Summit Lake (Washington)

Summit Lake is a freshwater lake located in the northwest corner in the southwestern county, Thurston County. The lake is about east of McCleary, Washington, west from the state capital of Olympia, and west-northwest of Tumwater, Washington.

History

Early variant names were "Prays Lake" and "Crooked Lake"; the present name was adopted.
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.

Environment and ecology

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.

Recreation

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.