Englebright Lake, Reservoir on the Yuba River, Sierra Nevada, California, United States

Englebright Lake is a reservoir in the Sierra Nevada mountains created by a dam across the Yuba River Canyon. The water stretches nearly nine miles and is accessible mostly by boat, kayak, or paddleboard, with over 20 miles of shoreline and many narrow canyon passages.

The lake was created in the 1940s when a dam was built to hold back debris from historic mining in the region and control flooding. The construction later enabled two hydroelectric plants below the dam to generate power for about 50,000 homes.

Englebright Lake and its dam are named for Harry L. Englebright, a former U.S. Representative who represented the district. The marina and boat launch at Smartsville are called Skippers Cove, and houseboats can be rented there. Fishing is central to the lake's use: rainbow and brown trout, largemouth and smallmouth bass, Kokanee salmon, catfish and sunfish are caught, and a trout breeding program releases pen-raised fish into the lake.

The lake is reached by car via Route 20 and Mooney Flat Road from Grass Valley or Nevada City. Access to campsites is only by boat, so you need to bring your own or rent one at Skippers Cove. Drinking water and restrooms are available at boat launch areas.

Englebright Dam, which created the lake in 1941, is a concrete structure 1,142 feet long and 260 feet high, built by the US Army Corps of Engineers to trap debris from upstream hydraulic mining. The reservoir stores 45,000 acre-feet of water and has nearly 24 miles of shoreline.