Recreational activities in the lake basin include hiking, backpacking, skiing, and fishing.

Stratovolcanoes erupting about 14.7 million years ago in the Miocene covered about 500 square miles (1,300 km2) of what later became Grant County with andesite lavas and mudflows.

Occupying part of a valley carved by ice in the Pleistocene, the lake formed behind a landslide dam across Strawberry Creek.

[6] Winter sports enthusiasts visit the lake in winter even though the access road, County Road 60, from Prairie City to the edge of this part of the wilderness is unplowed and blocked by snow 2 to 4 miles (3 to 6 km) downstream from Strawberry Camp.

[6] Fishing in the lake is allowed all year, though snow makes access difficult in winter.