I love the Sierras, and this lake is beautiful. It is also a cautionary tale of what would have happened across the American west had Grant not jump started the National Park movement in 1872 with Yellowstone. Teddy Roosevelt and William Taft followed with large gains made in preserving both sites of natural beauty and places for birds and mammals to reside3 and reproduce, all in the early part of the 20th century. My favorite vacations in childhood were to places that these three made possible (well, I have to include Lincoln as well, who preserved what is now Yosemite), and I continue to go back.
The California side of the lake is lined with all sorts of ticky tacky things that make it commercially viable, but in the summer, when there are actually people there, it is not a 'natural place'. The Nevada side is a bit less crowded, and March is a peaceful month to visit. The weather is nice enough to be outside, the mountains are snow covered and show off the lake to a good advantage. There is little in the way of traffic, so it is easy to drive around the lake, stopping to admire the view with some frequency.
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