Santa Margarita Lake reservoir
Santa Margarita Lake
Santa Margarita Lake is a reservoir located in San Luis Obispo County, California. The lake was built in 1941 to provide water for the local agricultural community. It is fed by the Salinas River and the Santa Margarita Creek, which drain from the Santa Lucia Mountains. The lake is also supplied by snowmelt from the mountains. The watershed provides water to surrounding cities, including San Luis Obispo and Atascadero. The lake is a popular recreation area with opportunities for boating, fishing, and camping. The surrounding area is also home to vineyards and wineries, making it a popular destination for wine enthusiasts. The lake is managed by the County of San Luis Obispo Parks and Recreation Department.
Daily levels at Santa Margarita Lake
Storage volume, pool elevation, and total release plotted from the operating agency's daily observations.
Pool Elevation
ft · code 1
Plan around the weather
Same NOAA / yr.no feed Snoflo's iOS app uses. Watch the precipitation column on the meteogram -- rain on the basin upstream typically lifts inflow 24-72 hours later.
Next 5 days, hour by hour
Temperature line with weather symbols on top, snow + rain accumulation as columns, humidity as a dotted line.
5-day forecast table
Every 3 hours, broken out across temperature, snow, rain, humidity, and wind. Each cell is colour-coded relative to the column min/max.
| Time | Condition | Temp (°F) | Snow (in) | Rain (in) | Humidity (%) | Wind (mps) | Wind dir |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loading detailed forecast… | |||||||
15-day temperature & precipitation
Daily temperatures, snow, and rain projected over the next two weeks.
Nearby streamflow gauges
USGS streamgauges around Santa Margarita Lake -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Lopez C Nr Arroyo Grande Ca | 3 cfs | → |
| Huasna R Nr Arroyo Grande Ca | 2 cfs | → |
| Salinas R A Paso Robles Ca | 3 cfs | → |
| Santa Maria R A Suey Crossing Nr Santa Maria Ca | · | → |
| Cuyama R Bl Buckhorn Cyn Nr Santa Maria Ca | 12 cfs | → |
| Estrella R Nr Estrella Ca | 0 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Santa Margarita Lake.
Campgrounds
Fishing spots
More reservoirs
Track Santa Margarita Lake in the Snoflo app
Save this reservoir as a favorite and set push alerts when storage crosses a threshold (e.g. "alert me at 80% of normal").
About Santa Margarita Lake
Where does the data for Santa Margarita Lake come from?
Daily storage, pool elevation, and release rates are sourced from USGS, USBR, and USACE monitoring stations. Weather forecast comes from NOAA / yr.no -- the same feed Snoflo's iOS app uses.
How often is the report updated?
Storage observations are updated daily by the operating agency. The 15-day weather forecast refreshes throughout the day. Snoflo caches and renders the most recent observation -- check the "as of" timestamp on the storage card.
What does the Hazard hazard rating mean?
The Corps of Engineers' hazard potential classification grades probable consequences if the dam fails: High = probable loss of human life; Significant = no probable loss of human life but possible economic loss / environmental damage; Low = no probable loss of human life, only minor economic / environmental losses. See the Dam Data Reference card above for the full definitions.
What's "% of normal"?
The current storage value compared to the historical average storage on this calendar day. 100% = right on average; values above 100% mean above-normal storage (wet year); values below mean below-normal (dry year or drought).
Can I get alerts when storage crosses a threshold?
Yes -- alerts are managed in the Snoflo iOS app. Favorite this reservoir, set a threshold, and you'll get a push the moment conditions cross.
Other water bodies near here
Snoflo-tracked reservoirs and dams within driving distance of Santa Margarita Lake.