Mother Goose Lake is a 6.4-mile long lake located at the head of the King Salmon River, on the Alaska Peninsula, 21 miles south of Ugashik, in the Aleutian Range. It was named in 1923 by R. H. Sargent, USGS, as “suggested by its goose-like shape.” According to Sargent, the local name was King Salmon Lake. The lake lies entirely within the Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuge.

The watersheds of Indecision and Volcano creeks originating on Mount Chiginagak provide the majority of water input for Mother Goose Lake. The Mother Goose Lake watershed supports populations of Chinook, chum, coho, pink, and sockeye salmon, as well as resident fish species such as Dolly Varden and Arctic grayling. Fish stocks originating from the Mother Goose Lake drainage contribute to the subsistence, sport, and commercial fisheries of the area.

Unfortunately, in 2005, an eruption of Mount Chiginagak sent lahars (volcanic mudflows) into the lake, which significantly altered its water chemistry. The highly acidic water from the lahars caused a fish kill and rendered the lake unsuitable for aquatic life. Efforts are underway to monitor the lake’s recovery, but it is uncertain when or if the lake will return to its previous state.