lake isabella

Dam construction is causing this lake to drastically dry up. It's a shame but once the drought ends it will fill back up. I'd recommend waiting a few years before visiting the lake.

We had hoped to camp on the lakeshore, but when we arrived in the area, the lake is so low that it is almost an eyesore. So sad. Plus hwy 178 is quite a fright through the hills on the way to Bakersfield!

The lake hasn't been much of a lake since it was drained due to fears of the damn leaking. The Army Corps are supposed to start construction next year but locals doubt it will ever happen. The Kern River flowing into and out of it still has it's beautiful spots however, despite the drought. It can get crowded on the weekends though so it's worth putting in some extra time to find those hidden jems. A quick google search will also lead you to many of the amazing hikes in the area as well.

So sad that the drought has lowered the lake. It is beautiful when there is loads of snow pack in the mountains. BUT that said there is still a lot of water in the lake. Remember it is the largest man made lake in So Cali. The fishing is awesome and the folks friendly -- stay a while and visit Silver City Ghost Town and Kernville. If you have a lot of time travel up the river 17 miles to McNally's for the best burger ever!

I'm stationed at Fort Irwin and decided that my wife and I, with some friends would go to lake isabella for a few days to blow off some steam from work and just get away. The drive was absolutely breath taking the road that follows alongside the kern river is a beautiful two lane mountain road. Seeing how the river was flowing I assumed the lake would be up. But I was very disappointed, Me and my friends tried to fish for a day and a half and had no hits whatsoever. If your looking for pretty scenery drive along the kern river. There are several camp sites to camp out along the river and very pretty sights to see along the way. For lake isabella though I wouldn't go back. The kern river is a must see though.A 2/11 ACR soldier

The levels right now are making the lake almost nonexistant. But in a few years the levels will be back up. The Wofford Height's part of the lake is great for fishing and swimming. It also has its own marina and campgrounds.

The lake was man made and put in in 1952. The Damn is leaking, so the Army Corps of Engineers has let the lake water level drop to a point where it is only holding 10% of its rated maximum. We "local" call it "Puddle Isabella" now. Tourism has dropped off so much that at least three restaurants around the lake have closed their doors permanently. We hardly see any tents or campers in the many empty campgrounds around the "puddle" any more.

Not a grand lake, but it's still fun. When the lake is low, which is too often, the town of Kernville, that was destroyed or relocated based on your point of view, to create the lake. There are plenty of places to kayak and Fisk. But with a powerboat you need to be on the lookout for tree stumps and debris. Upstream or downstream on the Kern River the river lives and there are plenty of spots to fish for trouts. Just respect the river, it kills many people each year who let up their guard and slip and are swept downstream.

Stopped for one night, attempted to buy gas the next morning, checked all gas stations NO GAS.Took main road out of town to look for gas. NO LUCK.SET OUT ON MY TRIP,WHICH TOOK ME THROUGH WOFFORD. We say a person filling a five gallon can. We asked the attendant and he told us no gas. We continued on our trip only to learn that there are no gas stations along our route over the mountain. We would have run out of gas in the middle of nowhere, with no cell phone service were it not for a kind resident that we met along the way.STAY AWAY FROM WOFFORD HEIGHTS CA.!THEY DON'T LIKE OR WANT TOURISTS !

Went down to this lake on my travels, it is depleted by at least 70% and has a foul smell as with any body of water in this condition, trees are sticking out everywhere in the water, except for possibly the bass fishermen,this lake is not much good, leave it alone and let it recover!!

Low Water but still nice spot to hang out, cool off, BBQ (gas only) and spend time with the fam at a very low cost.Enjoyed the amazing display of fireworks on the 6th !

Lake Isabella is fed by the Might Kern River which starts on the back side of Mt. Whitney. Boating, fishing, windsurfing, kayaking, camping. Lake Isabella has it all. The Kern River Valley offers all kinds of outdoor sports, nice motels and places to eat. I kinda jaded because I live here. Used to camp here as a kid and loved it so much, I moved here as an adult.

The Dam needs structural work so they have let the Lake level get very low - and it will get lower for the next several years.We kayaked from a launch ramp near the dam to the far end of the Lake and then up into the S. Fork Kern River, which is just a trickle now. This took about 2.5 hours, including bird watching and paddling slowly through the trees. Another group was paddling SUP's and had fun near the Dam.The White Pelicans are there in large numbers, very dramatic and always fun to watch.Fishermen were out, but those we talked with were not catching anything.Paddle on the Lake only when the wind is not high. Wind direction can change during the day, so be watchful. It often blows up from the canyon in the afternoon.

Lake Isabella is used for swimming and boating primarily. In Wofford Heights, if you want to get to the lake, the best access point is at the Tillie Creek Campground.