This is the other lake shared by Nevada and California. It has a cluster of bright lights overlooking the sun-spangled waters below, and the steep crags of the Sierra Nevada tower photogenically above, but for some reason it’s Tahoe that gets all the attention. Maybe it’s the trees.
Nevertheless even without a lot of trees Topaz is an exceedingly pleasant place to visit. Deer browse down the mountainside, birds decorate the sky, and rainbow trout lure anglers down to the lake in season. At roadside, a mini-casino — more like a fishing lodge with a gambling motif — caters to travelers on US 395.
Facilities at Topaz include boat launch ramps, boats for rent, campsites with trailer hookups near the lake and more formal lodgings near the highway. On a sunny day in springtime, when the snow is still clinging to the Sierra and the rainbow are hitting the hook, you’re liable to have a good time.
