Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States. It lies in the crater of Mount Mazama, an inactive volcano in the Cascade Mountains of Oregon. The lake is almost 6 miles (10 kilometers) across at its widest point. It covers 20 square miles (52 square kilometers). Its surface is about 6,200 feet (1,900 meters) above sea level. Its greatest depth is 1,943 feet (592 meters). There are no known outlets and no streams flowing into it.
The lake was formed about 7,700 years ago when the top of Mount Mazama, then about 12,000 feet (3,660 meters) high, collapsed. This left a huge “bowl” which gradually filled with water. A small volcano called Wizard Island formed in the lake when lava erupted later from the interior of Mount Mazama.
The indigenous (native) Klamath people believed the lake’s waters had healing qualities. John Hillman, a mining prospector, arrived at Crater Lake in June 1853. He named it Deep Blue Lake. The area was made a national park in 1902. Originally, there were no fish in Crater Lake. But the lake was stocked with several varieties of fish from the late 1800’s until 1941. Some rainbow trout and kokanee salmon still survive there.
