"Fish Lake": A Common Name, Not a Single Lake—Origins Vary

There is no single "Fish Lake"—hundreds of lakes bear this name across North America. Each has its own naming story.

Example: Fish Lake, Utah

• Named by John C. Frémont (1844 expedition) for the abundance of fish (native cutthroat trout, later stocked species).
• Largest natural mountain lake in Utah; high-elevation (2,700 m), glacial origin.
• Part of Fishlake National Forest; "Pando" aspen clone nearby.

General Pattern

• Descriptive naming by explorers, surveyors, settlers, Indigenous peoples.
• Often reflects: notable fishery, fish shape, fish migration, or translation of Native name (e.g., "Namekagon" = "place of the fish" in Ojibwe).

Check the specific Fish Lake's local history for its etymology.