Living in the East Bay, we have many great places for outdoor recreation and relaxation. For people who know their outdoor places, Lake Chabot Regional Park in Castro Valley is a standout destination. It has the usual picnic facilities, and hiking and biking trails, but the large freshwater lake provides a visual centerpiece as well as great boating and fishing. Located less than two miles from downtown San Leandro, Lake Chabot park is a popular place for BBQs, biking, hiking, boating, fishing, and other activities – more than 500,000 people visited the park in 2013. Hispanic families and other groups enjoy the natural beauty and facilities of the park, which has 150 picnic tables and individual barbeque pits.

Lake Chabot was recently voted as one of the top 100 family-friendly places to boat and fish in the U.S. Out of the 100 best, Lake Chabot was ranked very high at 7th place. Lake Berryessa in Napa Valley was voted as first place and was the only other spot in California to rank on the list of 100.

The Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation (RBFF) initiated the nationwide vote to provide families and outdoor enthusiasts with a recommended list of the best family-friendly places to experience the joys of boating and fishing this summer. Criteria for the top places to boat and fish included having a public body of water within an hour of a major city and good fishing opportunities.

“We enlisted the help of state fish and wildlife agencies to identify popular locations, and asked fishing and boating enthusiasts who belong to our communities to vote on their favorite spots that are easily accessible and where the fish are known to bite most often,” said RBFF President and CEO Frank Peterson.

Being ranked so high on a national survey probably doesn’t surprise people who’ve been to Lake Chabot. Warren Schultz, Lakes Unit Manager for East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD), says the park is special because of how clean, safe, and family-friendly it is. In addition to being well-stocked with trout, catfish, bass, and other fish, the 315-acre lake is protected to keep the water pure. The lake was closed to recreation for 91 years before legislation opened the lake for controlled recreational uses. Currently, the lake serves as a standby emergency water supply.

Open all year, the marina at Lake Chabot rents paddle boats, kayaks, and patio boats for fishing and cruising. There is also a restaurant and store, where visitors can purchase fishing supplies and licenses.

If not fishing from a boat, people cast their lines from several fishing piers in the park, while many others fish from the lakeshore. Fishing is allowed all year round, though anyone age 16 or older must have a fishing license.

The East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) operates Lake Chabot park for the East Bay Municipal Utility District. EBRPD is a system of beautiful parklands and trails in Alameda and Contra Costa counties. The system comprises more than 114,000 acres in 65 parks, including 1,200 miles of trails. The mission of EBRPD is to manage and preserve natural and cultural resources for all to enjoy now and in the future. EBRPD encourages East Bay residents to enjoy hiking, biking, picnicking, horseback riding, camping, fishing, golfing, boating and nature study in the parks. To find out what's happening in the parks, visit www.ebparks.org.