The 101-acre (41 ha) park, near the south shore of the Columbia River in Multnomah County, includes many covered and uncovered picnic areas, playing fields for sports such as softball, a cross country course (home course for Portland State Vikings cross country) and infrastructure related to lake recreation including swimming, boating, and fishing.

Encompassing wooded areas, three ponds, and a wetland in addition to the lake, the park is frequented by migrating birds and other wildlife.

[11] Activities at the park include hiking, biking, cross country running, swimming, boating, fishing, wildlife viewing, volleyball, basketball, disc golf,[12] archery, and softball.

[2] For a fee, Metro offers the use of a 2,080-square-foot (193 m2) structure called The Lake House for banquets, conferences, receptions, recitals, and weddings.

[2] Wetland plants near ponds north and west of the lake include cattails and rushes that provide habitat for marsh birds such as red-winged blackbirds.

Cottonwoods, alders, dogwoods, willows, and conifers grow in the park as do many shrubs including elderberries, spiraea, and Oregon-grape.

Outflow from lake and ponds occurs only when workers release water through a concrete weir to Salmon Creek, in a separate drainage basin to the east.

[15] In 1998, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) added the lake to its list of impaired water bodies because it violated the state's standard for alkalinity and supported too many aquatic weeds and algae.