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Alder Lake

Eatonville, Washington — Pierce County.

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2,766Surface acres
2Public access sites
1.2 miShoreline trails

Surface area: The USGS National Hydrography Dataset outline (NHD Permanent ID 166120479).

Location & fast facts

Where Alder Lake is in Washington

The red circle marks Alder Lake.

Fast facts

About Alder Lake

  • Counties: Pierce, Thurston
  • Nearest city: Eatonville (about 2.7 mi from the lake)
  • Mapped as: Lake or pond (USGS National Hydrography Dataset)
  • Distance: about 2179 mi from Pensacola and 2261 mi from Panama City, straight-line (not driving distance)

Towns and counties: U.S. Census Bureau boundaries overlaid on the USGS lake outline (Washington: incorporated places touching the lake, otherwise the nearest one).

Fishing in Washington

Official WDFW pages. Rules and fees change; check before you go.

Good for & watch for

Good for

  • Boating. 2 public trailer launches listed (see access)
  • Fishing. Kokanee
  • Walking. 1.2 mi of trail near the shore (trails)
  • Camping. 17 campgrounds within 15 mi, 6 on the shore (list)

Watch for

  • Boat traffic. A public trailer launch means motorboats share the water; expect more traffic on summer weekends.
  • Cold water. Water stays cold well into late spring and turns cold again in fall. Wear a life jacket when paddling in the shoulder seasons.

Built only from the data on this page: official access lists, OpenStreetMap beaches and trails, campground listings, state and USGS invasive-species records. We don't rate crowds or water quality.

Official stocking data (Washington WDFW)

Stocked by the state: Kokanee (2015–2026, 12 years; 2,981,683 fish in all, fry included)

Source: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, WDFW Fish Plants data on data.wa.gov (releases into Alder Lake, Pierce County, since 2015). See WDFW trout stocking reports. These are stocking records, not a full fish survey; other species also live here.

Lake map

Alder Lake shoreline, boat launches & beaches

Rocky Point Beach Campground (campground)Eagle's Nest RV Park (campground)Elk Plain Campground (campground)Group Camp (campground)Main Campground (campground)Osprey Campground (campground)Boat ramp (Boat launch)1Boat ramp (Boat launch)21 mileN

Numbers on the map match the list at rightbelow.

Boat launchShoreline trail Campground
  1. 1Boat ramp
    Boat launch
  2. 2Boat ramp
    Boat launch

Shoreline: USGS National Hydrography Dataset (NHD Waterbody, Permanent ID 166120479), public domain. State outline: U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb. Points: WDFW water access sites and OpenStreetMap boat ramps (ODbL). Dashed trails: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Interactive map: Leaflet with © OpenStreetMap contributors. Not for navigation.

Shoreline trails

1.2 miTrail within 100 m of shore
Under 5%Of the shoreline
NoLoops the whole lake
West shoreWhere

OpenStreetMap shows about 1.2 mi of public hiking and walking trail within about 100 m (330 ft) of the Alder Lake shoreline, mostly along the west shore.

Trails along the shore

Trailheads & parking

The dashed brown line on the lake map shows these trails. We include paths, footways and marked trails that OpenStreetMap doesn't mark as private, and leave out roads, sidewalks and snowmobile corridors. Mapped trails can still cross private land or close for the season, and not every trail is mapped, so follow posted signs.

Trails: © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL). Map data as of Oct 9, 2026. Trail lengths count only the parts within about 100 m of the USGS NHD lake outline.

Campgrounds near Alder Lake

We found 17 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles of Alder Lake, 10 of them within 5 miles. 6 are right on the shore. Distances are straight-line from the nearest point on the shoreline, so driving distance is longer.

11 more within 15 miles

All campgrounds & RV parks in Washington

Green tent icons on the lake map mark campgrounds near the shore, and the interactive map shows the closest 12. Amenities are listed only where a source records them; call or check the campground's website before you go, since seasons and rates change every year.

Campground data: Recreation.gov (RIDB) · OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Pulled Oct 12, 2026.

Conditions right now

Air temperature & conditions (nearest NWS station)Loading…
Fetching the latest National Weather Service observation…

Live from the National Weather Service API for the lake's coordinates (46.7816, -122.2968). The nearest station may be several miles away. NWS forecast for Alder Lake. No live water-temperature sensor is shown because we haven't found a public one for this lake.

Sun, moon & best fishing times

Sun & moon at Alder Lake

Best fishing times

Major periodMinor periodDaylight

    Based on solunar theory, an estimate. Major periods (about 2 hours) center on when the moon is directly overhead or underfoot; minor periods (about 1 hour) center on moonrise and moonset. The 0–100 activity score rises during those periods and gets a boost near sunrise and sunset and around the new and full moon. Weather, water temperature and pressure often matter more. Sun and moon times are calculated in your browser from the lake's coordinates with standard astronomy formulas, shown in PT (America/Los_Angeles), and accurate to within a few minutes.

    Boat launches & access sites

    2 public access sites listed, 2 with a boat ramp or trailer launch.

    SiteTownOwnerTypeParkingFeeUsesMap
    Boat ramp——Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating46.7736, -122.2186
    Boat ramp——Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating46.7988, -122.2924

    WDFW water access sites and OpenStreetMap boat ramps (ODbL)

    Fees, hours and rules change; confirm with the site owner before you go.

    Contact & official info

    Questions about Alder Lake

    How big is Alder Lake?

    Alder Lake covers about 2,766 acres in Eatonville, Washington (Pierce County).

    What fish are in Alder Lake?

    WDFW fish stocking records lists Kokanee.

    Is there a public boat launch on Alder Lake?

    Yes. 2 public trailer launches are listed: Boat ramp and Boat ramp. Check posted fees and parking rules.

    Are there campgrounds near Alder Lake?

    Yes. We list 17 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles, 10 of them within 5 miles.

    What towns are on Alder Lake?

    Alder Lake touches Eatonville in Pierce County and Thurston County, Washington.

    Share a tip or fishing report

    Know Alder Lake? Tell us about the launch, parking, where they're biting or anything a first-time visitor should know. Tips go privately to the LakeRipple editor; nothing is posted automatically. Helpful tips may be featured on this page (we'll use your first name only if you give one).

    Lakes & ponds nearby

    Straight-line distance between lake centers. All Washington lakes & ponds · All waters in Eatonville