Morris Reservoir in the San Gabriel Mountains. Los Angeles Almanac Photo.
| Lake/Reservoir | Type of Water Body | Surface Area (Acres) | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alondra Park Lake | Artificial | --- | Lawndale |
| Apollo Lake | Artificial | 26 | Lancaster |
| Baldwin Hills Reservoir | Former Reservoir | --- | Baldwin Hills |
| Baldwin Lake | Natural Lake | 4 | Arcadia |
| Belvedere Park Lake | Artificial | --- | Los Angeles (East) |
| Big Dalton Reservoir | Reservoir | --- | Angeles National Forest |
| Big Tujunga Reservoir | Reservoir | 83 | Angeles National Forest |
| Bouquet Reservoir | Reservoir | 628 | Angeles National Forest |
| Bouton Lake | Artificial | --- | Lakewood |
| Caldwell Lake | Natural Lake | --- | Angeles National Forest |
| Castaic Lake | Reservoir | 2,230 | Castaic |
| Cerritos Park Lake | Artificial | --- | Cerritos |
| Chatsworth Reservoir | Former Reservoir | --- | Los Angeles (Chatsworth) |
| Cogswell Reservoir | Reservoir | 146 | Angeles National Forest |
| Crystal Lake | Natural Lake | 7 | Angeles National Forest |
| Devil’s Gate Reservoir | Reservoir | --- | La Cañada Flintridge |
| Lake/Reservoir | Type of Water Body | Surface Area (Acres) | Location |
| Downey Wilderness Park Lakes | Artificial | --- | Downey |
| Dry Canyon Reservoir | Reservoir | --- | Santa Clarita |
| Eagle Rock Reservoir | Reservoir | --- | Los Angeles (Eagle Rock) |
| Eaton Wash Reservoir | Flood-Control Reservoir | 54 | Altadena |
| Echo Park Lake | Former Reservoir | --- | Los Angeles (Echo Park) |
| El Dorado Park Lakes | Artificial | --- | Long Beach |
| Elderberry Forebay | Reservoir | 450 | Castaic |
| Elizabeth Lake | Natural Lake | 35 | Elizabeth Lake |
| Encino Reservoir | Reservoir | 158 | Los Angeles (Encino) |
| Fairmont Reservoir #2 | Reservoir | --- | Fairmont Area |
| Hansen Dam Park Lake | Flood-Control Reservoir | 11 | Los Angeles (Lake View Terrace) |
| Heavenly Pond | Artificial | --- | Los Angeles (Beverly Crest) |
| Hollenbeck Park Lake | Artificial | 6 | Los Angeles (East) |
| Hollywood Reservoir | Reservoir | 82 | Los Angeles (Hollywood) |
| Jackson Lake | Natural Lake | 7 | Angeles National Forest |
| John Ford Park Lake | Artificial | --- | Bell Gardens |
| Kenneth Hahn Park Lake | Artificial | --- | Baldwin Hills |
| La Mirada Park Lake | Artificial | --- | La Mirada |
| Lake/Reservoir | Type of Water Body | Surface Area (Acres) | Location |
| Lake Balboa | Artificial | 27 | Los Angeles (Lake Balboa) |
| Lake Enchanto | Reservoir | --- | Malibu |
| Lake Hughes | Natural Lake | 15 | Lake Hughes, Angeles National Forest |
| Lake Lindero | Artificial | --- | Agoura Hills |
| Lake Palmdale | Artificial | 586 | Palmdale |
| Las Virgenes Reservoir | Reservoir | --- | Westlake Village |
| Lees Lake | Reservoir | --- | Los Angeles (West Hills) |
| Legg Lake | Artificial | --- | Whittier Narrows |
| Lincoln Park Lake | Artificial | 2 | Los Angeles (Lincoln Park) |
| Little Rock Reservoir | Reservoir | 150 | Palmdale |
| Los Angeles Reservoir (Upper Van Norman Lake) | Reservoir | 175 | San Fernando |
| Lower Franklin Reservoir | Reservoir | 32 | Los Angeles (Beverly Crest) |
| MacArthur Park Lake | Natural Lake | 8 | Los Angeles (Westlake Area) |
| Machado Lake | Natural Lake | 45 | Los Angeles (Harbor City) |
| Magic Johnson Park Lake | Artificial | --- | Willowbrook |
| Malibou Lake | Reservoir | 350 | Agoura Hills |
| Lake/Reservoir | Type of Water Body | Surface Area (Acres) | Location |
| Malibu Reservoir | Reservoir | 4 | Malibu |
| Morris Reservoir | Reservoir | 417 | Angeles Natl. Forest |
| Munz Lakes | Natural Lake | 8 | Angeles Natl. Forest |
| Pacoima Reservoir | Reservoir | 68 | Angeles Natl. Forest |
| Peck Road Park Lake | Artificial | 80 | Arcadia |
| Piute Ponds | Reservoir | --- | Edwards AF Base |
| Puddingstone Reservoir | Reservoir | 250 | Angeles National Forest |
| Pyramid Lake | Reservoir | 1,360 | Gorman |
| Quail Lake | Reservoir | 100 | Angeles National Forest |
| Rosamond Lake* | Natural Lake (Dry) | --- | Edwards AF Base |
| Rowena Reservoir | Reservoir | 5 | Los Angeles (Los Feliz) |
| San Gabriel Reservoir | Reservoir | 525 | Angeles National Forest |
| Santa Anita Reservoir | Reservoir | 17 | Sierra Madre |
| Santa Fe Reservoir | Flood-Control Reservoir | 70 | Irwindale |
| Sepulveda Flood Control Basin | Flood-Control Reservoir | 2,150 | Los Angeles (Lake Balboa) |
| Silver Lake Reservoirs (Ivanhoe & Silverlake) | Reservoir | 96 | Los Angeles (Silver Lake) |
| Lake/Reservoir | Type of Water Body | Surface Area (Acres) | Location |
| Stone Canyon Reservoir | Former Reservoir | 117 | Los Angeles (Bel-Air/Beverly Glen) |
| Stone Canyon Reservoir (Upper) | Former Reservoir | --- | Los Angeles (Bel-Air/Beverly Glen) |
| Toluca Lake | Natural Lake | 6 | Universal City |
| Una Lake | Natural Lake | --- | Palmdale |
| Upper Franklin Reservoir (Franklin Lake) | Reservoir | 3 | Los Angeles (Beverly Crest) |
| Westlake Lake | Artificial | 125 | Westlake Village |
| Whittier Narrows Reservoir | Flood-Control Reservoir | --- | Montebello |
The Piute Ponds are the largest remaining freshwater wetlands in Los Angeles County.
The Baldwin Hills Dam/Reservoir disaster in 1963 was the first time aerial news footage was televised live to cover a news event. Television station KTLA pioneered the use of a helicopter to cover the incident.
In 2015, the 175 acre surface of the Los Angeles Reservoir was covered with 96 million black shade balls to minimize water evaporation and conserve water during the drought. It was projected that the shade balls would save about 300 million gallons of water a year. The balls cost 36 cents. Critics of the effort, however, suggest that the black balls raise resevior heat levels, thus creating a higher risk of bacterial growth. They further suggest that the city’s plan is not actually to minimize evaporation, but, rather, to avoid steep fines for failing EPA requirements for physical covers over potable water reservoirs.
The Los Angeles Reservoir holds 3.3 billion gallons of water, which could supply enough water to meet the needs of the entire city for up to three weeks.
