Lago Santa Margarita

Absolutely love this place. Fishing, running, quietly tucked away, but right next to dining and a small cluster of shops for that last minute item on your way home. They host fireworks, plenty of great photo ops all around from every angle. Cannot say enough about this little slice of heaven right down my street!
— RTJ
Update 1: About a year or so ago, the lake overheated in the middle of summer. Signage posted stated that this resulted in an unusually strong algal bloom, which zapped the Oxygen levels in the lake and killed off most of the fish. The first few days were awful, but after that. the turtles and other supplemental flora and fauna of the park took over, and things tried to regulate themselves back to normal.
While it’s true that this fishing debacle ended fishing for a long while, the owners of the property were quick to engage, and immediately enforced a ban on fishing. I am not sure about when, exactly, but just recently, the owners were able to put in a couple of tons of bass, small catfish, (blues, I think), carp and I heard trout, as well. I have been back to check the status of the lake. Water is a good color, the smell is gone, the kids are back around playing… and its well on its way to being a normal community gem, once more.
— RTJ

Very relaxing. I go here all of the time for runs or just to walk around. Very quiet and clean, perfect for a relaxing evening, would not recommend bringing food during the day, the birds will attack you… LITERALLY!

I love this Lake!!! I have grown up in Rancho Santa Margarita and this lake is a huge part of what I call Home. From my knowledge, it is about 1.2 miles around so it is great for working out or walking/​rollerblading with your loved one or children. The lake is absolutely gorgeous with multiple workout stations and places to eat and drink along the side. There are also many beautifully areas around the lake for pictures! I recently got married and my husband and I did our first look at the lake near the big rocks and trees and the pictures are fabulous! Maybe I’m bias, but this is the best lake in Orange County!:-)

Really beautiful lake! Enjoyed our walk after lunch. Lots of people running/​walking/​exercising. Little boys were fishing by the lake. One boy was so excited to tell us that he caught 17 fishes already! They just catch and release for fun. Great way to spend vacation lake. Very cute!

It is amazing what some time away from a place will do to your prospective. A couple of years ago, I would have probably given this manmade lake a three star rating. Why three stars instead of four? All the geese excrements on the walkway and grass areas at the far end of the lake. It was just disgusting to walk through and pretty much unavoidable (who know geese could produce so much crap?).
Rohlinism: Parts of the path of life will be covered in crap!
Fast forward two years and the geese seems to have taken up residence in the Beach Club which keeps the walkway clear making for a much more pleasant walk /​run around the lake.
Lago Santa Margarita (
) was built in 1985, it covers 11.5 surface acres and holds 31 million gallons of water. The walk /​run around Lago Santa Margarita is a distance of 1.1 Miles and there are some workout stations situated around the lake for those who want a varied workout. The lake is stocked with bass, bluegill and catfish and mosquito fish, which eat mosquito larvae keeping the mosquito population at bay. Rancho Santa Margarita Landscape and Corporation (SAMLARC) owns the lake and since it is privately owned, no permits are required to fish at the lake, but they do ask you return any fish under 12 inches to the water. Other regulations (
) are clearly posted at various points around the lake. During the course of a year, the lake is the site of events, including a Star-​Spangled Spectacular in celebration of the Fourth of July and the Fishing Derby. Because the water in the manmade lake is not recirculated, California law prohibits swimming in the lake, but boating is permitted.
The main reason we visit the lake is it makes a good place to walk Kaya. There are plenty of benches (
) if you want to rest or taking in the view of the lake and there are a good amount of water fountains (
) that services not only humans, but their four-​legged family members as well. On the far side of the lake is a small amphitheater (
) which has been used several times for weddings while I have walked around the lake. The Beach Club (
) features the Fiesta Room (maximum occupancy 49) for rent, boat rentals (pedal boats, kayaks and aqua trikes), surrey bike rentals, picnic tables with umbrellas, covered patio with tables, barbeque grills, concession stand and (2) Sand Volleyball Courts. There are also several restaurant (
) on the lake including Carmelita’s, The Blind Pig, Pizza e Vino and The Trough, if you work up an appetite while taking a leisurely stroll around the lake.
The walking way is home to bicyclists, joggers, walkers and skateboarders, so remember to be courteous to others walking you are enjoying the lake. Kaya isn’t as spry as she used to be, so we try to walk to the far right of the pathway, so it is easier for the faster moving traffic to pass us slow movers. The pathway is wide enough to accommodate traffic on both sides without people running into each other.
The one drawback is the parking situation. There just isn’t enough parking in the center to accommodate all the visitors and finding parking at optimal times can be a trying experience.
This is a really nice lake to walk around or grab a bite to eat and enjoy the view!

A beautiful lake to walk or run around in the morning. It’s 1.1 miles around, so you can do it several times to get a good workout. It’s very flat and perfect for joggers.
I went in the morning around 8:00 am on a weekday, and there were lots of people out there — young, old, walkers, joggers, dogs, kids, etc.
The man-​made lake is beautiful and there are a lot of benches around the lake. There are also lots of ducks on the lake. They even have a grassy amphitheater and little workout stations around the lake.
I parked into shopping center lot, although I’m not sure if that’s where you’re supposed to park?
This past Christmas they had a beautiful Christmas tree at the lake. It was the most gorgeous scene!

Walking around Lago Santa Margarita is one of the many activities I enjoy as a resident of Rancho Santa Margarita, and it’s a fantastic late night or early morning run. The trot around the lake is a distance of 1.1 miles with neat little exercise stops along the path… It’s a gorgeous site when the sun rises from behind the hills of Santiago Peak.
Rancho Santa Margarita Lake is ideal for a variety of year-​round recreational activities. I never have to travel far to see fireworks on the Fourth of July with the Star-​Spangled Spectacular happening right in my back yard, and the annual SAMLARC Fishing Derby is always a fun family event… Each spring, the Lake is stocked with bass, bluegill, catfish, and mosquito fish (small North American cousins of the tropical guppy that dine on mosquito larvae, which keeps the mosquito population at bay).
Permits are not required to fish, but there is a catch and release policy. All fish under 12 inches must be returned to the water. Happy angling!

I love running around this lake. It’s about a mile around the lake so it’s perfect to track how far you’ve gone. It’s great to see families taking walks and ducks and geese hanging around the water as well. Such a beautiful area to take a run… much better scenery than running up Santa Margarita or Antonia. :)
The association also does a great job of keeping it neat and tidy, and it looks especially festive during the holidays. It really is one of the things that makes me the happiest about moving into this neighborhood.

Such a beautiful (manmade) lake!
I love talking a walk around here with the geese and ducks. It’s also a great place for people watching, lots of people taking in a beautiful afternoon or tranquil evening. You can also fish, if that’s to your liking.
Neighboring restaurants and Ralph’s are also right there, should you get peckish or want to picnic.
There’s a small parking lot attached to the Beach Club, but there’s also ample street parking nearby, or in the Mercado del Lago shopping center.

Beautiful lake to walk, bike or rollerblade around. Also fun to people watch!

This is a beautiful place, great to go for a walk or a jog with the dog!
Is next to the Mercado del Lago

Great place to walk, roller blade, run! Only slight negative is the poop — they obviously clean it often but there are so many birds the sidewalk get dirty fast. The mountain in the background makes for a beautiful view. The sunset is super nice, too. There are several restaurants nearby and on the lake with outdoor seating good for brunch, lunch and dinner. If you live in the Samlarc community you can go in the beach area where there are BBQs, volleyball court, swimming, club room and snack bar (all seasonal).

This is a beautiful lake in the middle of Rancho Santa Margarita near Santa Margarita parkway and Antonio. I often come here to run in the evenings. It is about a mile each time around. There are always families and other exercises on the path and lots of dogs being walked but it’s never too crowded. They even have a few places where you can stop and do different exercises along the way. I noticed that they do have security patrol which makes me feel safe after dark, but I still would be careful since I see all kinds of people. During the summer there are bugs galore! Lol. Winter time is nice to look around at all the Christmas lights and big Christmas tree. If you don’t feel like exercising indoors in the gym, this is a good place to come to get in a good run with a beautiful backdrop view.

Such a beautiful place, we love living here. There is some really good fishing around the lake. Here’s a tip for taking the kids fishing… get a rod, a bobber, small treble hooks and some meal worms. Put the bobber about 2 feet away from the hook. Then, put them on one of the rocky points and just let them toss it out a little ways…(1 to 3 feet). «AND BOOOOM»!!! (Bluegill fishing 101). You’ll be saying, when does dad or mom get to fish? Good Luck!

This is a really nice lake to walk around. It is mostly flat and a beautiful scenic walk.
I dont recommend walking alone in the evening hours… as parts of the trail are EXTREMELY dark.
Each lap around the lake is a mile, so its easy to keep track of how far you are going.
The Christmas tree they had in December at the head of the lake by RSM Parkway was absolutely breath taking. I had never seen that before. SO pretty!

Lago Santa Margarita is a large peaceful man-​made lake located in Rancho Santa Margarita just off of Santa Margarita and Antonio Parkways. It is absolutely gorgeous with the backdrop of Mount Modjeska and Mount Santiago, Saddleback’s twin peaks.
The walk around Lago Santa Margarita is approximately one mile. The lake has lots of grass and trees around it along with a wide paved sidewalk and workout stations along the way, which makes it a popular location for the residents of Rancho Santa Margarita for year round outdoor activities from fishing to bicycling and jogging.
The only problem I find with this beautiful location are all the duck poop that you’ll find scattered among certain sections of the cemented pathways. I end up concentrating so hard on where my feet are stepping that I sometimes forget to look up and just enjoy the scenery.

This place is great. We come here nightly to walk our dogs and just to unwind after work. The one mile looping pathway encloses a large lake where people choose to ignore the no fishing signs to fish anyway. Plenty of dog walkers so you know your four-​legged pals will be welcomed. You’ll also see the occasional bikers, and if you’re unfortunate enough, you’ll run into bikers with little bells. They’ll ring their bells as if they’re Moses and we must part like the Red Sea to let their asses through. Sometimes you can even get a glimpse of hormone-​raging teens trying to get their mack on before curfew. It gets pretty intense. Place gets lively on Friday nights as the adjacent bars and restaurants tend to their patrons. I use the term «lively» here loosely. We are talking about Rancho Santa Margarita afterall, where craziness is defined by staying awake past 10, drinking too much Apple Cider and playing one too many games of Bingo. Wow, simmer down, sir! Leave some toasters for the rest of us!
It’s a great place to exercise if you’re too cheap to get gym memberships. Great running trail with plenty of workout stations. Most of these stations consist of you getting in awkward positions so perform them at your own risk. I’d do it at night, so people wont call the police on you.
If you’re coming here for the scenery, make sure you don’t sit on dog poop. Some pet owners don’t seem to pick up after their dogs.

Sunrise or sunset, this place is breathe taking.
I usually come here to run around the lake because it is about a mile and the scenery is beautiful. I’d rather run here than on a track and field, not boring at all! I love the lake because it is very clean and the people who walk around here are very friendly. I love that there are stations that show you how to do other workouts and sometimes, there is a boot camp going on and it’s fun to watch and learn from a distance. I have yet to try fishing here, but I hear it is pretty fun, but I think you have to return the fish… maybe I’m wrong. Anyway, great place to run, have a picnic or spend a lazy afternoon outdoors people watching.
Note: watch out for duck poop, it may cause you to slip and fall!