Project. Reclamation owns it, and the Solano County Water Agency and Solano Irrigation District run it under an agreement. It provides flood protection for Winters and other towns downstream, and water for farms and for Vacaville, Suisun City, Vallejo and Fairfield.

The Glory Hole

Near the dam is an open, bell-shaped spillway 72 feet across, known as the Glory Hole. It drops 200 feet straight down and narrows to about 28 feet, according to Wikipedia. It spills only when the reservoir is overfull. That happened in 2017 for the first time since 2006, and again in 2019. Wikipedia notes a woman was killed in 1997 after being pulled into it, so keep your distance from it.

The name

The lake is named for the Berryessa family. José Jesús and Sexto "Sisto" Berryessa were granted Rancho Las Putas in 1843.

What to do

Reclamation says the water warms to as much as 75 degrees in summer, which is good for water sports. Anglers fish for rainbow trout, bass, catfish, crappie and bluegill. The oak and manzanita hills are good for spotting eagles, hawks, wild turkeys and deer. Reclamation and the Blue Ridge Berryessa Partnership manage a 2,000-acre wildlife area on the east side.

Boaters: read this first

Reclamation now requires every boat launching at Lake Berryessa to join a seal program, meant to stop the invasive golden mussel found in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The Capell Cove launch is closed to all boats except those with a special event permit. Check Reclamation's page for which launches are open before you tow out.

Expect heat in summer. Wikipedia says July highs average about 95 degrees, and the record is 115.