Santee Lakes General Store serves as the supply and permit hub inside the 190-acre Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve on Fanita Parkway. Fishing permits sold at the register — no California state license required — cover access to seven seasonally stocked lakes receiving more than 35,000 pounds of catfish and rainbow trout per year, a fishery that operates steps from the 300-site full-hookup campground at Santee Lakes Campground. Inventory spans bait, tackle, firewood, ice, camping essentials, and branded Santee Lakes merchandise sold alongside snacks and beverages for the preserve's year-round visitors. Campers and day-use guests refueling between pedal-boat sessions and trail runs along the five-mile loop can grab prepared food at Topwater Grill on the adjacent dining deck. The preserve's seven lakefront and three floating rental cabins, dual swimming pools, Sprayground splash pad, and four-plus acres of on-site solar panels generating nearly 50 percent of facility power operate under Padre Dam Municipal Water District stewardship.