The lake is easy to bird and can be birded by car or on foot. The mountain bike and hiking trails aren't particularly difficult but have a loose gravel surface and are narrow with blind curves. Some parts of them are steep with loose gravel. 

Waterfowl, grebes, mergansers, gulls, herons, hawks, warblers, sparrows, gnatcatchers, nesting orioles, and more can be found. This is an excellent site to see blackbirds congregate in the evenings. During migration, Yellow-headed Blackbirds may join the other blackbirds. On rare ocassion, scoters, terns, and bitterns are found. A Northern Shrike was even found on the Rail to Trail trail in the winter of 2021/2022.

This lake can also be called Dunbar Historical Lake. It is one in a chain of parks and lakes that runs through east Lubbock. Thanks to this being one of the area's deepest bodies of water, an adjacent cemetery, fairly undeveloped land to the southeast, a handful of agricultural fields nearby, as well as a prairie dog colony on site, this hotspot can be very productive. Between the upland trails and water, this hotspot has plenty to offer and other productive hotspots are within easy reach. Rattlesnakes, coyotes, foxes, and bobcats are occasionally seen. 

This is a series of small lakes, dams, and parks created by the City of Lubbock to channel the North Fork Double Mountain Fork Brazos River. There are a number of hotspots within this system including Buddy Holly Park, Erskine Street Marsh, Aztlan Park, Mackenzie Park, Prairie Dog Town within Mackenzie Park, the Purina Mountain Bike Trails, Mae Simmons Park, Canyon Lake 6, and Yellow House Draw downstream of Canyon Lake 6. Lubbock Lake Landmark is just north of the system and the Lubbock Cemetery can be entered from Canyon Lake 6. The river continues past the Canyon Lake System and feeds Buffalo Springs Lake, the LEAS Nature Trail within Buffalo Springs Lake, Ransom Canyon, and Yellow House Canyon CR7300 Crossing hotspots. 

The mountain bike and hiking trails on the north side of the lake are fairly well developed and connect with the trails that run through the adjacent hotspot, Yellow House Draw downstream of Lake 6. There are plenty of blind curves and the trails are narrow so be on the lookout for mountain bikes. There are also some less developed trails along the south side that aren't official and were primarily made by fisherman.