AMERICAN LAKE in TACOMA WA 

Tacoma WA offers aesthetic beauty every where you look and a wide variety of recreational activities. Living in and around Tacoma, WA in Pierce County, is no exception. I thought I would share some pictures my daughter, Breanna, took yesterday while out on American Lake.

A Little About American Lake:

This lake is 1125 acres, 8 miles SW of Tacoma. The lake holds rainbow, cutthroat, kokanee, perch, largemouth, smallmouth and rock bass, and bullhead. On most days, there is a large population of Eagles to watch. There are several boat launches on the lake. Enjoy boating/canoeing, fishing, kayaking, rafting, tubing, swimming, and watersking. Explore two public parks on the lake - American Lake North Park & Marina and Harry Todd Park. Both have lakeside beaches ideal for swimming, fishing, picnicking. If you enjoy just looking at waterfront homes, this is a great lake to explore.

Mike Carey, Editor of WashingtonLakes.com, writes:

American lake is a large (1100+ acres) lake which is multi-species. It is best known for it's stocked rainbow and kokanee fishery. Large fish are not unheard of in this lake, and some real "football" kokanee have been caught in the past. In addition, perch are a thriving population and can be found through out the lake. Spots anglers focus on are off the VA Hospital and Little American lake. Not a separate lake, Little American lake is actually the south end of the lake. Being that it is a smaller bay of the lake and not as shallow, it tends to warm earlier in the season and can offer good early season fishing. Bass can be targeted through out the lake. The lake has a couple of different access points. The primary launch is on the southeast end of the lake. There are two concrete ramps and a spacious parking lot. Because of American's urban location and large size, this lake can be very active for the waterskiing and jetski crowd. Be warned that the large lot can fill up on weekends. As noted, the lake is primarily a developed, urban lake. There is a nice county park on the central-east side of the lake perfect for family picnics. The south end of the lake is a military base and you must secure access at the camp entrance, a somewhat time-consuming task that requires ID, including your vehicle registration. But there are plenty of areas outside the base to access and enjoy the lake. The lake is a year-round lake as of this writing.