Crater Lake Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Crater Lake
View from above. Wizard Island is in the south-west corner.
Survey of the lake's depth
Location	Klamath County, Oregon
Coordinates	42°56′37″N 122°06′24″W / 42.94361°N 122.10667°W / 42.94361; -122.10667
Type	crater lake
Primary inflows	precipitation and melted snow only
Primary outflows	evaporation and subsurface seepage only
Catchment area	23.3 sq mi (60 km²)
Basin countries	United States

Max. length	6 mi (9.7 km)
Max. width	5 mi (8.0 km)
Surface area	20.6 sq mi (53 km²)
Average depth	1,148 ft (350 m)
Max. depth	1,949 ft (594 m)
Water volume	4.49 cu mi (18.7 km³)
Residence time	157 years
Shore length¹	21.8 mi (35.1 km)
Surface elevation	6,178 ft (1,883 m)

Islands	Wizard Island Phantom Ship
¹ Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Crater Lake is a beautiful lake located in the state of Oregon, United States. It is the main attraction of Crater Lake National Park. The lake is famous for its bright blue color and very clear water.

Crater Lake sits inside a huge bowl called a caldera. This caldera is about 2,148-foot (655-meter) deep. It formed when a large volcano named Mount Mazama collapsed. This happened about 7,500 years ago. No rivers flow into or out of the lake. The water level stays steady because rain and snow replace the water that evaporates. It takes about 250 years for all the water in the lake to be replaced.

In 1853, a miner named John Wesley Hillman was the first person to record visiting the lake. He called it "Deep Blue Lake." Over time, the lake was given a few different names, like Blue Lake and Lake Majesty, before it finally became known as Crater Lake.

One interesting thing about Crater Lake is the Old Man of the Lake. This is a tree trunk that has been floating upright in the water for over 100 years! The lake's very cold water helps to keep the wood from rotting. Originally, there were no fish in Crater Lake. But between 1888 and 1941, people put different kinds of fish into the lake. Today, several species of fish still live there.

How Deep is Crater Lake?
How Crater Lake Was Formed
Why the Water is So Clear
Sacred Meaning
Related Information
Images for kids
See also

How Deep is Crater Lake?

Crater Lake is located in Klamath County, Oregon. It is about 60 miles (97 km) northwest of Klamath Falls, Oregon. The lake's average depth is 1,148 feet (350 m). Its deepest point is 1,949 feet (594 m). The depth can change a little bit with the weather.

Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States. It is also the second deepest lake in North America, after Great Slave Lake in Canada. Around the world, Crater Lake is the ninth deepest lake. However, if you compare the average depths of the world's deepest lakes, Crater Lake ranks as the third deepest. The land around the lake, called the caldera rim, is very high. It ranges from 7,000 to 8,000 feet (2,100 to 2,400 m) above sea level.

How Crater Lake Was Formed

Geologic map of the lake floor

Mount Mazama was a large volcano that was part of the Cascade Range. It grew bigger over at least 400,000 years. The caldera, or the big bowl where the lake is now, was formed by a huge volcanic eruption. This eruption caused Mount Mazama to collapse around 5700 BC.

After the collapse, any new eruptions happened only inside the caldera. Over time, lava eruptions created a central island called Wizard Island. Sediment and material from landslides also covered the caldera floor. Eventually, the caldera cooled down. This allowed rain and snow to collect and form the lake. Even after the lake formed, there were still hot spots and steam vents.

It took about 720 years for the lake to fill to its current depth. This happened even though the climate was drier back then. Some hot water activity still happens on the lake floor. This means that Mount Mazama could erupt again in the future.

Why the Water is So Clear

A view of the clear blue water of Crater Lake

Crater Lake in winter

The water in Crater Lake is some of the cleanest in North America. It has almost no pollution. One big reason for this is that no rivers or streams flow into the lake. This means no dirt or pollution is carried in from other places.

Scientists measure how clear the water is. They usually find that you can see down 80 to 115 feet (24 to 35 m). That is incredibly clear for any natural body of water! In 1997, scientists recorded a record clarity of 142 feet (43 m). The lake water also has a good balance of salts. Its pH level is usually between 7 and 8, which is close to neutral.

Sacred Meaning

The Klamath tribe of Native Americans have always seen Crater Lake as a special and holy place. Their legends tell a story about a big battle. It was between Skell, the sky god, and Llao, the god of the underworld. Mount Mazama was destroyed during this battle, and that's how Crater Lake was created.

The Klamath people used Crater Lake for vision quests. They believed that those who succeeded in these quests gained more spiritual powers. The tribe still respects Crater Lake as a very important spiritual site today.