Lake Almanor came into being in 1914 when the Great Western Power Company dammed the north fork of the Feather River, flooding the area known as Big Meadows. Interestingly, Big Meadows was, before the lake was created, a lush meadow with plenty of water. It was a summer resort known the world over. People made reservations from year to year.

The name Almanor was derived from combining the names of three sisters, Alice, Martha, and Elinore, daughters of Guy C. Earl, who was then president of the Great Western Power Company (later Pacific Gas and Electric). Pacific Gas and Electric further developed Lake Almanor by constructing the present dam in 1926-27. Today the lake stores 1,308,000 acre feet of water and is 13 miles long and 6 miles wide. It is 52 square miles of sparkling, clear water and beautiful mountain scenery.