Anderson Lake, Water reservoir in Santa Clara County, California.

Anderson Lake is a long, narrow reservoir in the hills east of Morgan Hill, formed where Coyote Creek meets Las Animas Creek. The 235-foot earthen Anderson Dam holds back over 90,000 acre-feet of water, more than the county's nine other reservoirs combined. The surrounding county park covers 4,275 acres.

Anderson Lake was formed in 1950 when the Anderson Dam was built across Coyote Creek in the Diablo Mountains foothills east of Morgan Hill. The reservoir and dam are named after Leroy Anderson, a key founder and first president of the Santa Clara Valley Water District. It is the largest reservoir owned by the district.

The park surrounding the lake serves as a gathering place for outdoor activities in the county. Locals and visitors use the trails for hiking, jogging, and cycling throughout the year.

Boating, water-skiing and jet-skiing are permitted on the reservoir, but swimming is prohibited. The lake is drawn down while the dam is rebuilt, so launching conditions change; check current water levels before bringing a boat. Fishing is catch-and-release only, and a state advisory warns against eating fish caught here because of mercury and PCBs.

The reservoir sits along a geological fault line in the area. It holds substantially more water than all other reservoirs in the county combined.