El Capitan is now open on its summer schedule - Thursday through Saturday has fishing, general boating, and water contact activities (waterskiing, jetskiing, wakeboarding, towing inflatables, etc., in the front area only), Sunday allows fishing, boating and water contact activities (front and back areas) and Monday allows fishing and general boating only (no water contact activities).

On Mondays patrons must purchase permits from the iron ranger pay station by the concession building (please bring exact change). Rental boats are only available on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, and on Sundays they stop renting boats out at 10:00 a.m. On Sundays only there is a limit of 120 vessels (boatsand jetskis) total on the lake at one time. All persons (age 8 and older) entering reservoir property are required to pay daily use fees.