Summit Lake (Paxson, Alaska)

This article is about the Summit Lake in Paxson, Alaska. For other uses, see Summit Lake (Alaska) and Summit Lake.

Summit Lake is located above the tree line on the south slope of the Alaska Range^{[1]: 2 & 5} between miles 192 and 196 of the Richardson Highway (AR-4). It is about 200 miles (320 km) north of Valdez, 180 miles (290 km) south of Fairbanks, and just south of Isabel Pass at an elevation of 3,300 feet (1,000 m).^{[1]: 2 & 5} It is also situated within the northeast corner of the census-designated place of Paxson,^[3] about 15 miles (24 km) upstream (north) of Paxson Lake.^[1]: 2

Shoreline of Summit Lake, just off the Richardson Highway

Summit Lake
A summer view across Summit Lake
Summit Lake Location of Summit Lake within the State of Alaska
Location	Paxson, Alaska United States
Coordinates	63°8′20″N 145°33′00″W
Type	Natural lake
Part of	Copper River Basin
Primary inflows	Gunn Greek
Primary outflows	Gulkana River
Basin countries	United States
Max. length	7.1 miles (11.4 km)[1]: 5 & 7
Max. width	1.1 miles (1.8 km)[1]: 5 & 7
Surface area	4,083.2 acres (16.524 km2)[1]: 5 & 7
Average depth	70 feet (21 m)[1]: 5 & 7
Max. depth	214 feet (65 m)[1]: 5 & 7
Water volume	1,083,344 cubic yards (828,276 m3)[2]
Surface elevation	3,300 feet (1,000 m)[1]: 5
Frozen	From early November to mid-June[1]: 5
Islands	1

It is glacier-fed by several creeks to the north, including Gunn Creek (which flows from the Gulkana Glacier).^[1]: 13 There are also additional creeks that feed into the lake from the west and southeast. The lake is up to 300 feet (91 m) deep and is covered with ice up to 5 feet (1.5 m) thick from November until mid-June. It is also the headwaters of the Gulkana River (a main tributary of the Copper River)^[1]: 2 well known for its "Copper River Reds" salmon, which migrate in late September to spawn in Gunn Creek on the north end of the lake. The lake is 7.1 miles (11.4 km) long, 1.1 miles (1.8 km) wide, and has a surface area of 6.28 square miles (16.3 km²).^{[1]: 5 & 7 [2]}

The area is known for the annual Arctic Man Summit Lake Classic ski and snow-machine race, attended by up to 13,000 visitors each April, weather permitting.^[4]

See also

• Gulkana River
• Paxson, Alaska
• Richardson Highway
• Summit Lake (Alaska)—disambiguation page

References

1. Van Whye, George L; Peck, James W. (1 Jul 1968). A Limnological Survey of Paxson and Summit Lakes (PDF). Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Retrieved 9 Nov 2015.
2. "Summit Lake (Paxson): Bathymetric Map and Fishing Information". adfg.alaska.gov. Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Retrieved 30 Dec 2015.
3. "Paxson, Alaska" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 7 Nov 2015.
4. "About the Race". arcticman.com. Retrieved 9 Nov 2015.

External links

• Summit Lake, AK on Facebook
• Summit Lake (Paxson): Bathymetric Map and Fishing Information (Alaska Department of Fish and Game webpage)
• Arctic Man (official website)