East County News Service

January 31, 2023 (Lakeside) – A new moon fishing night will be held at Lake Jennings on Saturday, February 18^th. The lake will stay open until 10 p.m.; entry gate closes at 9 p.m. The lake was recently stocked with 2,100 pounds of rainbow trout. 

East County News Service

January 12, 2022 (Lakeside) – Greg Dunne took a stroll around Lake Jennings in Lakeside, where he photographed a a black-crowned night heron and a bald eagle, both fish-loving birds that have been denizens at our local lake.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Lake Jennings, courtesy of Helix Water District

May 16, 2020 (Lakeside) – The Lake Jennings campground will reopen Monday, May 18 – but only for recreational vehicles (RVs).  No tent camping will be allowed yet, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the recreational side of the lake will remain closed.

Source: Helix Water District

July 10, 2019 (Lakeside) -- Helix Water District has announced the winners of its 2019 Lake Jennings Spring Photo Contest. 

Now in its eighth year, the contest drew 60 entries from throughout the county. This year’s theme was Life at the Lake, and each of the entries highlighted the unique beauty of camping, fishing, hiking, spotting wildlife and enjoying the view at Lake Jennings in Lakeside. 

East County News Service

March 19, 2019 (Lakeside) – Steven Scouten sent in this photo of his son, Justin, with a large-mouth bass caught at Lake Jennings in Lakeside this past week.  “It’s 10 pounds—his personal best,” Scouten says. 

You can find more information about fishing, including special fishing events, at Lake Jennings by visiting http://www.lakejennings.org/.

By Miriam Raftery

January 22, 2018 (Lake Jennings) – I went to Lake Jennings today hoping to see bald eagles recently spotted there. Instead, I found an osprey perched atop a eucalyptus tree. Nearby, a migratory white pelican in the lake was quickly joined by another pelican swooping in for a landing; I later saw several more.

Backcountry hidden pleasures:   Our guide to unique lodging adventures in San Diego’s beautiful backcountry

By Mike Allen

Photos by Cindy Growden

December 12, 2017 (Lakeside, CA) -- When we traveled to Utah last year, we checked out a resort that had tipis and got to thinking this might be something we’d like to try.

So, when we discovered that Lake Jennings offers them at its campground in Lakeside, we arranged to spend a night in one.

January 12, 2017 (Lakeside) -- Canada Geese have become frequent winter visitors in San Diego's East County,  sometimes lingering year-round.  This one cruised in for a landing at Lake Jennings in Lakeside, photographed by our editor, Miriam Raftery.

By Miriam Raftery

August 19,2016 (San Diego’s East County) – State and local water agency representatives have offered more information for the public following a recent report revealing that 150 reservoirs statewide are “mercury impaired,” including10 in San Diego County, as ECM reported. 

A key clarification is that the term “mercury impaired reservoirs” referred to testing of fish in those waters,  not testing of water for drinking.  Drinking water can test with no detectable mercury levels, yet still have high, unsafe concentrations of mercury in fish, particularly larger fish that have consumed smaller fish.  This problem raises a new issue: the need for new testing methods to detect low levels of mercury that while not unsafe in drinking water,  can result in unsafe levels in fish living in those waters.

East County News Service

May 11, 2016 (Lakeside) -- Lake Jennings will hold its greatly anticipated Catfish Opener on Friday, May 27th. The lake will open at 4 p.m. instead of the usual 6 a.m., and will close at midnight. 2,000 lbs. of catfish will be stocked for this event.

East County News Service

February 27, 2016 (Lakeside) – You’re invited to bring the kids out to Lake Jennings second annual Spring Carnival.  The festivities on Saturday, March 19 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will include an egg hunt, face painting, paddle boating, and a fully-stocked kids pond plus 2,000 pounds of trout.

By Miriam Raftery

June 18, 2015 (La Mesa) – After hearing testimony from a Boy Scout leader and other users of the Lake Jennings Campground who pleaded to keep it open, the Helix Water Board voted to delay action on possible closure for one year.  But the long-term future of the campground is not yet secure, despite recent financial gains.

Since Helix took back ownership of the lake in 2008, the campground had been losing money at $200,000 a year – but that’s dropped to only $24,000 a year today, nearly a break-even point.