Lake
Thurston County, Washington130 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae sit mid-range for this region.
↓ down from A at the last regrade
- Oligotrophic
- #1 of 16 in the county
- 49 ft max depth
- Public access
Lake in Thurston County, Washington has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Phosphorus: 7 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.3 µg/L. Surface area: 130 acres.
- Max depth
- ~49 ft est.
- Area
- 130 acres
- Type
- Oligotrophic
- Phosphorus
- 7 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 1.3 µg/L
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Lake’s letter
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Lake is a 130-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Thurston County, Washington with an estimated average depth of about 49 feet. Water quality is graded C based on 3 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available. Compared to the 15 other monitored lakes in Thurston County, Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, WA Ecology, last sampled 2025-12-04. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyModerate
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
The C is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: C (Fair)
No clarity data. Phosphorus 7 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 1.3 µg/L. TSI 33. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | No recent samples | |
| Phosphorus | 7 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 1.3 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 33 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~49 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~46 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 130 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Washington has not published bathymetry for Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth here is modelled, not surveyed — HydroLAKES v1.0 estimates lake depth from surrounding terrain rather than from soundings. Treat it as an approximation, and prefer a state bathymetric survey where one exists.
Fishing Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 10 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phosphorus | → Stable | +0.05 µg/L/yr | 7 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -0.06 µg/L/yr | 9 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Summit Lake Dam (completed 1955), built primarily for recreation on the Kennedy Creek; earth-type dam, 7 ft tall and 90 ft long.
- Surface area
- 130 ac
- Normal storage
- 1,570 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 1,570 ac-ft
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- Boy Scouts of America
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID WA01144 · Operator website
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 16 lakes in Thurston County
Nearby Lakes in Thurston County
Frequently asked questions about Lake
Where is Lake?
- Lake is a lake in Thurston County, Washington. LakeQuality grades it C for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Lake?
- Lake in Thurston County, Washington has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Phosphorus: 7 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.3 µg/L. Surface area: 130 acres.
Is Lake safe to swim in?
- The C is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 49 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate. The lake covers 130 acres.
Explore Lake across LakeQuality
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Washington's top lakes, each with its grade
Low nutrients, clear water. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
Washington's cleanest and most-polluted lakes, ranked
More Washington Lake Rankings
Other Grade C Lakes in Washington
Oligotrophic Lakes in Washington
Where this data comes from
145 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2012–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Thurston County Health Department
THURSTONCOUNTY145 samples · 2012–2025
Analytical methods
- External files contain methodological data
- Total Nitrogen, calculated (TKN + Nitrate/Nitrite)
- Phosphorus/Orthophosphate by Automated Ascorbic Acid Reduction Method
- Fluorometric determination of chlorophyll a in presence of pheophytin
- Nitrogen, Persulfate Method
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.
Other records on this page
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)