Pinto Lake: toxic algae advisories
Pinto Lake, Santa Cruz County. See all Santa Cruz County waters.
What the state's records say
Warning advisory, last posted Oct 16, 2026. No all-clear recorded.
6 reported spots here have an advisory with no all-clear recorded.
Reporting is voluntary, so the state may not have recorded an end even if conditions changed. Check posted signs and the official map.
What this level asks: Toxins may be at levels that can harm people and animals. Do not swim or let children or pets in the water, and stay away from scum.
Before you go, check the state's official algae page and any signs posted at the water.
Dogs at Pinto Lake
The state has an advisory on file for Pinto Lake (Warning advisory), last posted Oct 16, 2026, and no all-clear recorded. Keep your dog out of the water and away from scum on the shore until the state records an end.
Reported spots
The state records each report at a spot, such as a beach or a boat ramp. Each spot's latest deciding record:
| Spot | Status |
|---|---|
| Watsonville | Caution advisory, last posted Oct 16, 2026. No all-clear recorded. |
| Pinto Lake Boat Launch (PLS5) | Warning advisory, last posted Dec 18, 2024. No all-clear recorded. |
| Pinto Lake Boat Launch (PLS5) | The state recorded an end date of Dec 30, 2022. |
| Boat Launch (PLS5) | Warning advisory, last posted Jul 20, 2021. No all-clear recorded. |
| Pinto Lake, at Boat Launch | Warning advisory, last posted Oct 30, 2020. No all-clear recorded. |
| Pinto Lake, near boat dock/launch ramp | Warning advisory, last posted Oct 21, 2020. No all-clear recorded. |
| Pinto Lake at boat doc/launch ramp | Warning advisory, last posted Oct 16, 2018. No all-clear recorded. |
Advisory history
Every advisory record the state has published for Pinto Lake, newest first. "None" is the state's record that no advisory was recommended on that date. "NA" records do not change a status.
| Date | Spot | State's level | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 16, 2026 | Watsonville | Caution | Lake-wide advisory; Updates from routine monitoring program-organization |
| Sep 29, 2026 | Watsonville | Caution | Lake-wide advisory; Updates from routine monitoring program-organization |
| Aug 12, 2026 | Watsonville | Caution | Lake-wide advisory; Updates from routine monitoring program-organization |
| Aug 5, 2026 | Watsonville | Caution | Lake-wide advisory; Updates from routine monitoring program-organization |
| Jul 30, 2026 | Watsonville | Caution | Lake-wide advisory; Updates from routine monitoring program-organization |
| Jul 15, 2026 | Watsonville | Caution | Lake-wide advisory; Updates from routine monitoring program-organization |
| Jul 1, 2026 | Watsonville | Caution | Lake-wide advisory; Updates from routine monitoring program-organization |
| Jun 18, 2026 | Watsonville | Caution | Lake-wide advisory; Updates from routine monitoring program-organization |
| Jun 12, 2026 | Watsonville | Caution | Lake-wide advisory; Updates from routine monitoring program-organization |
| Jun 4, 2026 | Watsonville | Caution | Lake-wide advisory; Updates from routine monitoring program-organization |
| May 21, 2026 | Watsonville | Caution | Lake-wide advisory; Updates from routine monitoring program-organization |
| May 15, 2026 | Watsonville | Caution | Lake-wide advisory; Updates from routine monitoring program-organization |
| May 15, 2026 | Watsonville | Caution | Lake-wide advisory; Updates from routine monitoring program-organization |
| Mar 26, 2026 | Watsonville | Caution | Lake-wide advisory; Updates from routine monitoring program-organization |
| Mar 26, 2026 | Watsonville | None | Lake-wide advisory; Updates from routine monitoring program-organization |
| Mar 12, 2026 | Watsonville | None | Lake-wide advisory; Updates from routine monitoring program-organization |
| Dec 2, 2025 | Watsonville | Caution | Lake-wide advisory; Updates from routine monitoring program-organization |
| Nov 26, 2025 | Watsonville | Caution | Lake-wide advisory; Updates from routine monitoring program-organization |
| Nov 18, 2025 | Watsonville | Danger | Lake-wide advisory; Updates from routine monitoring program-organization |
| Nov 14, 2025 | Watsonville | Warning | Lake-wide advisory; Updates from routine monitoring program-organization |
| Nov 5, 2025 | Watsonville | Danger | Lake-wide advisory; Updates from routine monitoring program-organization |
| Oct 29, 2025 | Watsonville | Danger | Lake-wide advisory; Updates from routine monitoring program-organization |
| Oct 21, 2025 | Watsonville | Warning | Lake-wide advisory; Updates from routine monitoring program-organization |
| Oct 15, 2025 | Watsonville | Danger | Lake-wide advisory; Updates from routine monitoring program-organization |
| Oct 15, 2025 | Watsonville | Danger | Lake-wide advisory; Updates from routine monitoring program-organization |
| Oct 8, 2025 | Watsonville | Danger | Lake-wide advisory; Updates from routine monitoring program-organization |
| Oct 1, 2025 | Watsonville | Danger | Lake-wide advisory; Updates from routine monitoring program-organization |
| Sep 24, 2025 | Watsonville | Danger | Lake-wide advisory; Updates from routine monitoring program-organization |
| Sep 16, 2025 | Watsonville | Danger | Lake-wide advisory; Updates from routine monitoring program-organization |
| Sep 11, 2025 | Watsonville | Danger | Lake-wide advisory; Updates from routine monitoring program-organization |
| Sep 4, 2025 | Watsonville | Danger | Lake-wide advisory; Updates from routine monitoring program-organization |
| Sep 4, 2025 | Watsonville | Danger | Lake-wide advisory; Updates from routine monitoring program-organization |
| Aug 27, 2025 | Watsonville | Danger | Lake-wide advisory; Updates from routine monitoring program-organization |
| Aug 20, 2025 | Watsonville | Danger | Lake-wide advisory; Updates from routine monitoring program-organization |
| Aug 14, 2025 | Watsonville | Danger | Lake-wide advisory; Updates from routine monitoring program-organization |
| Aug 7, 2025 | Watsonville | Caution | Lake-wide advisory; Updates from routine monitoring program-organization |
| Jul 31, 2025 | Watsonville | Caution | Lake-wide advisory; Updates from routine monitoring program-organization |
| Jul 24, 2025 | Watsonville | Caution | Lake-wide advisory; Updates from routine monitoring program-organization |
| Jul 9, 2025 | Watsonville | None | Updates from routine monitoring program-organization |
| Jun 26, 2025 | Watsonville | None | Updates from routine monitoring program-organization |
| Jun 12, 2025 | Watsonville | Caution | Advisory based on visual and toxins; Lake-wide advisory |
| May 30, 2025 | Watsonville | Caution | Advisory based on visual and toxins; Lake-wide advisory |
| May 9, 2025 | Watsonville | Caution | Advisory based on visual and toxins; Lake-wide advisory |
| May 9, 2025 | Watsonville | Caution | Lake-wide advisory |
| Dec 18, 2024 | Pinto Lake Boat Launch (PLS5) | Warning | Lake-wide advisory; Updates from routine monitoring program-organization |
| Aug 5, 2024 | Pinto Lake Boat Launch (PLS5) | Warning | Lake-wide advisory; Updates from routine monitoring program-organization |
| Apr 26, 2024 | Pinto Lake Boat Launch (PLS5) | Warning | Lake-wide advisory; Updates from routine monitoring program-organization |
| Feb 26, 2024 | Pinto Lake Boat Launch (PLS5) | Warning | Lake-wide advisory; Updates from routine monitoring program-organization |
| Oct 6, 2023 | Pinto Lake Boat Launch (PLS5) | Caution | Lake-wide advisory; Updates from routine monitoring program-organization |
| Sep 8, 2023 | Pinto Lake Boat Launch (PLS5) | Caution | Lake-wide advisory; Updates from routine monitoring program-organization |
| Aug 31, 2023 | Pinto Lake Boat Launch (PLS5) | Danger | Lake-wide advisory; Updates from routine monitoring program-organization |
| Aug 16, 2023 | Pinto Lake Boat Launch (PLS5) | Danger | Lake-wide advisory; Updates from routine monitoring program-organization |
| Aug 10, 2023 | Pinto Lake Boat Launch (PLS5) | Danger | Lake-wide advisory; Updates from routine monitoring program-organization |
| Aug 6, 2023 | Pinto Lake Boat Launch (PLS5) | Danger | Lake-wide advisory; Updates from routine monitoring program-organization |
| Jul 14, 2023 | Pinto Lake Boat Launch (PLS5) | Danger | Lake-wide advisory; Updates from routine monitoring program-organization |
| Jul 12, 2023 | Pinto Lake Boat Launch (PLS5) | Warning | Updates from routine monitoring program-organization |
| Jun 2, 2023 | Pinto Lake Boat Launch (PLS5) | Warning | Updates from routine monitoring program-organization |
| May 11, 2023 | Pinto Lake Boat Launch (PLS5) | Warning | Updates from routine monitoring program-organization |
| May 11, 2023 | Pinto Lake Boat Launch (PLS5) | Danger | Updates from routine monitoring program-organization |
| Feb 22, 2023 | Pinto Lake Boat Launch (PLS5) | Danger | Updates from routine monitoring program-organization |
| Jan 17, 2023 | Pinto Lake Boat Launch (PLS5) | Danger | Updates from routine monitoring program-organization |
| Dec 28, 2022 | Pinto Lake Boat Launch (PLS5) | Danger | End date recorded: Dec 30, 2022. Advisory due to historical data. |
| Dec 28, 2022 | Pinto Lake Boat Launch (PLS5) | Danger | Advisory due to historical data. |
| Sep 23, 2022 | Pinto Lake Boat Launch (PLS5) | Danger | Advisory due to historical data. |
| Sep 23, 2022 | Pinto Lake Boat Launch (PLS5) | None | |
| Aug 9, 2022 | Pinto Lake Boat Launch (PLS5) | None | |
| Jun 14, 2022 | Pinto Lake Boat Launch (PLS5) | Danger | |
| Jun 9, 2022 | Pinto Lake Boat Launch (PLS5) | None | |
| May 12, 2022 | Pinto Lake Boat Launch (PLS5) | Danger | |
| Mar 21, 2022 | Pinto Lake Boat Launch (PLS5) | Danger | |
| Jul 20, 2021 | Boat Launch (PLS5) | Warning | Advisory based on visual and toxins |
| Oct 30, 2020 | Pinto Lake, at Boat Launch | Warning | Advisory based on visual and toxins |
| Oct 21, 2020 | Pinto Lake, near boat dock/launch ramp | Warning | |
| Oct 16, 2018 | Pinto Lake at boat doc/launch ramp | Warning |
Source
Advisory data: California State Water Resources Control Board, Freshwater Harmful Algal Bloom Program, via data.ca.gov (public domain). Advisories are recommendations; reporting is voluntary and incomplete. The state's data. An advisory ends only when the state records a later "None" (no advisory recommended) at the same spot, or an end date. A blank end date is unknown.