Discover the Deepest Lake in San Jose

When it comes to cities, it’s quite difficult to determine which lake is the deepest. This is because cities can have both natural and artificial lakes. At the same time, it’s worth considering whether a lake outside the city’s boundaries counts as a lake of that city.

For example, most of the entries you’ll find on lists regarding the best lakes in San Jose are not within the city’s boundaries. Most of them require you to use at least one form of transportation and leave San Jose.

Luckily for you, this article deals with lakes only in San Jose — specifically, with the deepest lake you can find in this California city!

How Many Lakes Are in San Jose?

The city of San Jose doesn’t have many lakes. Among the few, we can name Blossom Valley Lake, Cottonwood Lake, Yerba Buena Lake, Calero Reservoir, and Cunningham Lake. More known bodies of water, such as the Lexington, Guadalupe, and Almaden reservoirs, are outside the city.

In terms of depth, only two of the mentioned lakes are worth discussing: Cunningham Lake and the Calero Reservoir. Both are located within the boundaries of San Jose (Calero is right on the border).

What Is the Deepest Lake in San Jose?

The deepest lake in San Jose is the Calero Reservoir, with a maximum depth of about 76 feet (23.1 m). This reservoir has the Pine Tree Canyon and the Cherry Canyon as its main inflows, with a total water volume of about 9,934 acre-feet (12.2 million cubic meters).

As its name implies, Calero is a reservoir-type body of water, which refers to an enlarged lake sitting behind a dam. In Calero Reservoir’s case, the reservoir itself was formed by the construction of the Calero Dam in 1935. A county park, adjacent to the reservoir, is a good place for birdwatching. There are fish in the lake, including bigmouth bass, rainbow trout, black crappie, and common carp. However, because of mercury in the water, fishing is on a catch-and-release basis because the fish are not safe to eat.

Lake Cunningham, the other big name in San Jose, is only 12 feet (3.66 m) deep.

Where Is the Calero Reservoir Located on a Map?

Calero Reservoir is in South San Jose’s Calero neighborhood of Almaden Valley. It is in Santa Clara County and around 15 miles to downtown San Jose.

Interesting Facts About the Calero Reservoir

If you’re a fan of numbers and interesting facts, here are some about Calero Reservoir, the deepest lake in San Jose:

• The reservoir has a maximum length of 2.2 miles (about 3.5 km);
• It has a surface area of 349 acres (141 ha);
• It has a surface elevation of about 476 feet (145 m);
• The Arroyo Calero is its primary outflow;
• It has a catchment area (drainage basin) of about 7.14 square miles (18.5 square km);
• It consists of an earthen dam that’s 90 feet (27 meters) high and about 840 feet (260 meters) long;
• The Calero Reservoir is the fourth-largest owned by the Santa Clara Valley Water District;
• The water found in the Calero Reservoir can be traced all the way to San Francisco Bay via Arroyo Calero and the Guadalupe River.

As you can see, there’s more to the deepest lake in San Jose than just its depth!

What Is the Deepest Lake in California?

The deepest lake in California is Lake Tahoe, with a maximum depth of about 1,645 feet (501 m). It is also the largest lake in California by volume (36 cubic miles, or 150 km³) and the largest freshwater lake by area (191 square miles, or 490 km²).

Compared to the Calero Reservoir, Lake Tahoe is located on the opposite side of California. It is right on the border between California and Nevada. It’s worth mentioning that the lake has a surface elevation of about 6,225 feet (1,897 m), making for truly impressive views, to say the least.

A trip by car from the Calero Reservoir to Lake Tahoe will take about four hours if there’s no traffic. This can be a pleasant discovery route for the state of California as it passes partially through San Francisco and crosses the Tahoe National Forest.

What Is the Deepest Lake in the World?

The deepest lake in the world is Lake Baikal, with a maximum depth of about 5,387 feet (1,642 m). It is a rift lake (formed in an area of extensional tectonics) in Russia, which can be found between the Irkutsk Oblast and the Republic of Buryatia, two of the country’s federal subjects.

Besides being the deepest lake in the world, Lake Baikal is also the oldest, being 25-30 million years old, and the largest freshwater lake by volume. In fact, Lake Baikal contains roughly 23% of the entire fresh surface water of the entire world.

Where Else Should You Visit in San Jose?

Suppose you don’t plan on traveling to Lake Tahoe, and certainly not anywhere near Irkutsk Oblast, Russia. In that case, you must know more about the city of San Jose, namely, about the interesting things you can see there.

• Visit the Winchester Mystery House, built in 1884 by the widow of none other than William Winchester (the name behind the famous Winchester Rifle). On the grounds of the mansion, you can also find the American Fire Arms Museum.
• Find a bit of Egypt in California with the help of the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum, built in the architectural style characteristic of Egypt. But there’s more to it than just architecture – there, you can also find the largest Egyptian artifact collection in the western part of the U.S.
• Take a pathway to the past with Alum Rock Park, California’s oldest municipal park. A visit will let you enjoy up to 13 miles of trails that can be explored by anyone, depending on difficulty, of course.
• Taste the local cuisine and delicacies with the help of the San Jose Flea Market! Whether you believe it or not, this flea market has been a city hotspot since around 1964. While you shop around, you can leave your spouse and kids at the pony rides or at the carousel that can be found there.

In short, there’s plenty to do after you visit the Calero Reservoir and finally reach San Jose’s center!