Walker Lake-A great place to relocate to? (Fallon, Hawthorne: homes, casino) - Nevada (NV) - City-Data Forum

Dean Trails · 10-12-2009, 08:00 PM

I have heard about this recreational lake in Nevada. Would it be a good place to live year round? Or is it just a summer location?

humboldtrat · 10-13-2009, 12:37 PM

There isn't much there in the area. The nearest town is Hawthorne and it's kind of quiet with not much to do except playing slot machines at the El Capitan casino. The east side of the lake is a military ammo dump.

Clarks · 10-13-2009, 12:58 PM

There are homes along the lake.
The lake is shrinking so the lake front homes are no longer on the lake front.
Hawthorne is a tiny town with many dirt streets.
Homes are cheap.
You gotta want to be there.
Visit it before you make any decisions.
I would like it, but, I am in the minority.
Fishing is great.

Dean Trails · 10-13-2009, 04:39 PM

Thanks for the info. I accessed some pictures and it looks fairly desolate except for the lake. Also, heard some weird stories about lake monsters, it has no bottom, the lake turns over? and zombies live in the hills around it! Sounds like a pretty scary place!

Clarks · 10-13-2009, 05:21 PM

the lake is the end of the Walker River, which starts in the Sierra as snowmelt. Water is withdrawn along its length for agriculture.

The lake is pretty shallow and without intervention from the Feds it will go dry like most Nevada lakes.

Because it gets warm, it gets algae, stinking stuff, but then so does Lake Mead.

In 2005 the depth was 86 feet, and it is probably shallower than that today.

It is a great lake for sailing, and for fishing, at least until it turns into a playa.

The Ammo dump is off the south shore, the east shore is unspoiled, but, many tell tales of super natural happenings on the east shore.

However, it does not have the water babies which haunt Pyramid Lake, which is a plus.

On the west is Mt Grant, the military keeps that as a private hunting ground for the brass, or used to.

The major sport in Hawthorne is drinking. The minor sports in Hawthorne are, drinking. The best restaurant in Hawthorne is McDonalds.

If you are into exploring the desert, like jeeps, like dirt bikes, enjoy sitting in boats and drinking while hiding from the wind, it is a great place

jwmiller · 10-14-2009, 09:55 PM

I stopped at Walker Lake on my way to Vegas. This was near the end of March 2009. It's right along US 95. I stopped because I was surprised at how pretty the lake looked with the snow covered mountain in the background. The other people are right. There ain't much to do there in the area of the lake. Hawthorne won't give you much to do. Just a tiny little place. It's OK if you want the isolation. I saw clams right by the shore. Fish and algae too.

caveman100 · 12-14-2009, 12:28 PM

I was raised in Hawthorne, Walker Lake NV. OH MY GOD, your not serious are you??!! Actually family still lives there. I have a great time while on vacation there. I am a desert ratt though! love the out doors there. The only thing I would warn you about is raising kidds there. Nothing but drugs and alcohol for the youngins...sounds pretty rough but its true. If the kidds are well established fine, but if they waver at times Hawthorne is definetly not the place.

212david51 · 12-30-2009, 03:10 PM

I have to disagree with the "wonderful" comments. The Lake is fed by the Walker River. Water from that river is taken by farmers and the Walker Lake Indian Reservation upstream. So not enough water is reaching the lake and the lake level is dropping. If you drive around the lake on the west side you can see just how far the water level has dropped as once the lake almost reached the road. The mineral content of the lake is getting to the point that if more water is not added, the fish will start dying. It is not a pretty picture and due to politics, it is unlikely the lake can be saved. Other than the lake, there is not much in that area that would make me want to live there. If you want to live on or near a decent lake, try Bear Lake in NE Utah.

caveman100 · 12-31-2009, 10:38 AM

Actuall it gets worse. Walker lake has been dying for years. I am 43 years old. Sence 1984 the lake has dropped about 30 feet. (just a guess. I can tell from where I use to cliff dive.) The lake turns over a few times a year and eminates a HORRIBLE smell. The water is so salty, if you get any in your mouth, it almost make you throw up, and that was 26 years ago. Almost every type of fish has died off from the alkaline content. The only survivor is the Lahontan Cutt throat trout. Which still get to 5 to 8 lb size. Also, during its turn over stage the lake gets a discusting brown algie that sits on top for weeks. So to conclude, there are many more lakes to choose from that are a much better lake....BUT, I still love the area surrounding Walker Lake. Walker River is a world class trout river. Doon bubgie rides, jeep and all kids of trail blazing. 83% of Nevada's land is publicly excessable.........AMAZING. Plus if you like rock hounding, Walker Lake is in Mineral County which has many places to look for great specimens. Thanks for reading all this Nevada propaganda!!

NVplumber · 01-04-2010, 09:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by caveman100

I was raised in Hawthorne, Walker Lake NV. OH MY GOD, your not serious are you??!! Actually family still lives there. I have a great time while on vacation there. I am a desert ratt though! love the out doors there. The only thing I would warn you about is raising kidds there. Nothing but drugs and alcohol for the youngins...sounds pretty rough but its true. If the kidds are well established fine, but if they waver at times Hawthorne is definetly not the place.

I have a LOT of time in this area. I moved my family out of Hawthorne 8 years ago. I have to agree about the environment for kids. Overall, the town is pretty rough to try and raise kids in. There is nothing for yongers to do, except run around the alleys, and getting into trouble. It's a no in between type of place. You either love it , or hate it. There is good hunting and fishing, in the surrounding area, but the town is a stagnant pool. Walker Lake is a seperate community from Hawthorne. The ground out there is as rough as it gets. Its a boulder field, and tough to work with. Its OK for retired folks. But, it is, as I said, a VERY stagnant area. I would choose Fallon over Hawthorne.