Silver Lake at an elevation of 6,472’ was named sometime in 1870s for the silver like reflections of the water surface when the wind blows. In 1924, the Lassen National Forest Service surveyed summer home lots and offered them to the public on a 99-year lease.
On May 28, 1938, Lurah May Stubblefield was granted to operate a seasonal post office there, that she christened Lake Nokopen. Stubblefield was the only postmaster and the post office closed on June 29, 1940. The name Lake Nokopen may have been attributed to the Boy Scouts organization, that held summer camp there during the late 1920s and 1930s.