In the summer, the lake is a popular outdoor recreation site for picnicking, fishing, hiking, and nature viewing.

[7][8][9][10] Todd Lake is located on the east side of the Cascade Range in central Oregon, 24 miles (39 km) southwest of Bend.

Todd Creek disappears in a lava field approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) southwest of the lake.

[3][11] Because of its sheltered location, Todd Lake has distinct thermal stratification levels within its water column.

The conifer forest that surrounds the lake is dominated by mountain hemlock, lodgepole pine, and various fir species.

Ground cover in the shaded parts of the forest includes bog huckleberry, whortleberry, smooth woodrush, Brewer's mitrewort, and sidebells.

In open areas of the forest Jacob's ladder, alpine lake agoseris, and larkspur are common ground cover.

Many wildflowers continue to bloom throughout the summer, making Todd Lake an ideal place for nature viewing.

As a result, the Forest Service has designated the lake as a Pacific Northwest Region wildflower viewing area.

[3][12][13][14] The wildflower show begins in late June when the Jeffrey's shooting star and white marsh marigold bloom in the wet meadows and riparian areas.

[12][13] Common meadow wildflowers include Jeffrey's shooting star, elephanthead, Gorman's buttercup, alpine asters, American alpine speedwell, Indian paintbrush, small-flowered paintbrush, high mountain cinquefoil, Gray's ligusticum, green false hellebore, swamp laurel, and white bog orchid (Habenaria dilatata).

In the moist riparian area near the lake's outlet, there are Gorman's buttercup, yellow monkeyflower, Lewis monkey flower, arrowleaf groundsel, and false asphodel.

On drier slopes above the lake, Newberry's knotweed, larkspur, bracted lousewort, peregrine fleabane, dwarf lupine, sulphur flower, Martindale's lomatium, pussypaws, pink mountain heather, and Brewers mountain heather are common along with alpine lake agoseris.

[12][13] The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife regularly stocks Todd Lake with brook trout.

Common shore and wetland birds include American dipper, spotted sandpiper, black tern, double-crested cormorant, great blue heron, and sandhill crane.

[15] The meadows and forest around the lake are home to American goldfinch, Cassin's finch, pine siskin, red crossbill, Brewers sparrow, house sparrow, song sparrow, yellow-rumped warbler, olive-sided flycatcher, Cordilleran flycatcher, Hammond's flycatcher, dusky flycatcher, mountain chickadee, black-capped chickadee, evening grosbeak, dark-eyed junco, western tanager, American robin, western bluebird, mountain bluebird, hermit thrush, Townsend's solitaire, sage thrasher, golden-crowned kinglet, ruby-crowned kinglet, warbling vireo, house wren, cedar waxwing, barn swallow, cliff swallow, and tree swallow.

Other forest birds found in the area include northern flicker, Clark's nutcracker, red-breasted nuthatch, Brown creeper, brown-headed cowbird, pinyon jay, Steller's jay, Brewer's blackbird, common raven, and California quail.

The large mammals include black-tailed deer, Roosevelt elk, coyotes, American black bear, bobcats, and cougars.

The Forest Service carefully manages the area in order to provide recreational opportunities for visitors while ensuring that the sensitive lake environment is protected.

No motorized boats are allowed on the lake, so watercraft use is limited to canoes, kayaks, rafts, inner tubes, and other non-motorized craft.

From May through September, the Forest Service charges a modest fee for using the Todd Lake recreation area.