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Lake Crescent is known for its brilliant blue waters and exceptional clarity, caused by a lack of nitrogen in the water which inhibits the growth of algae, a fascinating anomaly to be sure. While the length of the lake has been known for decades (8.5 miles long tip to tip and a mile wide) the depth has been and continues to be hypothesized. The official depth of Lake Crescent is 624 FACT, FOLKLORE AND FISH The lake formed in a deep valley scar from glaciers that receded about 11,000 years ago, and took its present shape about 1,000 years later, when one or more earthquakes prompted a massive landslide that cut today's Lake Sutherland off from the east end of Lake Crescent. The oral tradition of ancient residents, the Klallam tribe, backs up this story, mirroring, in the important ways, the geologic theory: Lake Sutherland was split off, according to legend, when nearby, 4,537-foot Mount Storm King, angered by feet, but these readings taken during the 1960's were flawed due to instruments that could not record measurements beyond this depth, thus 624 feet became the "official" depth as recorded by the National Park Service. To put this depth into perspective, 624 feet is 4 stories deeper than the Space Needle is tall - so it's deep! However, the debate went on and it was tested further. When power cable was being laid in the lake, instruments showed depths in excess of 1000 feet, the maximum range of the equipment used. This reading places Lake Crescent in 2nd place to Lake Chelan as the deepest lake in Washington. However, the actual maximum depth of Lake Crescent remains unknown - some even refer to the lake as "bottomless". Those who study mythology and folklore will tell you the bottomless lake fable is old, global and persistent - this only adds to the mystery. Devil's Punchbowl bridge