Winchester Lake facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Winchester Lake |
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 Winchester Lake
Location in Idaho
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| Location | Lewis County, Idaho, United States |
| Coordinates | 46°14′05″N 116°37′13″W / 46.2346268°N 116.6203348°W |
| Type | Reservoir |
| Primary inflows | Lapwai Creek |
| Primary outflows | Lapwai Creek to Clearwater River |
| Catchment area | 7,800 acres (3,200 ha) |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Managing agency | Idaho Parks and Recreation |
| Built | 1910 |
| Max. length | 5,085 feet (1,550 m) |
| Max. width | 3,106 feet (947 m) |
| Surface area | 103.1 acres (41.7 ha) |
| Average depth | 23 feet (7.0 m) |
| Max. depth | 35 feet (11 m) |
| Water volume | 1,960 acre-feet (2,420,000 m3) |
| Residence time | 1.95 years |
| Surface elevation | 3,904 feet (1,190 m) |
| Settlements | Winchester |
Winchester Lake, also called Lapwai Lake, is a lake made by people. You can find it on the south side of Winchester in Lewis County, Idaho. It's the main attraction of Winchester Lake State Park. The lake is about 100 acres big. It's usually about 23 feet deep, but its deepest spot is 35 feet.
How Winchester Lake Was Made
The lake was created in 1910. A company called Craig Mountain Lumber Company built a dam. They built it at the start of Lapwai Creek. This dam formed a large pond. The pond was used by the lumber mill. The mill was very important. It was the biggest lumber mill in northern Idaho. Up to 270 people worked there. The pond also helped make electricity for the town.
The mill used the pond until the early 1960s. By then, most of the trees in the area had been cut down. In 1966, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game bought the lake. They bought it from Potlatch Forests. Then, in 1969, they gave the lake and the land around it to the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation. This was done so the area could become a state park.
Fish in the Lake
After the Department of Fish and Game got the lake, they cleaned it. They drained the water and removed old logs. They also cleaned out other things from the mill. Sometimes, they clean the lake to remove fish that aren't good for the ecosystem. This helps the game fish grow better.
You can find several types of fish in Winchester Lake. These include rainbow trout, bluegill, and tiger muskie. You might also catch yellow perch and largemouth bass.
