| Caples Lake | |
|---|---|
 View from Caples Lake with Elephants Back to left and Round Top centered. | |
  Caples Lake | |
| Location | Alpine County, California |
| Coordinates | 38°41′55″N 120°02′44″W / 38.69861°N 120.04556°W[1] |
| Primary inflows | Woods Creek |
| Primary outflows | Caples Creek |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Max. length | 2 miles (3.2 km) |
| Surface area | 600 acres (2.4 km2) |
| Max. depth | 62 feet (19 m) |
| Surface elevation | 7,802 ft (2,378 m) |
Caples Lake is a reservoir that is located near Kirkwood, California along California State Route 88 (also known as the Carson Pass Highway).[2] The lake was used as a halting place for wagon travelers who were trekking the historic Mormon Trail during the California Gold Rush. The lake has been used by many different groups of people including Native Americans, 49ers, and resort owners, so it has been known by different names. The variant names are Clear Lake, Summit Lake, and Twin Lakes.[1] Currently, Caples Lake is a reservoir used for water and recreation. Woods Creek and Emigrant Creek both flow into Caples Lake, which drains into Caples Creek.[3] Caples Creek meets up with the South Fork of the American River. It is operated by the El Dorado Irrigation District (EID), who is using it as part of the Hydroelectric Project 184 system.
- ^ a b "Caples Lake". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ^ Ruppenstein, Andrew (2016). "Caples Lake Historical Marker". www.hmdb.org. Retrieved 2019-04-22.
- ^ Ewing, Ben (2016). "State of California, California Department of Fish and Wildlife North Central Region Caples Lake, Alpine County 2015 Angler Survey Box Analysis". California Department of Fish and Wildlife.