Pyramid Lake is the geographic sink of the basin of the Truckee River, 40 mi (64 km) northeast of Reno, Nevada, United States.

The north and east sides of the lake have been restricted to the public and non-Tribal members since 2011, when the Tribal Nation made the decision to close these areas due to the desecration of sacred sites.

[4] In fact, a major band of Northern Paiute (endonym: Numu) people whose ancestors lived around the lake call themselves the Kooyooe Tukadu, "cui-ui eaters.

According to traditional narratives, the Washo specifically were given fishing rights in Pyramid Lake after assisting the Paiutes in defeating a nearby tribe of giants.

[11] Because of water diversion beginning in 1905 by Derby Dam through Truckee Canal to Lahontan reservoir, the lake's existence was threatened, and the Paiute sued the Department of the Interior.

According to documentary filmmaker John Pilger, the irrigation scheme for which water was diverted was an economic failure.

It was the deepest point of Lake Lahontan, reaching an estimated 890 feet (270 m) due to its low level relative to the surrounding basins.

[20] The largest tufa formation, Anaho Island, is home to a large colony of American white pelicans and is restricted for ecological reasons.

Access to the Needles, another spectacular tufa formation at the northern end of the lake, has also been restricted due to recent vandalism.

The white band seen to the east of the island is composed of calcium carbonate which came from when the lake was at or near its overflow point.

[24] As they are both obligate freshwater spawners, they rely on sufficient inflow to allow them to run up the Truckee River to spawn, otherwise their eggs will not hatch.

[14] Diversion of the Truckee for irrigation at Derby Dam beginning in 1905 reduced inflow and the lake level to such an extent that stream flow is rarely sufficient for spawning.

The fish were tiny and in poor condition, but Behnke identified the fingerlings as the missing Pyramid Lake variety.

[30] The following data are for the census-designated place (CDP) of Sutcliffe, NV, located on the shore of Pyramid Lake.

[33] Pyramid Lake was used as a stand-in for the Sea of Galilee in the 1965 biblical film, The Greatest Story Ever Told.