Outdoors
Lakes near Santa Ana
28 named lakes within 30 miles, nearest first, with a map and directions.
Lakes within 30 mi
28
Closest
6.1 mi
North Lake
Within 10 miles
10
Reservoirs
14
Worth the drive
Map
Map of 28 places loads as you scroll.
All lakes, nearest first
- 6.1miNorth Lake
- 6.3miSouth Lake
- 6.5miPeters Canyon Reservoirreservoir
- 7.5miRattlesnake Reservoirreservoir
- 8.1miSand Canyon Reservoirreservoir
- 8.3miAnaheim Lakereservoir
- 8.8miIrvine Lakereservoir
- 8.9miLake Huntingtonreservoir
- 9miSan Joaquin Reservoirreservoir
- 9.5miWalnut Canyon Reservoirreservoir
- 11.3miBarbara's Lake
- 11.7miLake Forest Keys
- 12.1miLake Forest One
- 14.3miTop of the World Resevoir
- 15miUpper Oso Reservoirreservoir
- 15.1miLake Mission Viejo
- 16.4miLaguna Niguel Lakereservoir
- 17.5miPrado Reservoir
- 21miLake Norconian
- 22.7miLegg Lake
- 23.7miTrampas Canyon Reservoirreservoir
- 24.1miPuddingstone Reservoirreservoir
- 24.5miLee Lake
- 25.4miLake Mathewsreservoir
- 25.8miSanta Fe Lake
- 29miSan Dimas Reservoirreservoir
- 29.4miBaldwin Lake
- 29.6miMorris Reservoir
Straight-line distance from the center of Santa Ana; driving and trail distances are longer.
Before you go
Many reservoirs are drinking-water supplies with no swimming or body contact. Look for a designated swim beach.
Green, scummy or paint-like water can be a toxic blue-green algae bloom. Keep kids and dogs out and check the county advisory.
Boat launches often need a day pass or inspection for invasive mussels, and anglers 16 and older usually need a state fishing license.
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Questions
What is the closest lake to Santa Ana?
North Lake, about 6.1 miles from the center of Santa Ana.
How many lakes are near Santa Ana?
28 named lakes are within 30 miles, 10 of them within 10 miles.
Are the lakes near Santa Ana natural?
14 of the 28 are reservoirs made by dams; the rest are mapped as natural lakes. Swimming rules differ, so check each one.
Sources: Wikidata and OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), checked 2026-11-08; photos from Wikimedia Commons under the licenses shown. Access, fees and conditions change; check before visiting.