Lake Nahwatzel

Lake Nahwatzel is a body of freshwater located in Mason County in the U.S. state of Washington. The lake is fed by three main sources, which include two unnamed creeks and naturally occurring hot springs. The lake empties into the East Fork of the Satsop River via Outlet Creek. Lake Nahwatzel is one of the warmest lakes in western Washington due to the presence of the aforementioned hot springs. Nearby towns include Shelton and Matlock.

Lake Nahwatzel
Lake Nahwatzel
LocationMason County, Washington
Coordinates47°14′34″N 123°20′00″W
Typelake
Surface area269 acres (109 ha)
Max. depth25 feet (7.6 m)

Lake Nahwatzel has a surface area of 269 acres (109 ha) and a maximum depth of 25 feet (7.6 m).[1]

Fishing

Lake Nahwatzel is opened to fishing year-round and is considered to be one of the best bass-fishing lakes in western Washington during the summer months. Twice a year, once in the spring and once in the fall, the lake is stocked with rainbow trout. According to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, April and May or late September and October are the best months for catching rainbow trout.[2]

Geography

Lake Nahwatzel is located in the foothills of the Olympic Mountains which are located on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State. The location of the lake means that the land is heavily wooded and dotted with many hills and streams.

2008 floatplane accident

On Thursday, July 24, 2008, a floatplane piloted by Mark Storer and his son Brian Storer experienced engine problems soon after taking off from where they had landed on the lake.[3] The plane rose above the tree line but began to descend soon after, eventually crashing into a nearby field, killing the two men onboard.[4] The crash sparked a three acre fire that was contained by local fire fighters within hours.[5]

Controversy

Recently the Simpson Timber Company and their Green Diamond affiliates have begun readying to sell the undeveloped northern shoreline. The north shore of Lake Nahwatzel is currently forestland, and the sale would see new houses built on the shore over the following years. A petition was sent out in 2013 to try to get the community to purchase the property and keep it natural; however, because of a lack of support the petition in its original form failed.

References
  1. "NAHWATZEL LAKE -- MASON COUNTY: 1997". Washington State Department of Ecology. Archived from the original on 2015-06-11. Retrieved 2015-06-10.
  2. "NAHWATZEL LAKE". Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife. Retrieved 2015-06-12.
  3. "Two Perish in Plane Crash Near Lake Nahwatzel". Mason County Sheriff’s Office. Retrieved 2015-06-12.
  4. "Two killed in floatplane crash". KING 5 News. Retrieved 2015-06-12.
  5. "Family: Father, son died in crash". KOMO 4 News. Archived from the original on 2015-06-14. Retrieved 2016-07-22.
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