Here's why:

* Crater Lake formed from a caldera collapse. It wasn't formed by a plume of hot magma rising from the Earth's mantle, which is the defining characteristic of a hot spot.

* Crater Lake is associated with subduction. The Cascade Range, where Crater Lake is located, is a chain of volcanoes formed by the subduction of the Juan de Fuca Plate beneath the North American Plate.

* Hot spots have a specific location. They are stationary features that produce chains of volcanoes as the tectonic plate moves over them. Crater Lake is not part of a chain of volcanoes associated with a hot spot.

While Crater Lake is a majestic volcanic feature, it is not a hot spot volcano.