Topaz Lake is a reservoir located on the

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a landlocked state in the Western United States. It borders Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the seventh-most extensive, th ...

border, about south of

Reno Reno ( ) is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada–California border. It is the county seat and most populous city of Washoe County, Nevada, Washoe County. Sitting in the High Eastern Sierra foothills, ...

. The

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...

of Topaz Lake, Nevada, is located along its northwest shore. The modern reservoir was formed by diverting waters from the West Walker River into a nearby basin that had previously contained a smaller, natural lake. That lake had historical significance since it lay on the route taken by American explorer

Jedediah Smith Jedediah Strong Smith (January 6, 1799 – May 27, 1831) was an American clerk, transcontinental pioneer, frontiersman, hunter, trapper, author, cartography, cartographer, mountain man and explorer of the Rocky Mountains, the Western Unit ...

in late spring of 1827 when leaving California at the end of his first journey, the first crossing ever of the Sierra Nevada by a non-native. Smith came southeast through Monitor Pass, then east past Topaz Lake into Nevada. The initial dam construction took place in 1922, resulting in a reservoir with a capacity of . In 1937, a new levee raised the capacity to its current . Topaz Lake is a relatively large reservoir, with a maximum pool of , with surface, a length of , a width of , and a maximum depth of . The levee and reservoir have been owned and operated by the Walker River Irrigation District since its construction. Topaz Lake is popular for boaters, water-skiers, campers, and fishermen. Fishing season runs year-round, and the lake is stocked with trout by the Nevada Department of Wildlife and the

California Department of Fish and Wildlife The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), formerly known as the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG), is an American state agency under the California Natural Resources Agency. The Department of Fish and Wildlife manages ...

. The lake is easily reachable by U.S. Route 395. On the northwest shore of the lake is the Topaz Lodge and a residential area. There is also a volunteer fire station in the area. U.S. Route 395 passes by the west side of the lake at the California-Nevada state line. The southeastern terminus of

California State Route 89 State Route 89 (SR 89) is a state highway in the U.S. state of California that travels in the north–south direction, serving as a major thoroughfare for many mountain communities in the Sierra Nevada and the Cascade Range. It starts from ...

is south of the state line. The western terminus of Nevada State Route 208 is north of the state line.

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{{authority control Reservoirs in Nevada Lakes of Douglas County, Nevada Reservoirs in Mono County, California Buildings and structures in Douglas County, Nevada Lakes of the Great Basin Tourist attractions in Douglas County, Nevada Reservoirs in California Reservoirs in Northern California

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