Canyon Lake began as a master-planned community developed by the Corona Land Company in 1968.

Railroad Canyon Dam was built in 1927, and impounds the San Jacinto River to fill the reservoir, which covers 383 acres (1.55 km2) and has 14.9 miles (24.0 km) of shoreline.

In 1882, the California Southern Railroad built a line from Perris to Elsinore along the east side of the San Jacinto River.

Floods in 1884, 1916, and 1927 washed out the tracks, and the Santa Fe Railroad decided to abandon the line.

Soon after the last flood, the Temescal Water Company bought the railroad right-of-way, as well as 1,000 acres (400 ha) from Henry Evans, a rancher, and another land from B.T.

Railroad Canyon Reservoir, when built, was one of the largest freshwater lakes for fishing, hunting, and camping in Southern California.

After the war Ray and Alpha Schekel, along with John and Darleen Kirkland, operated the resort until 1949 when the lake was drained for repairs to the floodgates.

[6][7] Canyon Lake began as a master-planned community developed by Corona Land Company in 1968,[8] consisting of 4,801 lots.

The mountain range is on the western edge of the Perris Block and east of the Elsinore Fault Zone.

The reservoir, created in 1928 with the construction of the Railroad Canyon Dam, covers approximately 525 acres (212 ha), has 14.9 miles (24.0 km) of shoreline, and has a storage capacity of 11,586 acre⋅ft (14,291,000 m3).

[9] The reservoir is supplied by stormwater runoff from the San Jacinto River and Salt Creek.

[14] The 2020 census listed median income in Canyon Lake at $120,118 with 6.4% of residents living below the poverty line.

There were 4,532 housing units at an average density of 970.2 per square mile (374.6/km2), of which 3,245 (82.5%) were owner-occupied, and 690 (17.5%) were occupied by renters.

According to the 2010 United States Census, Canyon Lake had a median household income of $74,133, with 5.4% of the population living below the federal poverty line.

In 1994, serial killer Dana Sue Gray murdered two of her fellow Canyon Lake residents, targeting elderly women who lived alone.

[27] Canyon Lake has the highest percentage of registered Republicans in the counties of Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, Orange, San Diego, Kern, San Luis Obispo, Ventura, or Imperial as of September 6th, 2024[28] Listed below are all presidential, gubernatorial, and senate results for Canyon Lake since its incorporation: In addition to the GOP dominating its registration, and elections, Canyon Lake has also displayed a socially conservative bent on California state ballot propositions in recent years.

In 2000, California's Proposition 22 which was a state constitutional amendment that banned same-sex marriage received 2,603 votes in Canyon Lake (78.90%) and was opposed by 696 voters (21.10%).

[61] All gates are staffed 24 hours a day by a community patrol contracted by US Security Associates.

Access is granted to outsiders by sponsorship from a property owner or renter who calls in their guests to a 24-hour answer line.

The trail running north along the eastern shore of the lake has become an inviting activity for hikers and birdwatchers, particularly in the winter months when the hills are green and temperatures lower.

Goetz Road connects the eastern portion of Canyon Lake to the community of Quail Valley and the city of Perris.

In 2006, the community was the subject of United Gates of America, a BBC television documentary directed by Alex Cooke, featuring journalist Charlie LeDuff.

[64] The film was the subject of some controversy within the community,[65] but received positive reviews in the UK and other parts of the US.