Skinner Reservoir, reservoir in Riverside County, California, United States

Skinner Reservoir, also known as Lake Skinner, is a reservoir in western Riverside County, California, at the foot of Bachelor Mountain in the Auld Valley, about 10 miles northeast of Temecula. Formed by the Skinner Clearwell Dam on Tucalota Creek, it holds 44,200 acre-feet (54,500,000 m3) and covers 5.7 km2 of surface water. It is fed by the Colorado River Aqueduct and the State Water Project and supplies the Robert A. Skinner filtration plant.

The reservoir was formed in 1973 by the Skinner Clearwell Dam on Tucalota Creek, which also backed up Middle Creek and Schoolhouse Creek; the dam was enlarged in 1991. It is named after Robert A. Skinner, general manager of the Metropolitan Water District from 1962 to 1967, who negotiated the district's contract with the California Department of Water Resources for water from Northern California.

The reservoir is named after Robert A. Skinner, general manager of the Metropolitan Water District from 1962 to 1967, who negotiated its contract with the California Department of Water Resources for water from Northern California. Each year the lakeside parkland hosts the Temecula Valley Balloon & Wine Festival and the Solar Cup, a solar-powered boat competition between student teams.

The reservoir lies north of Rancho California Road near Temecula Valley Wine Country, at 37701 Warren Road, about 10 miles northeast of Temecula. The recreation area holds 158 RV sites and 300 developed campsites, with swimming confined to a separate off-reservoir swimming area. Boating, fishing, horseback riding and hiking are the main activities.

The site hosts the annual Temecula Valley Balloon & Wine Festival, where hot air balloons float above the water while visitors sample local wines from nearby vineyards. The area also features the Solar Cup competition where student teams build and race solar-powered boats, turning the water into a learning ground for renewable energy and engineering.