Being where it is I was amazed at the size of Yellowstone Lake. The waters appear to be very clear. Yellowstone Lake lies in the caldera of an ancient but still active volcano. 640,000 years ago the dome of the caldera collapsed creating the Lake as we know it today. Before the collapse Yellowstone Lake actually covered most of the Hayden Valley. There is a section of the Lake known as the West Thumb.

We saw this beautiful lake as we drove from the Old Faithful area to Lake Lodge cabins. It’s a huge lake with mountains in the background. It also has some geothermal activity going on along the shores. It was lovely to admire.

It is a good time to visit, but there is only one road open which is from Gardiner to North East entrance. You visit Mammoth Hotsprings and Lamar Valley. The snow coach and snow mobile starts after 15 December 2023. Its is good time to visit. Less crowded.

During our trip to the park, we drove around searching for a nice spot to see Yellowstone Lake. We finally found it when we arrived at the Fishing Bridge Visitor Center. This spot offers the opportunity to walk around the beautiful shoreline and enjoy the vastness of Yellowstone Lake. We were stunned by the size of the lake and its undeniable beauty. At this spot, you can see the endless blue lake stretching out before you, providing breathtaking scenery. Yellowstone Lake is the largest high-elevation lake (above 7,000 feet) in North America, covering approximately 136 square miles (352 square kilometers) with over 110 miles (177 kilometers) of shoreline. It sits at an elevation of about 7,732 feet (2,357 meters) above sea level. After seeing it for ourselves, it easily became a must-see destination that we would recommend to anyone visiting Yellowstone National Park.

We're Montanans, and try to visit Yellowstone every year or so. This year, we spent a little time along the lake, and greatly enjoyed it. The views across the lake, with all the mountains, are truly world class. We tried a little fishing from the Gull Point picnic area. Some very nice picnic spots on the lakeside. We saw a kayak tour along the lake near the lakeside thermal areas. Someday, we'd like to take our canoe out on the lake. However, be aware that winds can come up quickly and make self-propelled boating dangerous. And there are also motor boats on the lake, some of which go way too fast and kick up significant wakes. So....plan carefully, be prepared for bad weather, follow park rules, slow down and be respectful.

If you visit West Thumb Geyser Basin, you can walk a long boardwalk trail that goes along the shores of Yellowstone Lake. There are many geothermal features to see along the trail. Yellowstone Lake is quite large and you can access it at several places.

We drove by this lake for about 1/2 hour. It’s massive, like one of the Great Lakes back in the Midwest. We stopped at West Thumb and walked down to the shoreline. I like the story about hot spots in the lake and how the fish have adapted. It’s just another fantastic feature in a fantastic National Park.