Lahontan State Recreation Area, Reservoir recreation area in Lyon County, Nevada, US.

Lahontan State Recreation Area surrounds the Lahontan Reservoir, a 17-mile-long impoundment of the Carson River about 18 miles west of Fallon. When full the lake covers 11,200 acres and has 69 miles of shoreline. Most of the park lies below 4,000 feet in high desert sagebrush, with cottonwoods and willows along the shore.

The dam was completed in 1915 to store water for irrigation of farmland in the region. The project arose from early 1900s efforts to develop water supplies for the expanding agricultural communities.

The reservoir was named after ancient Lake Lahontan, which covered much of Nevada during the last ice age. Beneath the water lie parts of 1800s stagecoach routes, including Williams Station, site of a minor skirmish of the Paiute War. The lake is now used for boating, water skiing, fishing and camping.

The reservoir has several campgrounds with basic facilities like restrooms and picnic grills, and visitors can camp primitively at many spots along the shore. Access is easiest via marked boat ramps and developed areas distributed around the water.

The reservoir was named after ancient Lake Lahontan, which covered much of Nevada during the last ice age. Beneath the water lie parts of 1800s stagecoach routes, including Williams Station, site of a skirmish during the Paiute War.