San Pablo Reservoir

Managed by the East Bay Municipal Utility District, San Pablo Reservoir is a reservoir located in Contra Costa County, California. Set near El Sobrante, north of Orinda, the reservoir is 14 miles away from Oakland.

San Pablo Recreation Area is located off San Pablo Dam Road between Orinda and El Sobrante and offers exciting outdoor activities including fishing, boating, picnicking, kayaking, and hiking. The main recreational area facilitates picnic tables, barbeque grills, children’s playground, cafe, and restrooms. It also harbors a store specifically designed to cater to the needs of buying fishing equipment, beach-specific clothing, hats, gifts, and supplies. The SPRA allows dogs on leashes on paved roads and picnic sites only and swimming and paddle boarding are prohibited activities. Reservoir offers a six-lane boat launch facility that can accommodate motorboats and kayak/canoe launching as well as daily and hourly rentals on patio boats, motorboats, kayaks, and rowboats.

San Pablo Reservoir is known as one of the finest fisheries in the East Bay providing a rich variety including smallmouth bass, white sturgeon, bluegill, crappie, trout, and catfish. The habitat is also shared by birds and wildlife including white pelicans, geese, ducks, quail, dove, shorebirds, eagles, ospreys, hawks, owls, and wild turkey, deer, and bobcats. The park also fulfills requirements for group events, weddings, and meetings.