Jenks Lake

Jenks Lake. Harnessing the Mountain Water. , The Legend of Cap Jenks , Captain Lorin Shaw Jenks ("Cap Jenks") thought this area looked like a good place for a trout pond. In the 1870's, he built an earthen and log dam and diverted water from the South Fork of the Santa Ana River. The diversion ditch is 1.5 miles long. Legend says Jenks dug it by himself. Jenks stocked it with fish and harvested them for sale in San Bernardino, a day's wagon trip down the mountain. , The business ended in the early 1890's, when the state outlawed the sale of trout from mountain streams and lakes. Jenks settled in a cabin near Barton Flats and told tall stories to visitors until his death in 1900. , The Mountains Hold the Water , The South Fork flows out of the San Gorgonio Wilderness approximately 3 miles from here. Starting at 9,100 feet at South Fork Meadows, it flows approximately 10 miles to meet the Santa Ana River at 5,000 feet. Melting snow and rain provide the water. , A Lake of Many Uses , Jenk's Lake wasn't such a bad idea after all. People started coming to the mountains in large numbers in the 1920's. The opportunity to swim, fish or picnic near a mountain lake is a rare one in Southern California. Thousands of children from nearby summer camps use the lake for boating. The staff of San Bernardino National Forest welcomes you and asks your help in keeping the area clean.