Eagle Lake
Eagle Lake is 5100 feet above sea level in northeastern California about 16 miles north of Susanville in Lassen County. It is the second largest natural freshwater lake wholly in California. Having no natural surface outlet, Eagle Lake is a closed basin lake with its water levels fluctuating with variations of inflow. Water surface areas have fluctuated between 16,000 to 29,000 acres with a present area of 26,000 acres.
The lake is suitable for water sports, fishing and swimming. The surrounding BLM and Forest Service Land provide opportunity for biking, hiking, camping, hunting, wildlife photography, horseback riding and more. The northern and middle sections of the lake are bordered by sagebrush hills, and the southern end is forested with pine and fir. Surface water temperatures range from 32 degrees in winter to 80 degrees in summer.
The BLM Eagle Lake Field Office manages the North Eagle Lake campground and the Rocky point East and West campgrounds on the Northeastern side of the lake on highway 139. Click the links below for more information on the BLM managed campgrounds.
EAGLE LAKE HISTORY & GEOLOGY
The Lake and its immediate drainage are located in a high semi-arid plateau characterized by basaltic lava flows, volcanoes, and cinder cones. Some of the lava flows are fairly recent, having occurred not more than a few centuries ago. The higher western portion of the drainage basin consists mainly of volcanic mountains that form the east flank of the Cascade Range. The Lake is irregular in outline, the main axis extending in a north-south direction for 13 miles. It varies in width from one-half mile to four miles and is divided into three sections connected by channels. The northern section averages six feet in depth; the middle section has an average depth of ten feet; and the southern section reaches a maximum depth of 92 feet. Eagle Lake is well known for its fish and wildlife. Around its shores are located one of the last colonies of nesting osprey and the largest nesting colony of western and eared grebes in the western United States. It is the home of the Eagle Lake Trout which are native only to Eagle Lake.
Phone
Geographic Coordinates
Directions
From Susanville travel north on Highway 139 for 30 miles.