Waughop Lake has a surface area of approximately 33 acres (130,000 m2) and a mean depth of 7 feet (2.1 m).

The lake is named after Dr. John Wesley Waughop, former superintendent of the Washington State Hospital for the Insane.

One of the primary researchers of this lake, Michele La Fontaine, has done studies on the algae and dissolved oxygen content.

Waughop Lake is home to many animals and plants, including mallards, deer, Canada geese, raccoons, robins, squirrels, and other small birds.

The algae are fed by nitrogen, supplied by the duck droppings and sediment, which the lake has plenty of.