The reservoir is widely known for celebrity incidents: in 1999, actor Harrison Ford crashed his helicopter by the lake, and in 2020, actress Naya Rivera died by drowning.

[5] While swimming had been a popular recreational activity, it was formally prohibited in August 2020 following the death of actress Naya Rivera in July that year; the lake had been closed to the public for over a month before the ban was imposed.

The California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) has developed a safe eating advisory for Lake Piru based on levels of mercury or PCBs found in fish caught from this water body.

[11] It then re-closed a week later following the disappearance of Naya Rivera, and stayed closed until August 20 because of this and, later, the Holser Fire blocking Piru Canyon Road.

[16] Due to harsh conditions such as debris, low visibility, different currents, strong winds, and cold water temperatures, a number of fatalities related to drowning have occurred at Lake Piru: On October 23, 1999, actor Harrison Ford was on a training flight in his helicopter when he crashed in a dry riverbed by the lake; both Ford and his instructor were unharmed.