Honey Lake is an endorheic sink within the Honey Lake Valley near the Nevada border. Summer evaporation reduces the lake to a lower level[specify] of 12 km² (3,000 acres) and creates an alkali flat. During the highest level of Pleistocene Lake Lahontan, Honey Lake had a level ~115 meters (380 ft) above the current[specify] level of Honey Lake.

Honey Lake recreational activities include bird-watching, picnicking, hiking, camping, warm-water fishing, and waterfowl hunting. The lake is part of the Honey-Eagle Lakes watershed of 2,770 sq mi (7,200 km2) which includes the Honey Lake Basin of 2,201 sq mi (5,700 km2). The Honey Lake Wildlife Area (HLWA) is a California Department of Fish and Game protected area wetland of 7667 acres at the mouth of the Susan River on the north shore of Honey Lake which has numerous bird species.

Mammals such as deer and antelope and a modest amount of warm-water fish are taken at Honey Lake. The state issued a special series of text-only season-long waterfowl hunting permit stamps for the area, starting with the 1956-57 season and ending with the 1985-86 season. Day permits were also sold, but these were in card form.

The stamps are listed in a number of catalogs for U.S. fish & game stamps, including the Scott Specialized Catalog of United State Stamps & Covers. Honey Lake Wildlife Area (HLWA) was originally acquired to provide nesting and brood-rearing habitat for resident waterfowl, which is still a very important activity. Since its beginning, the Wildlife Area has expanded, and during peak migrations as many as 30,000 snow and Canada geese and 20,000 ducks have been observed daily.

During the winter, a number of bald eagles can be observed at the HLWA, and during the spring, the threatened sandhill cranes and other sensitive species such as the white-faced ibis and bank swallow can be found. Ring-necked pheasants and California quail can be observed year-round.

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