California's second-largest natural lake sits about 15 miles north of Susanville, a wide expanse of alkaline water ringed by juniper and pine at 5,100 feet elevation. Eagle Lake is famous among anglers for its own subspecies of trout — the Eagle Lake trout — which evolved in isolation in this closed basin with no natural outlet and tolerates the lake's alkaline chemistry that would kill ordinary fish. Fishing is productive from spring through autumn, with boats available for rent at the marina.
Beyond fishing, the lake offers swimming beaches, camping at several USFS campgrounds along the southern shore, and good birdwatching: ospreys and bald eagles work the surface, and grebes nest in the tule marshes at the west end. On clear days the view south toward Lassen Peak is hard to beat.