Lake Lawrence, lake in Thurston County, Washington, United States

Lake Lawrence is a 326.5-acre reservoir in Thurston County near Yelm, Washington, held back by Lake Lawrence Dam. Its irregular shoreline has narrow wooden docks along the upper and left edges, a green peninsula bordered by lighter aquatic vegetation in the left-center, and small round leaves floating at the lower right. Dense trees and clusters of buildings line the left and lower shores.

The lake formed when glaciers shaped the landscape thousands of years ago, leaving behind a depression that filled with water over time. A dam was later built to manage water levels and help establish the lake as a resource for the surrounding community.

The lake is named after Lindley and Sam Lawrence, businesspeople in the local logging industry. The Lake Lawrence Dam impounds the water, and the surrounding shoreline of trees and scattered buildings is where residents fish and boat today.

Lake Lawrence lies near Yelm in Thurston County, reached by county roads; the Lake Lawrence Dam holds back its 326.5 acres of water. The Lake Lawrence erratic, a glacial boulder, stands beside a county road close to the shore. The lake measures about 1.5 km from north to south and the same from east to west, so a full circuit on foot is short.

The Lake Lawrence erratic is a glacial boulder left near a county road beside the lake, carried there by ice and set down when the glacier melted. It is a tangible trace of the glacial history of Thurston County, and it can be seen from the road without a hike.