Summit Lake is located above the

tree line The tree line is the edge of the habitat at which trees are capable of growing. It is found at high elevations and high latitudes. Beyond the tree line, trees cannot tolerate the environmental conditions (usually cold temperatures, extreme snowp ...

on the south slope of the

Alaska Range The Alaska Range is a relatively narrow, 600-mile-long (950 km) mountain range in the southcentral region of the U.S. state of Alaska, from Lake Clark at its southwest endSources differ as to the exact delineation of the Alaska Range. ThBoar ...

between miles 192 and 196 of the

Richardson Highway The Richardson Highway is a highway in the U.S. state of Alaska, running 368 miles (562 km) and connecting Valdez to Fairbanks. It is marked as Alaska Route 4 from Valdez to Delta Junction and as Alaska Route 2 from there to Fairbanks. It ...

(AR-4). It is about north of Valdez, south of

Fairbanks Fairbanks is a home rule city and the borough seat of the Fairbanks North Star Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. Fairbanks is the largest city in the Interior region of Alaska and the second largest in the state. The 2020 Census put the po ...

, and just south of Isabel Pass at an elevation of . It is also situated within the northeast corner of the

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 ...

of Paxson, about upstream (north) of Paxson Lake. Alaska Route4-2

It is glacier-fed by several creeks to the north, including Gunn Creek (which flows from the

Gulkana Glacier Gulkana Glacier is a glacier that flows from the ice fields of the south flank of the eastern Alaska Range.http://ak.water.usgs.gov/glaciology/gulkana/ U.S. Geological Survey Program Overview on Gulkana Glacier It is accessible by gravel roads f ...

). There are also additional creeks that feed into the lake from the west and southeast. The lake is up to deep and is covered with ice up to thick from November until mid-June. It is also the

headwaters The headwaters of a river or stream is the farthest place in that river or stream from its estuary or downstream confluence with another river, as measured along the course of the river. It is also known as a river's source. Definition The ...

of the Gulkana River (a main tributary of the

Copper River Copper River may refer to several places: *Copper River (Alaska), in the United States * Copper River (British Columbia), a tributary of the Skeena River The Skeena River is the second-longest river entirely within British Columbia, Canada (afte ...

) 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 long, wide, and has a surface area of . 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.

References

External links

*
Summit Lake (Paxson): Bathymetric Map and Fishing Information
(

Alaska Department of Fish and Game The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) is a department within the government of Alaska. ADF&G's mission is to protect, maintain, and improve the fish, game, and aquatic plant resources of the state, and manage their use and development in ...

webpage)
Arctic Man
(official website) Alaska Range Lakes of Alaska Lakes of Copper River Census Area, Alaska {{CopperRiverAK-geo-stub

See also

References

External links