Rock Lake, Whitman County, Washington

Rock Lakes (2,189.6 acres)

This lake is one of the Largest Scab Land lakes at 7.5 miles long and the deepest of the scabland lakes at about 408 feet. I have personally sailed on this lake many times and taught sailing for the University of Idaho on it as well. I was told while attending the U of I that Rock Lake was too small to sail on and there was no wind (must have been a power boater telling me this). When I visited the lake, I could not believe what I found, a large lake (large for this area); and once I started sailing on it, I was amazed at the consistent winds. As a matter of fact, I never experienced lack of wind on this lake. This is the German Brown fishing lake of the Inland NW. Browns pulled from this lake average 10 to 20 inches long. Even though the boat launch is privately owned it is maintained by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, and public access is allowed.

The launch is rough due to its rocky surface and if the water level is low, it will be very hard to launch any boat via trailer in the water other than a fishing dinghy or shallow draft sailboat lake a Hobie 16. The end of the rocky boat launch abruptly drops of to some unknown depth; basically, there is a potential to back in too far during low water and drop your trailer wheels off the end of the launch area/ledge (not good). It’s a deep lake but the boat launch (as is the case on many lakes in this area) limits the size of boat you can launch. This lake is more than deep enough for keelboats; the only downside would be the lava spears that you can hit just under the surface of the water and because of this fact I would heavily advise against water skiing or jet skiing on this lake.

I never had issues with these lava spears when I sailed the lake other than my rudders kicking up when hitting one. Caution should be noted if you are sailing a daggerboard style sailboat on this lake, as hitting a lava spear at high speed with a daggerboard could cause damage. Rock Lake is just an absolutely amazing sailing lake, and best of all there are seldom any other boats on it.

Directions: On I-90 from Spokane take the WA-904 W exit- EXIT 270- toward FOUR LAKES / CHENEY., Stay STRAIGHT to go onto WA-904 / LT COL MICHAEL ANDERSON MEMORIAL HWY., Turn LEFT onto S CHENEY-PLAZA RD., S CHENEY-PLAZA RD becomes S CHENEY PLAZA RD., Stay STRAIGHT to go onto S ROCK LAKE RD., Turn SHARP LEFT. Maps: to view a map click on google.com/maps and type in Rock Lake, Whitman County, WA., or type in GPS coordinates 47.139048, -117.725401. Info: Acreage: 2189.60 ac.; Elevation: 1728 ft.; Geo Code: L3886; Center: 47.181857, -117.679924

ACCESSIBILITY: PARKING... Large gravel parking lot; PATHS/TRAILS... No official paths. Wide gravel, rocky areas that leads around area and into the water; RESTROOMS/FACILITIES/SHADE… Restrooms, not accessible to wheelchairs. No shade; DOCKS/LAUNCHES/PLATFORMS… No docks, Two gravel/rocky areas to launch from, about 3% grade; DIRECT WATER ACCESS… No access for wheeled mobility devices. Wide gravel area that leads into the water. Watch out for underwater drop off; TRANSFER SYSTEMS... None; SENSORY... No sensory tactile markers for those with visual and other impairments. CAMPING... No; O.T.H.E.R… Oddities/Barriers: Very rocky shoreline and in other places deep mud; Terrain: Very rough/rocky of level to about 3% grade at launch; H2O/Water: Water normally murky. Water temperature in the summer can be around 60 to 70 degrees. Drinking water available; Environmental Conditions: High winds and hot temperatures during the summer; Resources: Food, drinks, and gas up the road in town of St. John.

The Haunting Hour: The creature and curse of Rock Lake

Rock Lake (not far from the town of St John), nestled in the rolling Palouse hills of Eastern Washington, has long been cursed—a reputation steeped in eerie legends and tragic history. The small town of Rock Lake once existed along its shorelines, but its waters seem to hold something darker beneath the surface.

In 1905, Willis Anson Evans saw an opportunity in the area when he heard the railroad was coming through. He purchased land along the outflow of Rock Lake and built a small resort called Cliff House. Cliff House became a popular spot for railroad workers and tourists with a store, dance hall and a cozy hotel.

Rooms were rented for 75 cents per night, and Mrs. Evans offered hearty meals for just 35 cents. The hotel’s guests could enjoy a scenic boat tour on a steamboat that Evans himself built, cruising the lake’s mysterious waters.

But despite Evans’ efforts, the town never thrived. After a devastating flood in 1910, Rock Lake’s town was abandoned, leaving behind the ruins of Cliff House, torn down sometime between 1920 and 1922.

Today, only traces remain—a rock precipice overlooking the lake, once the proud foundation of Cliff House, and remnants of a once-vital railroad trestle.

Though Rock Lake’s resort era is long gone, the lake’s dark allure has only grown over time.

The Spokane Tribe, who lived in the area long before settlers arrived, believed something enormous lived in the lake’s depths.

Many local landowners have echoed this tale, with anglers and boaters recounting strange encounters.

Some have reported seeing massive objects on their fish finders, while others claim something large bumped their boats, once nearly tossing a fisherman into the lake.

Adding to the mystery, legends persist about a train carrying Ford-Model Ts that plunged into the lake from the trestle, sinking to the depths where the cold water preserves them to this day.

During World War II, another tale emerged—this time of military staff cars meeting a similar watery fate.

While some dismiss these stories as pure fiction, the lake’s unpredictable depths, reaching more than 300 feet in places, seem capable of holding any number of secrets.

Tragedy also strikes with grim regularity.

A chilling curse is said to hover over the lake, placed by a Native American chief who foretold that one white man would die in the lake each year—a prophecy that has eerily held true.

Many more deaths mark rock Lake’s dark history.

In 1956, four soldiers home on leave were lost in a sudden storm; their bodies never recovered despite military efforts.

Even a hog-wire screen stretched across the lake’s outlet failed to catch them.

Another tale speaks of two priest brothers who met a similar fate—one body tangled in boat ropes, while the other slipped into the water, never to be found.

Strange sounds often echo across the lake at night: distant laughter, faint piano music, and whispers of a long-lost world.

Some even claim to hear Native American drums and war cries, or the phantom wail of a steam whistle from a train that never arrives.

With its forbidding basalt cliffs and cold, deep waters that never seem to warm, Rock Lake continues to be a place of mystery and danger. Though it offers the beauty of solitude and the allure of adventure, few can forget the stories that haunt its shores—the lake that has swallowed lives, legends and secrets for centuries.