Fivemile Lake is located in southern

King County, Washington King County is located in the U.S. state of Washington. The population was 2,269,675 in the 2020 census, making it the most populous county in Washington, and the 13th-most populous in the United States. The county seat is Seattle, also the st ...

in the Lakeland South

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, such ...

. It has a popular park on its eastern bank. Fivemile Lake is one of several lakes in Lakeland South, including Lake Killarney,

Lake Geneva , image = Lake Geneva by Sentinel-2.jpg , caption = Satellite image , image_bathymetry = , caption_bathymetry = , location = Switzerland, France , coords = , lake_type = Glacial lak ...

, and Trout Lake.

History

Military Road runs along the eastern shore of the lake, next to the park. This road, built in the 1850s, once linked Fort Steilacoom with Fort Bellingham. The road's construction was authorized in 1857 to defend against Native American hostilities and the threat of foreign naval attacks. The road would help move supplies and troops between the forts, and would encourage further settlement of the area. Construction began in 1858, and the road was completed by 1860. The road connects Fivemile Lake to Star Lake and Angle Lake.

Description

Fivemile Lake is popular for fishing. The lake is stocked with

rainbow trout The rainbow trout (''Oncorhynchus mykiss'') is a species of trout native to cold-water tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The steelhead (sometimes called "steelhead trout") is an anadromous (sea-run) form of the coasta ...

, and also has

bluegill The bluegill (''Lepomis macrochirus''), sometimes referred to as "bream", "brim", "sunny", or "copper nose" as is common in Texas, is a species of North American freshwater fish, native to and commonly found in streams, rivers, lakes, ponds and ...

and

largemouth bass The largemouth bass (''Micropterus salmoides'') is a carnivorous freshwater gamefish in the Centrarchidae ( sunfish) family, a species of black bass native to the eastern and central United States, southeastern Canada and northern Mexico, but ...

. Due to high nutrient concentrations, Fivemile lake is moderately eutrophic. Fivemile Lake Park is run by King County. Its amenities include fields, trails, and a dock. A new playground opened in 2016. On April 5, 2023, one kayaker was killed and another was hospitalized after their boats capsized. The fire chief stressed the importance of life jackets, as neither kayaker was wearing one.

References

{{reflist Lakes of King County, Washington Parks in King County, Washington Lakes of Washington (state)