Blue Lake (formerly, Scottsville)[6] is a city in Humboldt County, California, United States.

Blue Lake is located on the Mad River in a deep valley, 16 miles (26 km) northeast of Eureka,[6] at an elevation of 131 feet (40 m).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.6 square miles (1.6 km2), over 95% of which is land.

In 1861, the 13-acre Blue Lake was formed from flooding of the north fork of Mad River, and it gave the town a resort atmosphere.

As the river changed course in the 1920s, the lake disappeared to become what today is a small pond on private property.

Powersville was established in 1869 by David Powers on land originally claimed by Augusta Bates, Brice M. Stokes and William Scott.

[8] The lumber industry shipped wood down the Arcata and Mad River Railroad.

During the 1950s, timber shipped from Blue Lake included from Levitt Brothers own lumberyard and nail factory from which lumber and nails were sent to the four Levittown developments in the eastern U.S.[10] At the 2010 census Blue Lake had a population of 1,253.

There were 572 housing units at an average density of 920.1 per square mile (355.3/km2),of which 542 were occupied, 301 (55.5%) by the owners and 241 (44.5%) by renters.

[15] Federally, Blue Lake is in California's 2nd congressional district, represented by Democrat Jared Huffman.