Washoe Lake State Park - Washoe Lake

Washoe Lake

The park is named for Washoe Lake, which is a eutrophic, shallow lake between Reno and Carson City and just east of the much larger Lake Tahoe. It is actually made up of two lakes that are connected by a marsh. The lake reaches a maximum depth of just 12 feet (3.7 m). The shallowness and the high winds make the lake very turbid. Extensive droughts in the past have caused the lake to dry up entirely, most recently in 1992, 1994, and 2004.

Washoe Lake is fed by several small streams which issue from the Virginia Range to the east and the Carson Range to the west. It drains into Steamboat Creek, which runs north to the Truckee River, although much of the water is diverted for irrigation use. Washoe Lake is a warm water fishery and provides a habitat for Sacramento perch, white bass, channel catfish, brown bullhead and carp. The lake has been stocked by the Nevada Division of Wildlife since 2004 when Washoe Lake last dried up. Two boat launches are on the eastern shore of the lake within Washoe Lake State Park.

The lake provided habitat for a variety of birds. There are hundreds of migratory and resident species in Washoe Lake State Park. Pelicans, night and great blue herons can be found on the waters of the lake.