Summit Lake (Washington)
| Summit Lake | |
|---|---|
| Prays Lakes, Crooked Lake | |
 Sunset at Summit Lake | |
  Summit Lake Location of Summit Lake in Washington state | |
| Location | Thurston County, Washington |
| Coordinates | 47°03′18″N 123°05′53″W / 47.055°N 123.098°W |
| Type | Lake |
| Surface area | 511.2 acres (206.9 ha)[1] |
| Surface elevation | 459 ft (140 m) |
| Website | Official website |
| References | Geographic Names Information System: 1513483[2] |
Summit Lake is a freshwater lake located in the northwest corner in the southwestern county, Thurston County. The lake is about 7.6 mi (12.2 km) east of McCleary, Washington, 9.7 mi (15.6 km) west from the state capital of Olympia, and 9.8 mi (15.8 km) west-northwest of Tumwater, Washington.[3]
History
[edit]Early variant names were "Prays Lake" and "Crooked Lake"; the present name was adopted c. 1900.[4]
A U.S. Army helicopter, a MH-60 Black Hawk, crashed near Summit Lake in September 2025. Four Army soldiers, assigned to the 4th Battalion, 160th SOAR(A), died in the crash which set off a small fire.[5][6]
Environment and ecology
[edit]Summit Lake is a clean, fresh water lake with a wide variety of fish which include rainbow trout, kokanee, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, yellow perch, and coastal cutthroat.[7]
Recreation
[edit]The lake is accessed by a Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife-owned boat launch located at the southwestern side of the inland body of water. The site is a popular lake to fish at in Thurston County and the South Puget Sound.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Summit Lake Topo Map, Thurston County WA (Summit Lake Area)". TopoZone.
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Summit Lake, Thurston County, Washington
- ^ "Summit Lake in Thurston County WA". Summit Lake (in Thurston County, WA).
- ^ "Thurston County Place Names: A Heritage Guide" (PDF). Thurston County Historical Commission. 1992. p. 81. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
- ^ Sarah Davis; Rashard Rose (September 19, 2025). "4 Army soldiers believed dead in Black Hawk helicopter crash near base in Washington state". CNN. Retrieved September 22, 2025.
- ^ Kai Uyehara; Shauna Sowersby (September 18, 2025). "Four aboard in Black Hawk helicopter that crashed in Thurston County". The Seattle Times. Retrieved September 22, 2025.
- ^ "Summit Lake". Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife.