Local residents and visitors might want to take advantage over the long holiday weekend to explore Clear Lake and Mount Konocti. Clear Lake has a surface area of 44,000 acres making it the largest natural lake within the boundaries of California. It is also one of the oldest lakes in North America and has existed for millions of years, long before man walked on earth. Nearby majestic Mount Konocti stands as a sentinel over the lake. Local Pomo Indians have always considered Clear Lake and Mount Konocti to be a sacred place and they hold it in reverence.
Lake County offers a colorful western piece of American history plus a wide array of animal and bird life. Clear Lake is the center piece of Lake County and it draws more than a half a million visitors a year. Scientists place the age of the lake at more than two million years, making it the oldest lake in North America or even in the Western Hemisphere.
The lake is classed as an eutrophic lake, meaning it is extremely rich in nutrients. Clear Lake got its name in 1877 when European settlers discovered the air to be the clearest they had ever seen, not because the clarity of the water. According to the American Lung Association, Lake County has the cleanest air in California.
Clear Lake was originally named “Lypoyomi” which is the Pomo Indian word for Big Water. It is a shallow lake and has been for more than 475,000 years. The reason that it hasn’t filled up with silt and become a landmass is because the bottom is constantly shifting and the silt is filtered through cracks.
The lake is home to more than 300 species of birds and it holds more fish per acre than any other lake in the country.
The lake is world famous for its outstanding bass fishing but there are other recreational opportunities as well. It is considered to be one of the top bodies of water in the country for bird watchers. For years, visitors came to the lake for its outstanding fishing but that has changed. Many visitors now want to kayak on the lake and view the abundant bird and wildlife. It’s not uncommon see western grebes, herons, eagles, osprey, white pelicans, egrets and other bird life. Mountain lions have been seen strolling along the shoreline as well as bobcats, deer, otter and other wild critters.
