Lake Isabella is an unincorporated community in the Kern River Valley of eastern Kern County, California, set at the southwestern edge of the reservoir that shares its name. The town lies about 35 miles east-northeast of Bakersfield at an elevation of roughly 2,500 feet, where the North and South Forks of the Kern River come together. Its population was 3,573 at the 2020 census, and the community functions as the commercial and service center for the surrounding mountain valley. The town's identity is inseparable from the lake. Before the dam, the settlement was known simply as Isabella, a name given in 1893 by Sven Barton in honor of Queen Isabella of Spain. Isabella Dam was authorized under the Flood Control Act of 1944 to tame recurring Kern River flooding, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers completed the project in 1953, creating an approximately 11,000-acre reservoir that became one of California's larger lakes and the principal water supply for Bakersfield. Recreation defines the local economy and lifestyle. Lake Isabella offers fishing for trout, bass, bluegill, crappie, and catfish, along with boating, watersports, camping, and picnicking, and its proximity to Los Angeles and Bakersfield makes it a popular year-round getaway for Southern Californians. The surrounding Sequoia National Forest contributes dozens of campgrounds and roughly a thousand miles of hiking trails, while the upper Kern River, portions of which are protected as Wild and Scenic, draws whitewater rafters and kayakers. Education is provided by the Kernville Union School District for elementary and middle grades, with Kern Valley High School, part of the Kern High School District, serving the area's secondary students. State Route 178 provides the main road connection down the Kern River canyon toward Bakersfield and over Walker Pass toward the desert.