Long Lake (Thurston County, Washington)
Encyclopedia
Long Lake is a freshwater lake located in Thurston County, Washington, United States
. It is located approximately 5.5 miles east of Olympia
. It consists of two basins connected by a narrow neck. It is two miles long and has two islands, Holmes Island (13 acres) and Kirby Island (2.4 acres). Long Lake is fed by Pattison Lake and drains via Himes/Woodland Creek and Lois Lake to Henderson Inlet.
which features one of the finest swimming beaches in Thurston County, as well as sand-volleyball and barbecue facilities. The park has 285 feet of beach frontage as well as picnic facilities and pedestrian trails through the woods. The park is open from 7am to dusk.
, Long Lake Park hosts the Polar Bear Plunge where hundreds ring in the new year by jumping into the lake. (and quickly exiting)
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is located approximately 5.5 miles east of Olympia
Olympia, Washington
Olympia is the capital city of the U.S. state of Washington and the county seat of Thurston County. It was incorporated on January 28, 1859. The population was 46,478 at the 2010 census...
. It consists of two basins connected by a narrow neck. It is two miles long and has two islands, Holmes Island (13 acres) and Kirby Island (2.4 acres). Long Lake is fed by Pattison Lake and drains via Himes/Woodland Creek and Lois Lake to Henderson Inlet.
Boat Launch
The lake can be accessed via a Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) boat launch. The launch is open during fishing season and requires a WDFW vehicle use permit.Long Lake Park
Long Lake Park is a 10 acre park operated by the City of LaceyLacey, Washington
Lacey is a city in Thurston County, Washington, United States. Established as a suburb of Olympia, its population was 42,393 at the 2010 census out of a county population of 252,264.-History:...
which features one of the finest swimming beaches in Thurston County, as well as sand-volleyball and barbecue facilities. The park has 285 feet of beach frontage as well as picnic facilities and pedestrian trails through the woods. The park is open from 7am to dusk.
Fishing
The following species of fish can be found in Long Lake:- Bass, LargemouthLargemouth bassThe largemouth bass is a species of black bass in the sunfish family native to North America . It is also known as widemouth bass, bigmouth, black bass, bucketmouth, Potter's fish, Florida bass, Florida largemouth, green bass, green trout, linesides, Oswego bass, southern largemouth...
- Bass, RockRock bassThe rock bass , also known as the rock perch, goggle-eye, or red eye is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of order Perciformes. They are similar in appearance to smallmouth bass but are usually quite a bit smaller...
- BluegillBluegillThe Bluegill is a species of freshwater fish sometimes referred to as bream, brim, or copper nose. It is a member of the sunfish family Centrarchidae of the order Perciformes.-Range and distribution:...
- Bullhead, BrownBrown bullheadThe brown bullhead, Ameiurus nebulosus, is a fish of the Ictaluridae family that is widely distributed in North America. It is a species of bullhead catfish and is similar to the black bullhead and yellow bullhead...
- Carp, CommonCommon carpThe Common carp is a widespread freshwater fish of eutrophic waters in lakes and large rivers in Europe and Asia. The wild populations are considered vulnerable to extinction, but the species has also been domesticated and introduced into environments worldwide, and is often considered an invasive...
- Perch, YellowYellow perchThe yellow perch is a species of perch found in the United States and Canada, where it is often referred to by the shortform perch. Yellow perch look similar to the European perch, but are paler and more yellowish, with less red in the fins. They have six to eight dark, vertical bars on their sides...
- PumpkinseedPumpkinseedThe pumpkinseed sunfish is a freshwater fish of the sunfish family of order Perciformes. It is also referred to as "pond perch", "common sunfish", "punkys", and "sunny".-Range and distribution:...
- Suckerfish, GeneralCatostomidaeCatostomidae is the sucker family of the order Cypriniformes. There are 80 species in this family of freshwater fishes. Catostomidae are found in North America, east central China, and eastern Siberia...
- Trout, Cutthroat Coastal ResidentCutthroat troutThe cutthroat trout is a species of freshwater fish in the salmon family of order Salmoniformes. It is one of the many fish species colloquially known as trout...
- Trout, RainbowRainbow troutThe rainbow trout is a species of salmonid native to tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The steelhead is a sea run rainbow trout usually returning to freshwater to spawn after 2 to 3 years at sea. In other words, rainbow trout and steelhead trout are the same species....
- WarmouthWarmouthThe common name of Lepomis gulosus is the warmouth. It is one of the 324 fish species found in Tennessee.-Introduction:The following is a description of a monitoring plan for the Warmouth . One of the eleven species in the Lepomis genus, the species name gulosus refers to the warmouths big eyes...
Lake Management District
Since 1987, Long Lake property owners have authorized Lake Management District No. 19 to oversee the management of the lake. Currently, the District is authorized for Jan. 1, 2011 to Dec. 31, 2015Goals
- Monitor and manage any recurrence of milfoil or emergence of other aquatic plants to meet recreational and aesthetic needs, fishery and wildlife habitat requirements, and watershed concerns.
- Conduct water quality monitoring
- Investigate and promote best management practices and shoreline enhancement to decrease phosphorus loading.
- Implement the Long Lake Management Plan.
- Investigate, advise, and report upon impacts caused by the increased population and popular use of Long Lake, while maintaining quality of life on and around the lake.
- Maintain a steering committee responsible for directing LMD activities, overseeing finances and communicating with property owners.
Boating Safety Rules
Thurston County establishes regulations regarding boating operations and water safety on Long Lake.- For the first 30 days of fishing season the speed limit is 5 mph around-the-clock. The rest of the year, watercraft can travel up to 45 mph in open basins EXCEPT at nightNightNight or nighttime is the period of time when the sun is below the horizon. This occurs after dusk. The opposite of night is day...
and in the morningMorningThe word morning originally referred to the sunrise. Morning precedes midday, afternoon, and night in the sequence of a day.Morning is the part of the day usually reckoned from dawn to noon...
, when the speed limit is 5 mph. (The 5 mph limit applies after 8 p.m. or official sunset, whichever comes first, to 11 a.m. in the morning.) - After sunset, all crafts must use proper running lights.
- Crafts operating over 5 mph must be at least 200 feet off the shoreline. This must be observed because swimmers and nonmotorized craft tend to gather within the 200-foot safety zone. This rule also reduces the impact of wakes upon shore banks.
- Crafts operating over 5 mph, including personal watercraft or "jet skisPersonal water craftA personal water craft , also called water scooter, is a recreational watercraft that the rider rides or stands on, rather than inside of, as in a boat....
," must also remain at least 100 feet away from all other craft and persons. - All watercraft must travel in a counter-clockwise direction.
- All water skiers must have at least three people: a driver, an observer, and a skier. The observer is required to watch the skier at all times and to use a red or orange flag to signal when a skier is down in the water. All water skiers are required to wear an approved flotation device.
- Personal flotation devices must be on-board all watercraft, with one device required for each person and easily accessible. Children 12 years old and younger must wear a personal flotation devicePersonal flotation deviceA personal flotation device is a device designed to assist a wearer, either conscious or unconscious, to keep afloat.Devices designed and approved by authorities for use by...
at all times if traveling on a vessel that is shorter than 19 feet. - All personal watercraft (or "jet ski") operators must wear an approved flotation device.
- It is illegal to operate any craft while under the influenceDriving under the influenceDriving under the influence is the act of driving a motor vehicle with blood levels of alcohol in excess of a legal limit...
of drugsDRUGSDestroy Rebuild Until God Shows are an American post-hardcore band formed in 2010. They released their debut self-titled album on February 22, 2011.- Formation :...
or alcoholAlcoholIn chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
.
Polar Bear Plunge
Each year on New Year's DayNew Year's Day
New Year's Day is observed on January 1, the first day of the year on the modern Gregorian calendar as well as the Julian calendar used in ancient Rome...
, Long Lake Park hosts the Polar Bear Plunge where hundreds ring in the new year by jumping into the lake. (and quickly exiting)