Athabasca, Lake, fourth largest lake of Canada, c.3,120 sq mi (8,100 sq km), c.200 mi (320 km) long and from 5 to 35 mi (8-56 km) wide, NE Alta., and SW Sask., at the edge of the Canadian Shield. A part of the Mackenzie River system, the lake receives the Athabasca River from the south and drains N into Great Slave Lake by way of the Slave River. Gold and uranium are found nearby. Fort Chipewyan was built (1788) at the west end of the lake by Roderick McKenzie of the North West Company and has been maintained. Steamers of the Hudson's Bay Company ply the lake in summer between Chipewyan and Fond du Lac, from where the canoe route runs by way of Wollaston and Reindeer lakes to the Churchill River. Philip Turnor, the British surveyor, surveyed and mapped the lake between 1790 and 1792.

Geneva, Lake, Fr. Lac Léman, crescent-shaped lake, 224 sq mi (580 sq km), c.45 mi (70 km) long, on the Swiss-French border, between the Alps and the Jura mts. About 134 sq. mi. are Swiss and 90 French. It has a maximum depth of 1,017 ft (310 m). The Rhône River traverses the lake, emerging at the western end at the city of Geneva. Noted for its deep blue and remarkably transparent waters, the lake is dotted with numerous resorts and villas. The northern (Swiss) shore is bounded by sloping vineyards and orchards. The lake is subject to seiches, tidal fluctuations that suddenly change the lake's level. A region of great scenic beauty, Lake Geneva has been the favorite theme of many writers (notably Rousseau and Byron). Lausanne and Montreux are other large lakeside cities.

Edward, Lake, or Edward Nyanza 830 sq mi (2,150 sq km), in the Great Rift Valley, central Africa, on the Congo-Uganda border. It lies at an altitude of c.3,000 ft (910 m), is c.50 mi (80 km) long, and has a maximum width of c.30 mi (48 km). Lake Edward is connected with the Nile system by the Semliki River, which drains the lake in the north and flows into Lake Albert. Lake Edward has many fish, and hippopotamuses abound on its southern shores. Henry Morton Stanley visited the lake in 1889 and named it after Albert Edward, then the prince of Wales (later Edward VII).

Winnebago, Lake, 215 sq mi (557 sq km), E Wis.; largest lake in Wisconsin. Fed and drained by the Fox River, the lake is part of an all-water route between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River. Oshkosh and Fond du Lac are on the lake, which is a major recreation area.

Winnibigoshish, Lake, 179 sq mi (464 sq km), N central Minn., in Chippewa National Forest, E of Bemidji. The outlet of the lake, one of the largest reservoirs of the Mississippi headwaters, is dammed.

Winnipeg, Lake, third largest lake of Canada, 9,465 sq mi (24,514 sq km), 264 mi (425 km) long and from 25 to 68 mi (40-109 km) wide, S central Man., Canada, N of Winnipeg. It is a remnant of glacial Lake Agassiz. It receives the Red, Winnipeg, and Saskatchewan rivers and many lesser streams and is drained NE by the Nelson River to Hudson Bay. It is surrounded by valuable timber land; there are several summer resorts on its shores. The lake has extensive fishing resources. It was explored (1733) by the Vérendrye expedition and was an important route of early explorers and fur traders.

Winnipegosis, Lake, 2,086 sq mi (5,403 sq km), 125 mi (201 km) long and 25 mi (40 km) wide, W Man., Canada. It is a remnant of glacial Lake Agassiz. It drains SE into Lake Manitoba and thence into Lake Winnipeg. Lake Winnipegosis has important pike fisheries.

Winnipesaukee, Lake, 71 sq mi (184 sq km), E central N.H.; largest in the state. The lake is irregular in shape, with many indentations. It has 283 mi (455 km) of shoreline and many small islands. Lake Winnipesaukee drains into the Merrimack River through the 20-mi-long (32-km) Winnipesaukee River. The region around the lake is a popular summer resort.

Taupo, Lake, largest lake of New Zealand, 234 sq mi (606 sq km) and 552 ft (168 m) deep, in central North Island. Originally fed by over 20 streams, the lake is drained by the Waikato River. Lake Taupo, located in the volcanic plateau, is flanked by volcanoes.

Temiscaming, Lake, Fr. Témiscamingue, an expansion of the Ottawa River, 121 sq mi (313 sq km), SW Que., Canada, extending 62 mi (100 km) SE from New Liskeard to Temiscaming. The surrounding area is rich in minerals.

Sarez, Lake, 37 mi (60 km) long, on the Murgab River, E central Tajikistan, in the Pamir 80 mi (129 km) NE of Khorugh. Sarez was formed (1911) when an earthquake caused a landslide that destroyed Usoi village and created a natural dam more than 1,800 ft (550 m) high. The Murgab leaves the lake through a series of springs below the dam. Since 2004 the lake has been monitored for surging water levels or other events that might cause the dam to fail.

Ngami, Lake, reedy marsh, c.40 mi (64 km) long and from 4 to 8 mi (6.4-12.9 km) wide, NW Botswana. During the Pleistocene epoch, the lake covered an extensive area. Since the late 1880s, when papyrus growth blocked the mouth of its main tributary, the lake has greatly shrunk in size; it now intermittently receives water from the Cubango River.

Nicaragua, Lake, 3,089 sq mi (8,001 sq km), c.100 mi (160 km) long and up to 45 mi (72 km) wide, SW Nicaragua; the largest lake of Central America. It is drained into the Caribbean Sea by the San Juan River. Lake Nicaragua, along with Lake Managua (which drains into it from the northwest), occupies part of the Nicaragua Depression, an extensive lowland region stretching across the isthmus. Once part of the sea, the lake was formed when the land rose. There are several islands in the lake (the largest is Isla de Ometepe); and small volcanoes rise above its surface. The freshwater of Lake Nicaragua contains fish usually associated with saltwater, including tuna and sharks, which have adapted to the environmental change. The lake is a transportation route; Granada is its chief port. Located only 110 ft (34 m) above sea level, the lake reaches a depth of 84 ft (26 m). It was to be an important link in the proposed Nicaragua Canal.

Nipigon, Lake, c.1,870 sq mi (4,840 sq km), central Ont., Canada. It has many islands. Its outlet, the Nipigon River (40 mi/64 km long) flows south, past the logging town of Nipigon, into Lake Superior.

Nipissing, Lake, c.350 sq mi (910 sq km), S Ont., Canada, between the Ottawa River and Georgian Bay. It extends west from the city of North Bay and is drained SW by the French River c.50 mi (80 km) to Georgian Bay.

Placid, Lake, 4 mi (6 km) long and c.1.5 mi (2.4 km) wide, NE N.Y., in the Adirondack Mts., near Mt. Marcy. The lake, with Lake Placid village at the southern end, is a noted winter-sports center. It was the site of the 1980 Winter Olympics.

Pleshcheyevo, Lake, Russia: see Pereslavl-Zalesski.

Prespa, Lake, Albanian Prespës, Macedonian Prespansko, 112 sq mi (290 sq km), SW Macedonia, NW Greece, and E Albania; highest lake (alt. 2,798 ft/853 m) of the Balkans. It is connected with Lake Ohrid by underground channels. The smaller Mikrí Prespa Lake is nearby; it lies in Greece and Albania.

Manitoba, Lake, 1,817 sq mi (4,706 sq km), SW Man., Canada; one of the largest lakes of North America. A remnant of glacial Lake Agassiz, it is fed by Lake Winnipegosis and drains into Lake Winnipeg. Its shores are marshy. The lake has commercial fisheries.

Manzala, Lake, or Lake Menzaleh, saltwater lagoon, c.660 sq mi (1,710 sq km), NE Egypt, near Port Said, partly separated from the Mediterranean Sea by a narrow peninsula. The Suez Canal cuts through the eastern part of the lake's basin.

Maracaibo, Lake, largest lake of South America, c.5,100 sq mi (13,210 sq km), NW Venezuela, extending c.110 mi (180 km) inland. A strait, 34 mi (55 km) long, connects it with the Gulf of Venezuela. Discovered in 1499 by the Spanish explorer Alonso de Ojeda, the lake lies in the extremely hot, humid lowlands of the Maracaibo basin, a region that, almost enclosed by mountains, is semiarid in the north but has an average annual rainfall of 50 in. (127 cm) in the south. The basin is one of the major oil-producing areas of the world, and was developed beginning in 1918. Although petroleum production is the most significant economic activity locally, sugarcane, cacao, and livestock are raised. In addition, fish are caught in the lake, despite pollution from agricultural runoff and oil spills. Lake Maracaibo, with the Catatumbo River, its chief tributary, is a major artery of communication for products of the adjacent region and those of the Colombian-Venezuelan highlands. A dredged channel gives oceangoing vessels access to the lake. Cabimas and the port of Maracaibo are the principal cities on the lake. Gen. Rafael Urdaneta Bridge (c.5 mi/8 km long; completed 1962), spanning the lake's outlet, is one of the longest bridges in the world.

Ohrid, Lake, Albanian Ohrit, deepest lake of the Balkans, c.130 sq mi (340 sq km), on the Macedonian-Albanian border. It is connected with Lake Prespa by underground channels and is drained to the north by the Black Drin River. On its shores stand several monasteries, notably that of St. Naum (10th cent.).

Okeechobee, Lake, c.700 sq mi (1,810 sq km), SE Fla., N of the Everglades; third largest freshwater lake and fourth largest lake wholly within the United States. It is c.35 mi (60 km) long and up to 25 mi (40 km) wide, with a maximum depth of 15 ft (4.6 m). The Kissimmee River is its chief source and the Caloosahatchee River its main outlet. In reclaiming the Everglades and adjacent lands, many canals were built extending from the southern part of the lake, itself a link in the Okeechobee Waterway. A levee, built after the disastrous hurricane of 1926, rims the lake's shores, protecting the region from floodwaters and permitting use of the lake as a reservoir. The levees and canals have impeded the flow of water from the lake into the Everglades, which now suffers from saltwater intrusion, and have tended to contain pollutants from agricultural runoff in the lake. The drained lands bordering the lake produce vegetables and sugarcane. Okeechobee Battlefield National Historic Landmark, the site of a large battle (1837) during the Seminole Wars, is nearby.

Chad, Lake, N central Africa. It lies mainly in Chad and Cameroon. Some 550 sq mi (1,425 sq km) in area in 2003, the shallow lake has been greatly reduced in size since the 1960s, when it varied seasonally from c.4,000 to c.10,000 sq mi (10,360-25,900 sq km) and was divided into north and south basins that extended into Nigeria and Niger. The contemporary lake is restricted to a portion of the south basin. The Chari River is the chief tributary of Lake Chad, which has no outlets. The reduction in the lake's size is due to a falloff in the monsoons that feed that lake's tributaries and a greatly increased use of water from the tributaries for irrigation.

Lake Chad was formerly even larger, attaining a depth of c.930 ft (285 m) in the 19th cent.; 60,000 years ago, it covered 150,000 sq mi (388,500 sq km), roughly the size of the Caspian Sea. The lake also has been much smaller than it was in the mid-20th cent., and probably has previously disappeared: The retreat of the shoreline has revealed sand dunes that were submerged until recently, and the fish found in the lake are adapted to river life.

Champlain, Lake, 490 sq mi (1,269 sq km), 125 mi (201 km) long and from 0.5 to 14 mi (0.8-23 km) wide, forming part of the New York-Vermont border and extending into Quebec. Lake Champlain lies in an elongated plain between the Adirondacks and the Green Mts. A link in the Hudson-Saint Lawrence waterway, the lake is connected with the Hudson (at Fort Edward) by the Champlain division of the New York State Canal System; the Richelieu River connects the lake with the St. Lawrence. Lake George drains into it through a narrow channel, and many islands dot its surface, including Grand Isle, Isle La Motte, and Valcour Island. The region is noted for its scenery and has many resorts. Burlington, Vt., and Plattsburgh, N.Y., are the largest cities on the lake's shores. The lake, named for the explorer Samuel de Champlain, was the scene of battles in the French and Indian Wars and the American Revolution at Crown Point and Ticonderoga, of a naval engagement in 1776, and of the American victory of Thomas Macdonough in the War of 1812.

Mweru, Lake, c.70 mi (110 km) long and 30 mi (50 km) wide, alt. c.3,000 ft (910 m), central Africa, on the Congo-Zambia border. It is drained to the north by the Luvua River. The lake has large fisheries.

Pontchartrain, Lake, shallow lake, c.630 sq mi (1,630 sq km), 41 mi (66 km) long and 25 mi (40 km) wide, SE La., N of New Orleans. It is linked with Lake Maurepas at its western end and with the Gulf of Mexico at its eastern end through Lake Borgne. Tidal and brackish, the lake forms a popular resort and recreational region. The Bonnet Carre Spillway diverts part of the floodwaters of the Mississippi River into Pontchartrain. Two causeways, each c.24 mi (40 km) long, connect New Orleans with Covington, La.; the long, multispan Pontchartrain Causeway II opened in 1969.

Superior, Lake, largest freshwater lake in the world, 31,820 sq mi (82,414 sq km), 350 mi (563 km) long and 160 mi (257 km) at its greatest width, bordered on the W by NE Minnesota, on the N and E by Ontario, Canada, and on the S by NW Michigan and NW Wisconsin; largest, highest, and deepest of the Great Lakes, having a surface elevation of 602 ft (183 m) and a maximum depth of 1,302 ft (397 m). Lake Superior drains into Lake Huron through the St. Marys River and receives the waters of many short, swift-flowing streams including the Nipigon, Kaministikwia, St. Louis, and Pigeon rivers. The largest islands are Isle Royale, Isle St. Ignace, and Simpson and Michipicoten islands. The shoreline is irregular (with many large bays, inlets, and peninsulas) and in places is high and rocky. The waters of Lake Superior are generally purer than those of the lower lakes and are minimally polluted; a U.S.-Canadian pact (1972) was established to prevent pollution and to maintain and improve the water's quality. Commercial and sport fishing are important; and tourism is popular in the lake area. Lake Superior is part of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway system, and it is reached by oceangoing and lake vessels through the Sault Sainte Marie Canals, which bypass rapids in the St. Marys River. The principal cargoes are grain, flour, and iron ore. The lake does not freeze completely, but ice impedes navigation from mid-December to the end of March at the lake's outlet and from early December to the end of April in harbors on the south shore. Fog and rough water are hazards. The chief Canadian cities on the lake are Michipicoten and Thunder Bay. The principal cities on the U.S. shore are Marquette, Superior, Ashland, and Duluth. Recreational facilities are found on Isle Royale (part of a U.S. national park), in Pukaskwa National Park (Ontario), and at state and provincial parks on the lake's shores and islands; the U.S. Apostle Islands and Pictured Rocks national lakeshores are there. Étienne Brulé, the French explorer, probably visited the lake in 1616; Pierre Radisson and the sieur des Groseilliers explored it in 1659-60; Father Allouez established (1665) a mission near Ashland; and the sieur Duluth visited the lake in 1678-79.

Louise, Lake, 11/2 mi (2.4 km) long, alt. 5,680 ft (1,731 m), SW Alta., Canada, in the Rocky Mts., in Banff National Park. Noted for its scenic beauty, it is surrounded by high peaks, glaciers, and snow fields, which are reflected in its waters. The lake was explored in 1882 and later was named for Princess Louise. It has become a popular year-round tourist and mountain-climbing center. The lake drains to the E into the Bow River.

Huron, Lake, 23,010 sq mi (59,596 sq km), 206 mi (332 km) long and 183 mi (295 km) at its greatest width, between Ont., Canada, and Mich.; second largest of the Great Lakes. It has a surface elevation of 580 ft (177 m) above sea level and a maximum depth of 750 ft (229 m). Centrally located between the upper and lower Great Lakes, Lake Huron receives the waters of Lake Superior through the St. Marys River and those of Lake Michigan through the Straits of Mackinac; it drains into Lake Erie through the St. Clair River-Lake St. Clair-Detroit River system. Large tributaries flowing into the lake include the Mississagi, Wanapitei, Spanish, and French rivers from Ontario, and the Au Sable and Saginaw rivers from Michigan. The northern shoreline is irregular, with many bays and inlets; the largest are Georgian Bay and North Channel, which indent the Ontario shore and are nearly landlocked by Manitoulin Island and the Bruce Peninsula. Saginaw Bay is the principal indentation on the southern shores. Lake Huron is part of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway system and is navigated by oceangoing and lake vessels that carry cargoes of iron ore, grain, coal, and limestone. Navigation is impeded by ice in the shallower sections from mid-December to early April. The lake is subject to occasional violent storms. The principal lakeshore cities are Port Huron, Mich., and Sarnia, Ont., at the lake's outlet; Owen Sound, Midland, and Parry Sound, Ont.; and Bay City, Alpena, and Cheboygan, Mich. The waters of the lake are relatively unpolluted; commercial and sport fishing is important, and several resorts are located along the lake shore. Major salt deposits are worked at the south end of the lake. Georgian Bay, an arm of the lake, is a popular resort area, and recreational facilities are provided at Georgian Bay Islands National Park (Canada), on the islands in Mackinac Strait, and at numerous state and provincial parks along the lake's scenic shores. Samuel de Champlain visited Lake Huron in 1615.

Van, Lake, 1,453 sq mi (3,763 sq km), largest lake in Turkey, in E Turkey 65 mi (105 km) SW of Mt. Ararat. Some 75 mi (120 km) long, the lake is alkaline and has no outlet; the city of Van is near the lake's east shore. The region around the lake was the site of the ancient kingdom of Urartu (or Ararat) and is traditionally regarded as the cradle of ancient Armenia. On the island of Akdamar is the restored Armenian Church of the Holy Cross (915-21).

Albano, Lake, crater lake, 2 sq mi (5.2 sq km), central Italy, in the Alban Hills SE of Rome. It is c.6 mi (9.7 km) in circumference and c.560 ft (170 m) deep. An underground tunnel built in the 4th cent. B.C. is still its only outlet. Alba Longa was located near the lake. Castel Gandolfo, the Pope's summer residence, is located there. South of the lake is Albano Laziale, a small town on the Appian Way, noted for the beautiful villas and several tombs built there by the ancient Romans.

Albert, Lake, or Albert Nyanza, 2,064 sq mi (5,346 sq km), on the Congo (Kinshasa)-Uganda border, E central Africa. The lake is c.100 mi (160 km) long and c.19 mi (30 km) wide, with a maximum depth of 168 ft (51 m). Lying in the Great Rift Valley, 2,030 ft (619 m) above sea level, Lake Albert receives the Semliki River and the Victoria Nile and is drained by the Albert Nile, which becomes the Bahr-el-Jebel when it enters Sudan. Under Mobutu Sese Seko, the official name of the lake in Zaïre (now Congo) was Lake Mobutu Sese Seko.

Ladoga, Lake, Finnish Laatokka, Rus. Ladozhskoye Ozero, c.7,000 sq mi (18,100 sq km), NW European Russia, in Karelia, NE of St. Petersburg. The largest lake in Europe, it is c.130 mi (210 km) long and c.80 mi (130 km) wide and has a maximum depth of 738 ft (225 m). Located on the heavily glaciated Baltic Shield, the lake has shores that are low and marshy in the south, rocky and indented in the north. It is subject to autumn storms and freezes every year for two months in the north and four months in the south. Chief among the many rivers that feed the lake are the Svir, descending from Lake Onega; the Vuoska, which forms the outlet of the Saimaa lake system of Finland; and the Volkhov, coming from Lake Ilmen. The main outlet is the Neva, which flows W into the Gulf of Finland at St. Petersburg. The fortress at Petrokrepost commands the Neva's exit from the lake. Among the many islands in the northern part of the lake is Valaam (Finnish Valama or Valamo), with a famous Russian monastery dating from the 12th cent. or earlier. Until the Finnish-Russian War of 1939-40, the northern part of the lake belonged to Finland; cession of the Finnish shore to the USSR was confirmed by the peace treaty of 1947. During the defense of St. Petersburg (then Leningrad) against the Germans in World War II, the frozen Lake Ladoga was the lifeline by which Leningrad was supplied in the winters from 1941 to 1943. Because of the difficulties of navigation, the southern shore of Lake Ladoga is paralleled by the Ladoga Canals, c.100 mi (160 km) long, connecting the Svir and Neva rivers and forming part of the Mariinsk System (see Volga-Baltic Waterway) and the Baltic-White Sea Canal System.

Lahontan, Lake, extinct lake of W Nev. and NE Calif. It was formed by heavy precipitation caused by the Pleistocene glaciers and with Lake Bonneville (see under Bonneville Salt Flats) occupied a part of the Great Basin region. Lake Lahontan vanished shortly after the Pleistocene epoch, but Pyramid, Winnemucca, and Walker lakes and Carson Sink are its remnants. The area, especially Lovelock Cave, Nev., is rich in Pleistocene fossils.

Lake, Kirsopp, 1872-1946, noted English biblical scholar. He was curate of St. Mary the Virgin (Oxford) until 1904, when he became a professor at the Univ. of Leiden (until 1913). After 1914 he was at Harvard, first as professor of early Christian literature, from 1919 to 1932 as professor of ecclesiastical history, and from 1932 to 1937 as professor of history. Lake was also interested in archaeology and participated in many expeditions. He periodically visited Mt. Sinai, Mt. Athos, and other centers of ancient culture, and in Greece he did valuable research work on old manuscripts. Among his many publications are Early Days of Monasticism on Mt. Athos (1909), The Beginnings of Christianity (5 vol., 1920-32), and Immortality and the Modern Mind (1922).

lake, inland body of standing water occupying a hollow in the earth's surface. The study of lakes and other freshwater basins is known as limnology. Lakes are of particular importance since they act as catchment basins for close to 40% of the landscape, supply drinking water, generate electricity, are used to irrigate fields, and serve as recreational areas.

The Environment of Lakes

The primary source of lake water is precipitation that may enter the depression directly, as runoff from surrounding higher ground, or through underground springs. Unique flora and fauna live around a lake and vary depending on the size and shape of the lake and the surrounding rocks and soil. Flora and fauna in the lake are usually found in three zones: the littoral zone closest to the shallow water shore; the limnetic, in the open, well-lit water away from most vegetation; and the lower profundal zones areas of low oxygen and light.

Ponds are generally small, shallow lakes; the criterion for differentiating between ponds and lakes is usually temperature. Ponds have a more consistent temperature throughout; while lakes, because they are deeper, have a stratified temperature structure that depends on the season.

Global Distribution of Lakes

Lakes are not evenly distributed on the earth's surface; most are located in high latitudes and mountainous regions. Canada alone contains nearly 50% of the world's lakes. Although lakes are usually thought to be freshwater bodies, many lakes, especially in arid regions, become quite salty because a high rate of evaporation concentrates inflowing salts. The Caspian Sea, Dead Sea, and Great Salt Lake are among the greatest of the world's salt lakes. The Great Lakes of the United States and Canada is the world's largest system of freshwater lakes. Lake Superior alone is the world's largest freshwater lake with an area of 31,820 sq mi (82,414 sq km), although there is a larger volume of freshwater in Lake Baykal. The Caspian Sea is the largest lake in the world, with an area of c.144,000 sq mi (372,960 sq km). Lake Titicaca in the Andes Mts. of South America is the world's highest large lake at 12,500 ft (3,800 m) above sea level; the Dead Sea is the lowest at 1,345 ft (410 m) below sea level.

Formation and Fate of Lakes

Many lakes were formed as a result of glacial action during the Pleistocene ice sheets. In some areas, as exemplified by the Great Lakes, basins were carved into bedrock by the erosive action of the advancing ice mass. Lake basins are also formed by glacial moraine deposits that dam preexisting stream valleys. Lakes also form in calderas, created by the collapse of volcanic craters. Where extensive limestone deposits underlie a region, groundwater can dissolve great volumes of the limestone, forming caves that often contain underground lakes and eventually, if the roofs collapse, leave deep lake basins. Tectonic activity in the earth's crust forms lake basins in many ways, such as fault-generating rift valleys as those found in E Africa, that often fill with water. Oxbow lakes form in abandoned stream channels in floodplains of meandering rivers. Deposition of sediment along a shoreline can cut off bays, forming coastal lagoons. Humans often form lakes by building dams across river valleys for flood control, hydroelectric generation, or recreational purposes.

Lakes are transient features on the earth's surface and generally disappear in a relatively short period of geologic time by a combination of processes (e.g., erosion of an outlet or climatic changes that bring drier conditions). In a process called eutrophication, a lake gradually fills with organic and inorganic sediment, becoming a swamp or bog, and eventually a meadow. Human activity has greatly increased the rates of eutrophication; urban and suburban land construction activities result in increased discharge of soil debris into streams draining into lakes, filling them.

lake, in dyeing, an insoluble pigment formed by the reaction between an organic dye and a mordant. The color of a lake depends upon the mordant as well as the dye used. Generally, lakes are not as colorfast as many inorganic dyes, but their colors are more brilliant.

Regillus, Lake, in ancient Latium, SE of Rome, possibly near Frascati. Traditionally it was the scene of a battle (499 or 496 B.C.) by which Rome gained supremacy in Latium.

Nasser, Lake, c.1,550 sq mi (4,010 sq km), on the Nile River, SE Egypt and N Sudan. Created in the 1960s, it extends c.350 mi (560 km) behind Aswan High Dam, submerging the more southern second and third cataracts. Lake Nasser averages c.6 mi (10 km) in width and is 600 ft (1,000 km) deep in places. The lake's rising waters forced more than 80,000 Nubian people to relocate and submerged many historic sites. Flooding is a perennial problem.

Peipus, Lake, Estonian Peipsi Järv, Rus. Chudskoye Ozero, c.1,390 sq mi (3,600 sq km), dividing Estonia from the W Pskov region, Russia. Its southern section is known as Lake Pskov. Lake Peipus, which is navigable, empties through the Narva River into the Gulf of Finland. On the frozen strait between Lake Peipus and Lake Pskov, Alexander Nevsky defeated the Livonian Knights in 1242.

Simcoe, Lake, 539 sq mi (1,396 sq km), S Ont., Canada, between Georgian Bay and Lake Ontario. Cook Bay, Kempenfelt Bay, and Lake Couchiching are arms of the lake. Lake Simcoe drains N through the Severn River to Georgian Bay and forms part of the Trent Canal system. Orillia, Barrie, and several small resorts are on the lake.

Eyre, Lake, shallow salt lake, 3,430 sq mi (8,884 sq km), central South Australia state, Australia; largest lake in Australia. The lake, 39 ft (12 m) below sea level, is the continent's lowest point. Located in the arid interior of Australia, the lake is frequently dry. During the winter rainy season, numerous stream beds carry floodwaters into the lake. A move in 1995 to designate the lake's basin as a world heritage site pitted environmentalists and the federal government against the state government and parties concerned with pastoral and mining rights.

Natron, Lake, c.35 mi (60 km) long and 15 mi (20 km) wide, in the Great Rift Valley, E Africa, on the Kenya-Tanzania border. It has soda, salt, and magnesite deposits.

Nemi, Lake, Latin Nemorensis lacus, small, picturesque crater lake, c.1 mi (1.6 km) long, in the Alban Hills, central Italy, SE of Rome. The sacred wood and the ruins of the celebrated temple of Diana are there. Two pleasure ships of the Roman emperor Caligula that were lying at the bottom of Lake Nemi for almost 2,000 years were raised (1930-31) from the lake after its level had been lowered c.70 ft (21 m). No valuables were found, but objects interesting from the artistic and technical point of view were recovered. During World War II the ships were destroyed (1944) by the retreating German forces.

Nyasa, Lake, or Lake Malawi, Port. Niassa, c.11,600 sq mi (30,040 sq km), c.360 mi (580 km) long and from 15 to 50 mi (24-80 km) wide, E central Africa, in the Great Rift Valley. Lake Nyasa, the third largest lake in Africa, is bordered by Tanzania in the north and northeast, by Mozambique in the east, and by Malawi in the south and west. The lake is bounded by steep mountains, except in the south. Its main tributary is the Ruhuhu River in the northeast; the Shire (in the south), a tributary of the Zambezi, is the lake's sole outlet. There is regular steamship service on the lake. Lake Nyasa was visited and named by the Scottish missionary David Livingstone in 1859.

Nyos, Lake, freshwater lake in a volcanic crater in North-West prov., Cameroon, 15 mi (24 km) ENE of Wum. On Aug. 21, 1986, carbon dioxide gas was released from the mineral-saturated waters trapped in the lake's depths, erupting some 260 ft (80 m) high, spreading as far as 12 mi (19 km) away. and suffocating 1,700 people in nearby villages. In 2001 a vertical pipe was lowered into the lake's depths, allowing carbon-dioxide-rich waters to rise to the surface in a controlled fountain. Lake Monoun, to the southeast, is subject to similar eruptions (one occurred in 1984), and water from its depths is also piped to the surface.

Saint Clair, Lake, c.490 sq mi (1,270 sq km), 27 mi (43 km) long, on the U.S.-Canadian border, between SW Ont. and SE Mich. The St. Clair River (41 mi/66 km long) flows into the lake from Lake Huron; the Detroit River drains it S into Lake Erie. The lake is one of the busiest sections of the Great Lakes Waterway. The lake region is a popular summer vacation area.

Saint Francis, Lake, an expansion of the St. Lawrence River, SE Ont. and S Que., Canada, SW of Montreal, extending between Cornwall and Valleyfield. It is part of the St. Lawrence Seaway.

Saint John, Lake, Canada: see Saguenay, river.

Taal, Lake, 94 sq mi (243 sq km), SW Luzon, the Philippines, S of Manila. One of the most picturesque places in the country, it contains Volcano Island, with Mt. Taal, an active volcano, rising to 984 ft (300 m). Its eruption in 1911 caused much destruction. Later major eruptions occurred in 1968 and 1970.

Tahoe, Lake, 193 sq mi (500 sq km), on the Calif.-Nev. line. It occupies a basin in the Sierra Nevada and is drained by the Truckee River. Lying 6,228 ft (1,898 m) above sea level, its depth (1,645 ft/501 m) prevents it from freezing. Long known for its clearness, the lake, explored in 1844 by John Frémont, had grown less so by the late 1990s, when government officials began efforts to restore it. Lake Tahoe is a major vacation spot, with gambling resorts along the Nevada shoreline.

Tanganyika, Lake, second largest lake of Africa, c.12,700 sq mi (32,890 sq km), E central Africa on the borders of Tanzania, Congo (Kinshasa), Zambia, and Burundi. It is c.420 mi (680 km) long and up to 45 mi (72 km) wide. The lake lies in the Great Rift Valley (alt. 2,534 ft/772 m) and is the world's second deepest (c.4,700 ft/1,430 m) freshwater lake. Part of the lake's overflow eventually reaches the Atlantic Ocean by way of the Lukuga River. Lake Tanganyika has important fisheries and there are large populations of hippopotamuses and crocodiles. Steamer service connects the chief lakeside cities. David Livingstone and Henry M. Stanley explored (1871) the region. During World War I there were several small naval engagements between the British and the Germans on the lake.

George, Lake, glacial lake, 33 mi (53 km) long and 1 to 3 mi (1.6-5 km) wide, in the foothills of the Adirondack Mts., NE N.Y.; it drains NE via rapids and waterfalls into Lake Champlain. The lake was discovered in 1646 by Isaac Jogues, a French Jesuit missionary, who named it Lac du St. Sacrement; the English colonial leader Sir William Johnson renamed it for the king of England in 1755. During the French and Indian Wars and the American Revolution, the area around Lake George was the scene of many battles. The ruins of Fort George (built 1759) and Fort William Henry are at the southern end of the lake; historic Fort Ticonderoga, a national historic landmark, is at the northern end. Lake George, with numerous small islands, is noted for its scenery. The lake and the adjacent village of Lake George remain a center of a resort area that attracts tourists and vacationers year-round.

Urmia, Lake, formerly Lake Rezaiyeh, shallow salt lake, 1,815 sq mi (4,701 sq km), c.90 mi (140 km) long and 50 mi (80 km) wide, NW Iran; alt. 4,180 ft (1,275 m). The largest lake in Iran, it has no outlet and receives the drainage of the surrounding mountains.

Magadi, Lake, c.20 mi (30 km) long and 2 mi (3.2 km) wide, S Kenya, in the Great Rift Valley. Formed and constantly resupplied by volcanic springs, the lake has a thick crust of carbonate of soda. The crust is removed by a floating dredge and then pumped to refineries, where it is processed into soda ash (used in glassmaking).

Malawi, Lake, E central Africa: see Nyasa, Lake.

Scutari, Lake, Albanian Ligeni i Shkodrës, Serbo-Croatian Skadarsko Jezero, c.25 mi (40 km) long and from 4 to 8 mi (6.4-12.9 km) wide, SE Europe, on the Montenegro-Albania border. The largest lake of the Balkan Peninsula, it varies seasonally in size (c.150-200 sq mi/390-520 sq km) and depth and usually floods the surrounding area in the winter. Once an inlet of the Adriatic Sea, the lake is now separated from the sea by an alluvial isthmus. It is fed by the Morača River and drained by the Bunës southeastward to the Drin River. The lake is navigable by small steamers, and it abounds in fish.

Turkana, Lake, c.2,500 sq mi (6,475 sq km), NW Kenya and SW Ethiopia, E Africa, in the Great Rift Valley; alt. 1,230 ft (375 m). Surrounded by desolate, volcanic mountains, the 170-mi- (274-km-) long lake is the focus of interior drainage and has no outlet; it is becoming increasingly saline. It was formerly known as Lake Rudolf.

Tuz, Lake, shallow salt lake, c.625 sq mi (1,620 sq km), central Turkey. Salt is mined there.

Bomoseen, Lake, 7.5 mi (12 km) long, 1.5 mi (2.4 km) wide, W Vt., largest lake wholly within Vermont. Surrounded by wooded hills, it is a popular summer resort. Bomoseen State Park is on the west shore.

Tiberias, Lake: see Galilee, Sea of.

Melville, Lake, saltwater lake, 1,133 sq mi (2,934 sq km), SE Labrador, N.L., Canada, extending c.120 mi (190 km) inland from Hamilton Inlet, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean. It receives the Churchill River in Goose Bay, its southwest arm, and the Naskaupi River. Rigolet, a Hudson's Bay Company post, is on the lake.

Menzaleh, Lake, Egypt: see Manzala.

Rudolf, Lake: see Turkana, Lake.

Powell, Lake: see Glen Canyon Dam.

Victoria, Lake, or Victoria Nyanza, largest lake of Africa and the world's second largest freshwater lake, c.26,830 sq mi (69,490 sq km), E central Africa, on the Uganda-Tanzania-Kenya border. Lake Victoria (c.255 mi/410 km long and c.155 mi/250 km wide) occupies a shallow depression (c.250 ft/75 m deep) on the Equatorial Plateau (alt. 3,725 ft/1,135 m) between two arms of the Great Rift Valley. It has an irregular shoreline and many small islands. Numerous streams, including the Kagera River, feed Lake Victoria, which is one of the chief headwater reservoirs of the Nile; the Victoria Nile drains the lake to the north. At the Nalubaale (Owen Falls) and Kiira dams on the Victoria Nile the lake's waters are used to generate hydroelectricity. The lake basin is densely populated and intensely cultivated, and the lake is an important fishery, but fish stocks and diversity have declined since the 1980s as a result of overfishing and the introduction of the Nile perch. Control of the Migingo islands and the surrounding fishing grounds has been a contentious issue between Uganda and Kenya in recent years. The lake has also suffered uncontrolled water hyacinth proliferation. Ships regularly call at lakeside towns, including Entebbe, Mwanza, Bukoba, and Kisumu. The first European to see Lake Victoria (originally called Ukerewe) was John Speke, the British explorer, in 1858; Henry Stanley explored the region in 1875.

Hula, Lake, or Lake Huleh, Arabic Bahr al Hulah, near sea-level lake formed by a natural dam of basalt, NE Israel; the Jordan River exits from its southern end. In ancient times the lake was called the Waters of Merom. Between 1950 and 1958, c.12,350 acres (5,000 hectares) of the lake's swampy shore were drained. The land has been irrigated by the Jordan and is among the most fertile regions in Israel. Crops include grains, fruit, vegetables, and cotton; the lake is used for fishing. The area is rich in flora and fauna.

Huleh, Lake: see Hula, Lake.

Michigan, Lake, 22,178 sq mi (57,441 sq km), 307 mi (494 km) long and 30 to 120 mi (48-193 km) wide, bordered by Mich., Ind., Ill., and Wis.; third largest of the Great Lakes and the only one entirely within the United States. Its surface is 581 ft (177 m) above sea level, and the lake is 923 ft (281 m) deep. The Straits of Mackinac, its only natural outlet, connect the lake with Lake Huron to the northeast; the Illinois Waterway links Lake Michigan with the Mississippi River and Gulf of Mexico. Many islands are found in the northern part of the lake; the northern shorelines are indented, with Green Bay and Grand Traverse Bay the largest bays. The southern part of Lake Michigan has a regular shoreline necessitating the building of artificial harbors such as the Calumet Harbor, NE Ill. The Muskegon, Grand, Kalamazoo, Fox, and Menominee are the chief rivers flowing into Lake Michigan; the lake's current tends to clog the mouths of the rivers with sand. The Chicago River formerly flowed into the lake, but its course was reversed in 1900. Sand dunes border the eastern and southern shores of the lake; Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore (see National Parks and Monuments, table) is there. The forested northern region of Lake Michigan is generally sparsely populated. The southern portion, located near the heart of the Midwest, is industrially important; the Gary-Chicago-Milwaukee urbanized area extends along the southwestern shore. Michigan City, Gary, Chicago, Racine, Milwaukee, and Escanaba are the major lakeside cities. Such urban and industrial concentration has led to growing pollution problems associated with the lake's waters. Prevailing westerly winds tempered by the lake give the eastern shore a moderate climate, making it a rich fruit belt and popular resort area. Lake Michigan was discovered in 1634 by the French explorer Jean Nicolet and was later explored by the French traders Marquette and Jolliet. French missionary and trade centers thrived there by the late 1600s. As part of the bitterly contested Northwest Territory, the area passed to England in 1763 and later to the United States in 1796. The area was isolated until the 1830s, when improvements in transportation brought settlers there. Ore, coal, and limestone are the main items moved on the lake. The Saint Lawrence Seaway has opened Lake Michigan to international trade. The southern part of the lake does not freeze over in the winter, but storms and ice halt interlake movement from December to April.

Traverse, Lake, c.30 mi (50 km) long, on the Minn.-S.Dak. line, drained to the N by the Bois de Sioux River. The lake is impounded by White Rock Dam, which was completed in 1948.

Chelan, Lake, 55 mi (89 km) long and from 1 to 2 mi (1.6-3.2 km) wide, located in a deep narrow gorge in the Cascade Range, NW Wash.; third-deepest freshwater lake in the United States. Fed by streams from the Cascade Range, the lake flows into the Columbia River via the Chelan River. Lake Chelan Dam, built at the lake's outlet, generates electricity. The northern part of the lake is part of the Lake Chelan National Recreation Area (see National Parks and Monuments, table).

Constance, Lake, Ger. Bodensee, lake, 208 sq mi (539 sq km), bordering on Switzerland, Germany, and Austria. It is 42 mi (68 km) long and has a maximum depth of 827 ft (252 m). The lake is fed and drained by the Rhine River and divides near the city of Konstanz (Constance) into two arms, Untersee and Überlinger See. The main body of the lake is called the Obersee. Fruit is grown on the lake's fertile shores, and wine making and fishing are major industries. The chief towns and cities of the lake are Konstanz, Friedrichshafen, and Lindau, all in Germany; Bregenz in Austria; and Rorschach in Switzerland. Remains of lake dwellings have been found.

Torrens, Lake, shallow salt lake, 2,230 sq mi (5,776 sq km), central South Australia state, Australia. In a rift valley, it is 120 mi (193 km) long and is Australia's second largest lake. It becomes partially dry in the summer.

Kinneret, Lake: see Galilee, Sea of.

Matapedia, Lake, 14 mi (23 km) long and 2 mi (3.2 km) wide, E Que., Canada, at the base of the Gaspé Peninsula and S of Matane. It is drained southward by the Matapedia River, famous for salmon fishing. The lake is a well-known tourist center.

Garda, Lake, Ital. Lago di Garda or Benaco, largest lake of Italy, 143 sq mi (370 sq km), between Lombardy and Venetia, N Italy. It is c.32 mi (52 km) long, with a maximum width of c.11 mi (18 km). The northern tip, with Riva di Trento, is an Alpine resort. The Sarca River enters the lake at the northern end; the Mincio River drains the lake. Long celebrated for their beauty and mild climate, the shores are dotted with vineyards and such well-known resorts as Torbole, Maderno, and Gardone.

Volta, Lake, Ghana: see Volta, river.

Vostok, Lake, c.3,900 sq mi (10,000 sq km), c.155 mi (250 km) long and 30 mi (50 km) at its greatest width, in East Antartica beneath the remote Vostok research station. One of the largest subglacial lakes in Antarctica, the presumably freshwater lake is located beneath c.2.5 mi (4 km) of ice, and is 30 to 1,650 ft (10-500 m) deep. It is divided into north and south basins, which are separated by an underwater ridge. Since the lake was discovered in 1996, scientists have speculated it may hold microbes that have been isolated for millions of years, but have not drilled down to its waters for fear of contaminating them. Cores drilled to within c.500 ft (150 m) of the lake have returned ice samples some 420,000 years old.

Onega, Lake, Finnish Aäninen, Rus. Onezhskoye Ozero, lake, c.3,800 sq mi (9,800 sq km), NW European Russia, in Karelia, between Lake Ladoga and the White Sea. The second largest lake in Europe, it is c.150 mi (240 km) long with a maximum width of c.60 mi (100 km) and a maximum depth of c.360 ft (110 m). The lake is located on the heavily glaciated Baltic Shield. Its shores are low and sandy in the south, rocky and indented in the north. It is frozen from November to May. The lake receives the Vytegra and the Vodla rivers and drains SW through the Svir River into Lake Ladoga. The Baltic-White Sea Canal has its southern terminus at Povenets on the lake's northern shore. Petrozavodsk is the chief city and port on Lake Onega. Parallel to the southern shore of the lake runs the Onega Canal, 45 mi (72 km) long, which joins the Svir and Vytegra rivers and forms part of the Volga-Baltic Waterway.

Ontario, Lake, 7,540 sq mi (19,529 sq km), 193 mi (311 km) long and 53 mi (85 km) at its greatest width, between SE Ont., Canada, and NW N.Y.; smallest and lowest of the Great Lakes. It has a surface elevation of 246 ft (75 m) above sea level and a maximum depth of 778 ft (237 m). Lake Ontario is fed chiefly by the waters of Lake Erie by way of the Niagara River; other tributaries are the Genesee, Oswego, and Black rivers in New York and the Trent River in Ontario. The lake is drained to the northeast by the St. Lawrence River. Oceangoing vessels reach the lake through the St. Lawrence Seaway and use the Welland Canal to bypass Niagara Falls and reach Lake Erie; smaller craft (mostly pleasure boats) can travel the Rideau Canal between Kingston and Ottawa, and the Trent Canal between the Bay of Quinte and Georgian Bay. Navigation on the lake is not usually impeded by ice in winter. The chief Canadian lakeshore cities are St. Catharines, Hamilton, Toronto, Oshawa, and Kingston; on the south shore are Rochester and Oswego, N.Y. Commercial fishing is important, but pollution has been a problem. A U.S.-Canadian pact (1972) established that water quality would be improved and further pollution ended. Recreational facilities are provided at state and provincial parks. The first European to see (1615) Lake Ontario was Étienne Brulé, the French explorer; later that year Samuel de Champlain visited it.

Texcoco, Lake: see Mexico, city; Tenochtitlán.

Texoma, Lake: see Denison Dam.

Mead, Lake, 247 sq mi (640 sq km), on the Nev.-Ariz. border, formed by Hoover Dam across the Colorado River. The lake is 115 mi (185 km) long, from 1 to 8 mi (1.6-12.9 km) wide, and 589 ft (180 m) at its maximum depth; it has one of the largest-capacity reservoirs in the United States. Lake Mead, with its 550 mi (885 km) shoreline, is the focal point of Lake Mead National Recreation Area. See National Parks and Monuments (table).

Minnetonka, Lake: see Minnehaha Falls.

Chudskoye, Lake: see Peipus, Lake.

Como, Lake, Ital. Lago di Como or Lario, c.56 sq mi (145 sq km), 30 mi (48 km) long and from 1/2 to 21/2 mi (0.8-4 km) wide, in Lombardy, N Italy. Lake Como is a natural widening of the Adda River, which feeds and drains the lake. Situated in the foothills of the Alps, the lake is one of the most beautiful of Europe. It is a tourist resort, and handsome villas line its shores. Lecco, Como, Varennes, and Bellagio are principal towns.

Itasca, Lake, shallow lake, 2 sq mi (5.2 sq km), in a pine-wooded swampy region, NW Minn. Henry R. Schoolcraft identified the lake (1832) as the source of the Mississippi; stepping stones cross the river at its exit point. Although inarguably the source of the named river, the river's true physical course has been disputed by geographers. In 1891 the region was included in a state park, which has a historical and natural history museum. A school of forestry and a biological research station are nearby.

Zaysan, Lake, freshwater lake, c.700 sq mi (1,810 sq km), SE Kazakhstan, in the Altai Mts. It is crossed by the Irtysh River. It abounds in fish. The lake has risen 20 ft (6 m) above its natural level since the construction of the Bukhtarma dam.

Pepin, Lake, a widening of the Mississippi River, 21 mi (34 km) long and c.3 mi (5 km) wide, SE Minn., between Wabasha and Red Wing; formed by a natural dam of silt dropped by the Chippewa River.

Erie, Lake, 9,940 sq mi (25,745 sq km), 241 mi (388 km) long and from 30 to 57 mi (48-92 km) wide, bordered on the N by S Ont., Canada, on the E by W N.Y., on the S by NW Pa. and N Ohio, and on the W by SE Mich. and NW Ohio.; fourth largest of the Great Lakes. It is 572 ft (174 m) above sea level with a maximum depth of 210 ft (64 m), making it the shallowest of the Great Lakes and the only one with a floor above sea level. It is part of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway system and is linked to Lake Huron by the Detroit River, Lake St. Clair, and St. Clair River, and with Lake Ontario by the Niagara River (Lake Erie's only natural outlet) and the Welland Canal. The New York State Canal System links the lake with the Hudson River. Several small rivers, including the Maumee, Sandusky, and Cuyahoga, flow into the lake from the south; the Grand River enters from Ontario. Lake Erie is partially icebound in winter and is usually closed to navigation from mid-December to the end of March. Rich agricultural lands border the Canadian shore, where the chief towns are Port Colborne and Port Stanley. The principal U.S. cities on the lake are Buffalo, Erie, Cleveland, and Toledo; all are ports with heavy industry. Untreated industrial and municipal wastes from lakeshore cities—and from Detroit, whose wastes enter the western end of the lake—polluted the waters and rendered surrounding areas foul smelling. A U.S.-Canadian pact (1972) ended the discharge of contaminating materials into the water, and the environmental damage has since abated. Numerous recreation facilities are provided at national (Point Pelee and Fort Malden in Canada), provincial, and state parks located on the lake's islands and shores. The first European to see the lake was French explorer Louis Jolliet in 1669. The British and the French, and later the British and the Americans, fought for its control. The battle of Lake Erie (Sept. 10, 1813), a naval engagement in the War of 1812, led successfully by the U.S. leader Oliver H. Perry against the British, was fought at Put-in Bay.

Karun, Lake, Egypt: see Moeris.

Mistassini, Lake, c.840 sq mi (2,180 sq km), S Que., Canada, NW of Lake St. John, in sparsely settled country. It drains W to James Bay by way of the Rupert River (380 mi/612 km long).

Mobutu Sese Seko, Lake: see Albert, Lake.

Agassiz, Lake, glacial lake of the Pleistocene epoch, c.700 mi (1,130 km) long, 250 mi (400 km) wide, formed by the melting of the continental ice sheet beginning some 14,000 years ago; it eventually covered much of present-day NW Minnesota, NE North Dakota, S Manitoba, central E Saskatchewan, and SW Ontario. The lake was named in 1879 in memory of Louis Agassiz for his contributions to the theory of the glacial epoch. Lake Traverse, Big Stone Lake, and the Minnesota River are in the channel of prehistoric River Warren, Lake Agassiz's original outlet to the south. As the ice melted, the water drained E into Lake Superior, and after the ice disappeared, N into Hudson Bay. The lake's disappearance (c.8,400 years ago) left lakes Winnipeg, Manitoba, and Winnipegosis, Red Lake, Lake of the Woods, and other smaller lakes. The bed of the old lake, the Red River valley, has become an important crop-growing region due to its rich soil.

Small lake located in a former meander loop of a river or stream channel. It is generally formed as a river cuts through a meander neck to shorten its course, blocks off the old channel, and then migrates away from the lake. If only one loop is cut off, the lake is crescent-shaped; if more than one loop is cut off, the lake is serpentine (winding). Eventually, oxbow lakes silt up to form marshes and finally meander scars.

Learn more about oxbow lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

or Mackinaw trout or Great Lakes trout or salmon trout

Large, voracious char (Salvelinus namaycush) found widely from northern Canada and Alaska to New England and the Great Lakes, usually in deep, cool lakes. They are greenish gray and covered with pale spots. In spring, 5-lb (2.3-kg) lake trout are caught in shallow water; in summer, fish of up to 100 lbs (45 kg) are trolled in deep water. Lake trout were virtually eliminated from the Great Lakes by the sea lamprey, which entered through the Welland Canal in the 1930s. They have been introduced in the western U.S., South America, Europe, and New Zealand.

Learn more about lake trout with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Relatively large body of slow-moving or standing water that occupies an inland basin. Lakes are most abundant in high northern latitudes and in mountain regions, particularly those that were covered by glaciers in recent geologic times. The primary sources of lake water are melting ice and snow, springs, rivers, runoff from the land surface, and direct precipitation. In the upper part of lakes there is a good supply of light, heat, oxygen, and nutrients, well distributed by currents and turbulence. As a result, a large number of diverse aquatic organisms can be found there. The most abundant forms are plankton (chiefly diatoms), algae, and flagellates. In the lower levels and in the sediments, the main forms of life are bacteria. Seealso limnology.

Learn more about lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

or pan or flat or dry lake

Flat-bottomed depression that is periodically covered by water. Playas occur in interior desert basins and adjacent to coasts in arid and semiarid regions. The water that periodically covers the playa slowly filters into the groundwater system or evaporates into the atmosphere, causing the deposition of salt, sand, and mud along the bottom and around the edges of the depression.

Learn more about playa with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Lake astride the Canadian-U.S. boundary, southwestern Ontario, southeastern Manitoba, and northern Minnesota. Irregular in shape, it is 70 mi (110 km) long and up to 60 mi (95 km) wide. It has an area of 1,727 sq mi (4,472 sq km), of which 642 sq mi (1,663 sq km) are in U.S territory. It has an estimated 25,000 mi (40,000 km) of shoreline and more than 14,000 islands. It receives the Rainy River from the southeast and drains north through the Winnipeg River into Lake Winnipeg. Visited by French explorers in 1688, it became an important fur-trading route between the Great Lakes and western Canada. The Northwest Angle, the northernmost point of the coterminous U.S., is separated from the rest of Minnesota by a part of the lake.

Learn more about Woods, Lake of the with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Lake, east-central New Hampshire, U.S. New Hampshire's largest lake, it covers an area of 71 sq mi (184 sq km) and is 20 mi (32 km) long by 12 mi (19 km) wide. It is dotted with 274 islands. Its outlet, the Winnipesaukee River, flows about 20 mi (32 km) southwest to enter the Merrimack River. It is a popular summer recreation area.

Learn more about Winnipesaukee, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Lake, western Manitoba, Canada. Located west of Lake Winnipeg, it is a remnant of glacial Lake Agassiz. Numerous streams feed the 2,075-sq-mi (5,374-sq-km) lake, which drains southeastward into Lake Manitoba. It is more than 150 mi (240 km) long, up to 32 mi (51 km) wide, and has a maximum depth of 833 ft (254 m). It was explored in 1739 by Pierre La Verendrye and later served as part of a fur-trading route. It now is important for commercial fishing.

Learn more about Winnipegosis, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Lake, south-central Manitoba, Canada. Fed by many rivers, including the Saskatchewan, Red River of the North, and Winnipeg, it is drained to the northeast by the Nelson River. It is 264 mi (425 km) long, up to 68 mi (109 km) wide, and has an area of 9,416 sq mi (24,387 sq km). The Canadian explorer Pierre La Verendrye visited the lake in 1733. With an average depth of 50 ft (15 m), it is important for shipping, commercial fishing, and recreation.

Learn more about Winnipeg, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Lake, south-central South Island, New Zealand. The S-shaped lake measures 48 mi (77 km) by 3 mi (5 km) and has an area of 113 sq mi (293 sq km) and a maximum depth of 1,240 ft (378 m). It receives the Dart, Rees, Greenstone, and Von rivers and empties by the Kawarau River, a tributary of the Clutha River.

Learn more about Wakatipu Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Lake, Ghana. One of the world's largest artificial lakes, it was formed in 1965 when the Akosombo Dam dammed the Volta River and created a reservoir that extends about 250 mi (400 km) upstream to beyond the former confluence of the Black Volta and White Volta rivers. It covers 3,283 sq mi (8,502 sq km), or 3.6percnt of Ghana's area. It is a major fishing ground and provides irrigation water for farmland in the Accra plains. The dam generates enough hydroelectric power to supply most of Ghana's electricity needs.

Learn more about Volta, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

or Victoria Nyanza

Largest lake in Africa and chief reservoir of the Nile River, east-central Africa. The southern half lies in Tanzania, the northern half in Uganda; it borders Kenya in the northeast. With an area of 26,828 sq mi (69,484 sq km), it is the second largest freshwater lake in the world (after Lake Superior in North America). It is about 210 mi (337 km) long, 150 mi (240 km) wide, and up to 270 ft (82 m) deep. Though the Kagera River is its largest tributary, the most important source of water for the lake is rainfall. Its only outlet is the Victoria Nile. John Hanning Speke, searching for the source of the Nile in 1858, was the first European to sight it. He named it for Queen Victoria; the Arabs had called it Ukerewe. Henry Morton Stanley circumnavigated it in 1875. It became a reservoir when the water level was raised after completion of Owen Falls Dam (now the Nalubaale Dam) in 1954.

Learn more about Victoria, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Salt lake, eastern Anatolia. The largest lake in Turkey, it covers an area of 1,434 sq mi (3,713 sq km) and is more than 74 mi (119 km) across at its widest point. Its greatest depth exceeds 330 ft (100 m). It is fed by precipitation and meltwater as well as by several small tributaries. It has no apparent outlet, and its brackish waters are unsuitable for either drinking or irrigation.

Learn more about Van, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

formerly Tacarigua

Lake, Carabobo and Aragua states, northern Venezuela. Its total area of 141 sq mi (364 sq km) makes it the second largest natural lake in Venezuela, after Lake Maracaibo. It lies in an agricultural region and popular resort area.

Learn more about Valencia, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Persian Daryācheh-ye Orūmiyyeh

Shallow, saline lake, northwestern Iran. The largest lake in the Middle East, it covers an area that varies from 2,000 to 2,300 sq mi (5,200 to 6,000 sq km). It is about 87 mi (140 km) long and 25–35 mi (40–55 km) wide, with a maximum depth of 53 ft (16 m). There is a cluster of about 50 tiny islands at its southern part. Fed by three rivers, it has no outlet. It has been protected since 1967.

Learn more about Urmia, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

or Lake Turkana

Lake, mainly in northern Kenya. The fourth largest of the eastern African lakes, it lies 1,230 ft (375 m) above sea level in the Great Rift Valley and covers an area of 2,473 sq mi (6,405 sq km). The three main islands in the lake are volcanic. The lake is relatively shallow; its greatest recorded depth is 240 ft (73 m). Having no outlet, the lake's waters are brackish. Sudden storms are frequent, rendering navigation treacherous. It is a rich reservoir of fish.

Learn more about Rudolf, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

or Sea of Galilee

Freshwater lake, northern Israel. It is 13 mi (21 km) long and 7 mi (11 km) wide; it lies about 700 ft (212 m) below sea level and receives most of its inflow from the Jordan River. The region has been inhabited for millennia: archaeological finds dating to some 500,000 years ago are among the oldest in the Middle East. In the 1st century AD, the region was rich and populated; Christians know it as the scene of many episodes in the life of Jesus. Today the lake's waters irrigate the surrounding agricultural region. Modern health resorts have grown up, and the baths at Tiberias are among Israel's winter resort attractions.

Learn more about Tiberias, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Lake, central Mexico. Originally one of the five lakes of the Valley of Mexico, Texcoco has been drained by channels and a tunnel to the Pánuco River since the early 17th century. It now occupies only a small area surrounded by salt marshes just east of Mexico City. Tenochtitlán, the Aztec capital, stood on islands in old Lake Texcoco and was connected to the mainland by causeways.

Learn more about Texcoco, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Lake, central North Island, New Zealand. The largest lake in New Zealand, it is 234 sq mi (606 sq km) in area and covers the remains of several volcanic craters. The Waikato River flows into and out of it. Numerous geothermal springs on the lake's borders are used for health resorts and for generating electricity. Tongariro National Park, to the southwest, was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1990; the region is a major tourist attraction.

Learn more about Taupo, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Lake, central Africa. Located on the boundary between Tanzania and Congo (Kinshasa), it is the longest freshwater lake in the world, 410 mi (660 km) long, and the second deepest, 4,710 ft (1,436 m) deep. Fed by several rivers, it tends to be brackish. Oil palms and rice grow along its steep shores; hippopotamuses and crocodiles abound. It was first visited by Europeans, searching for the source of the Nile, in 1858.

Learn more about Tanganyika, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Lake on the California-Nevada border in the northern Sierra Nevada, U.S. The lake, which occupies a fault basin, covers 193 sq mi (500 sq km). It is 22 mi (35 km) long by 10 mi (16 km) wide and lies at an elevation of 6,229 ft (1,899 m). Its water level has varied during seasons of drought in recent decades. Fed by numerous small streams, the intensely blue lake and the surrounding national forests have been developed as popular tourist resorts.

Learn more about Tahoe, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Lake, U.S. and Canada. The largest of the five Great Lakes, Superior is the world's largest freshwater lake. It is 383 mi (616 km) long and 160 mi (258 km) at its widest, with an area of 31,800 sq mi (82,362 sq km) and depths reaching 1,330 ft (405 m). Lake Superior is known for its picturesque coastline and its numerous shipwrecks; its islands include Isle Royale. The head of the Great Lakes–Saint Lawrence Seaway system, it is connected to Lake Huron at its southeastern end via the Sault Ste. Marie locks. Ships transport grain, flour, and iron ore during the eight-month navigation season. The French Jesuit missionary Claude-Jean Allouez charted the lake in 1667. The region came under British control (1763–83) and remained in British hands until 1817, when the American Fur Co. took over south of the Canadian border.

Learn more about Superior, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Lake, southeastern Ontario, Canada. Located between Georgian Bay and Lake Ontario north of Toronto, Lake Simcoe is 287 sq mi (743 sq km) in area. Numerous small streams and the Trent Canal feed the lake, which is 30 mi (48 km) long and contains several islands; the largest, Georgina, is an Indian reserve. The lake is a popular summer vacation area.

Learn more about Simcoe, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Largest lake in the Balkan Peninsula. Located on the frontier between Montenegro and Albania, it has an area of 150 sq mi (390 sq km). It was formerly an arm of the Adriatic Sea. Steep mountains, plains, and marshland border the lake, as do many small villages that are noted for their old monasteries and fortresses.

Learn more about Scutari, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

City (pop., 2000: 181,743), capital of Utah, U.S. Located on the Jordan River, near the southeastern end of Great Salt Lake, it was founded in 1847 by Brigham Young and a group of 148 Mormons as a refuge from religious persecution. It was known as Great Salt Lake City until 1868. It prospered from rail connections to become a hub of western commerce and became the state capital in 1896. The largest city in the state, it lies at an altitude of 4,390 ft (1,338 m). It is a commercial centre for nearby mining operations and has diversified manufacturing industries. It is the headquarters of the Mormon Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which influences the social, economic, political, and cultural life of the state and region. It is the site of the Mormon Temple and Tabernacle. It was the host city of the 2002 Winter Olympic Games.

Learn more about Salt Lake City with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Lake, forming part of the boundary between Michigan, U.S., and Ontario, Canada. Roughly circular, with an area of 467 sq mi (1,210 sq km), it connects with the St. Clair River and Lake Huron to the north and with the Detroit River and Lake Erie to the south. It is in a popular summer recreation area. Suburbs of Detroit lie on its western shore.

Learn more about Saint Clair, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Narrow lake astride the Canadian-U.S. border, between Minnesota and northwestern Ontario. Rainy Lake is about 50 mi (80 km) long and has an area of 360 sq mi (932 sq km). Its shores are irregular and deeply indented, and it contains more than 500 islands. The region is the site of several Indian reservations and is popular for hunting, fishing, and canoeing.

Learn more about Rainy Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Lake on the boundary between Macedonia, Albania, and Greece. It is 14 mi (23 km) long, 8 mi (13 km) wide, 2,800 ft (853 m) above sea level, and it drains northwest into Lake Ohrid through a subterranean channel. South of it is Little Prespa Lake, which contains the island of St. Achilius; the island was an early capital of Bulgarian Tsar Samuel in the 10th century. It became a tourist and fishing centre in the 1970s.

Learn more about Prespa, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Lake, southeastern Louisiana, U.S. It is 40 mi (64 km) long and 25 mi (40 km) wide, with an area of 630 sq mi (1,631 sq km). More a tidal lagoon than a lake, it is brackish and teems with game fish. It is connected through Lake Borgne with the Gulf of Mexico and by canal with the Mississippi River. It is spanned by the Pontchartrain Causeway, two parallel road bridges which cross the lake north of New Orleans and, at nearly 24 mi (39 km) in length, are the longest overwater bridges in the world.

Learn more about Pontchartrain, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Estonian Peipsi Järv

Lake, north-central Europe, forming the boundary between Estonia and Russia. Lake Peipsi is 60 mi (97 km) long and 31 mi (50 km) wide, and it is frozen for half of the year. In 1242 the Russians, under Alexander Nevsky, defeated the Teutonic Knights (see Teutonic Order) on the frozen lake in the “Battle on the Ice,” forcing the order to relinquish claims to Russian lands.

Learn more about Peipsi, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Lake, south-central Missouri, U.S. One of the largest man-made lakes in the U.S., it is located in the scenic Ozark Mountains. It is about 125 mi (200 km) long, with an area of 93 sq mi (242 sq km). It is formed by the Bagnell Dam in the Osage River. The area of Lake of the Ozarks State Park has recreational fishing and water sport facilities and is a popular resort destination. Nearby are several limestone caverns.

Learn more about Ozarks, Lake of the with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Smallest and easternmost of the Great Lakes of North America. Bounded by New York and Ontario, and with the U.S.-Canada border passing through it, the lake is roughly elliptical; its major axis, 193 mi (311 km) long, lies nearly east to west, and its greatest width is 53 mi (85 km). The Niagara River is the lake's main feeder. There are five islands at its eastern end, where the lake discharges into the St. Lawrence River near Kingston, Ont. The Welland Canal and the Niagara River connect it to Lake Erie to the southwest. It was visited by Samuel de Champlain in 1615; its early French name was Lac Frontenac. Ports on the lake include Toronto and Hamilton, Ont., and Rochester and Oswego, N.Y.

Learn more about Ontario, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Lake, northwestern Russia. Located between Lake Ladoga and the White Sea, it is the second-largest lake in Europe. It has an area of 3,753 sq mi (9,720 sq km) and is 154 mi (248 km) long. It empties into the Svir River and is frozen for about half of each year. It is connected with the Baltic and White seas by canal and with the Volga River basin by a waterway, enabling it to play an important part in international trade and transport.

Learn more about Onega, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Lake, southeastern Florida, U.S. It is the third largest freshwater lake wholly within the country. It drains to the sea through the Everglades. It is a remnant of the prehistoric Pamlico Sea, and its name means “Big Water” in the language of the Hitchiti Indians. There is a Seminole reservation on the lake's northwestern shore.

Learn more about Okeechobee, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Lake, southeastern Ontario, Canada. Located midway between the Ottawa River and Georgian Bay, it is 50 mi (80 km) long and 30 mi (48 km) wide, with an area of 321 sq mi (832 sq km). A remnant of glacial Lake Algonquin, it contains many islands. The French River drains the lake as it flows west into Georgian Bay. It was discovered by Étienne Brûlé circa 1610 and was later a fur-trading route linking the Ottawa River with the upper Great Lakes.

Learn more about Nipissing, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Lake, Ontario, Canada. Located north of Lake Superior and northeast of Thunder Bay, it is about 70 mi (110 km) long and 50 mi (80 km) wide and has an area of 1,870 sq mi (4,840 sq km). It lies at an elevation of 1,050 ft (320 m) and has a maximum depth of 540 ft (165 m). Its Indian name means “deep, clear water.” It is studded with many wooded islands, and large bays characterize its shoreline. Its outlet is the Nipigon River, which flows into Lake Superior.

Learn more about Nipigon, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Lake, southwestern Nicaragua. It is 102 mi (164 km) long, with a surface area of about 3,100 sq mi (8,000 sq km). The largest freshwater lake between the U.S. and Peru, it is connected to Lake Managua by the Tipitapa River and is drained by the San Juan River. It is the only freshwater lake in the world containing marine animal life, including sharks, swordfish, and tarpon. Its largest island, Ometepe, is the preeminent site in Nicaragua for pre-Columbian archaeological finds.

Learn more about Nicaragua, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Shallow lake, northwestern Botswana, north of the Kalahari Desert. It was a large lake, estimated at more than 170 mi (275 km) in circumference when the explorer David Livingstone sighted it in 1849. The lake varies in size with the amount of rainfall, and, although it is much smaller today than in Livingstone's time, it is rich in birdlife.

Learn more about Ngami, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Hungarian Fertodblac-tó

Lake, eastern Austria and northwestern Hungary. The shallow lake was formerly entirely within Hungary, but in 1922 the northern two-thirds were transferred to Austria. Formed during the Pleistocene Epoch, it is Austria's lowest point, 377 ft (115 m) above sea level. Heavy reed growth along its shores supports many species of birds, which are protected by an international sanctuary and a biological station.

Learn more about Neusiedler Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

ancient Lacus Nemorensis

Crater lake in the Alban Hills, southeast of Rome, Italy. Its area is about 0.67 sq mi (1.7 sq km), and it is 110 ft (34 m) deep. Nearby were a temple and grove sacred to the goddess Diana. Two ships dating from the reign of Caligula were raised from the lake bottom in the 1920s but were burned by the retreating German army in 1944, toward the end of World War II.

Learn more about Nemi, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

or Lake Nubia

Lake, southern Egypt and northern Sudan. About 300 mi (480 km) long, it was formed in the 1960s by the construction of the Aswan High Dam in order to control the annual floods of the Nile River, whose waters now feed the lake. Its waters, when discharged downstream, have brought some 1,250 sq mi (3,240 sq km) of additional land under irrigation. Its formation flooded a number of archaeological sites, including those found at Abu Simbel. In The Sudan it is known as Lake Nubia.

Learn more about Nasser, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

French Lac Moero

Lake, central Africa. It is located on the boundary between southeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (Zaire) and Zambia, west of the southern tip of Lake Tanganyika. Part of the Congo River system, it is 76 mi (122 km) long and has a surface area of 1,900 sq mi (4,920 sq km). The Luapula River, a headstream of the Congo River, flows through it. The Bangweulu Swamps adjoin the lake.

Learn more about Mweru, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Lake, east-central Africa. Lying at an altitude of 2,021 ft (616 m), it is 100 mi (160 km) long and has an average width of about 20 mi (32 km). In the southwest, the Semliki River brings into the lake the waters of Lake Edward; at its northeastern corner, just below Murchison Falls, it receives the Victoria Nile from Lake Victoria. In 1864 the lake's first European visitor, Samuel Baker, named it after Queen Victoria's consort. Initially part of Uganda, it now forms part of the Uganda-Congo border.

Learn more about Albert, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Third largest of the five Great Lakes and the only one lying wholly within the U.S. Bordered by the states of Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana, it connects with Lake Huron through the Straits of Mackinac in the north. It is 321 mi (517 km) long and up to 118 mi (190 km) wide, with a maximum depth of 923 ft (281 m); it occupies an area of 22,300 sq mi (57,757 sq km). The first European to discover it was the French explorer Jean Nicolet in 1634; the explorer La Salle brought the first sailing ship there in 1679. It now attracts international shipping as part of the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence Seaway. The name is derived from the Algonquian word michigami or misschiganin, meaning “big lake.”

Learn more about Michigan, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Reservoir of the Hoover Dam, on the Arizona-Nevada border in the U.S. One of the largest man-made lakes in the world, it was formed by the damming of the Colorado River. Lake Mead is 115 mi (185 km) long and 1–10 mi (1.6–16 km) wide; it has a capacity of over 31 million acre ft (38 billion cubic m), with a surface area of 229 sq mi (593 sq km). It was named after Elwood Mead, commissioner of reclamation. Lake Mead National Recreation Area (established 1936) has an area of 2,338 sq mi (6,055 sq km) and extends 240 mi (386 km) along the river.

Learn more about Mead, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Inlet of the Caribbean Sea, northwestern Venezuela. The largest natural lake in South America, it occupies an area of 5,130 sq mi (13,280 sq km), extending southward for 130 mi (210 km) from the Gulf of Venezuela and reaching a width of 75 mi (121 km). Many rivers flow into the lake, notably the Catatumbo River. It is in one of the world's richest oil-producing regions, which supplies about two-thirds of Venezuela's total petroleum output. Its oil fields are located along the eastern shore, extending 20 mi (32 km) into the lake.

Learn more about Maracaibo, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Lake, south-central Manitoba, Canada. Located northwest of Winnipeg, it drains into Lake Winnipeg. It is more than 125 mi (200 km) long and up to 28 mi (45 km) wide, with an area of 1,785 sq mi (4,624 sq km). It was discovered in 1738 by Pierre La Vérendrye, who named it Lac des Prairies. The name Manitoba is believed to come from the Algonquian word maniot-bau or maniot-wapau (“strait of the spirit”).

Learn more about Manitoba, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

ancient Lacus Verbanus

Lake, northern Italy and southern Switzerland, bordered on the north by the Swiss Alps. Occupying an area of 82 sq mi (212 sq km), it is Italy's second largest lake. It is 34 mi (54 km) long, with a maximum width of 7 mi (11 km) and a maximum depth of 1,220 ft (372 m). Traversed from north to south by the Ticino River, it is also fed by the Tresa River from Lake Lugano on the east. It is a popular resort area.

Learn more about Maggiore, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Lake, Great Rift Valley, southern Kenya, east of Lake Victoria. It occupies an area of about 40 sq mi (104 sq km). Its bed consists almost entirely of soda deposits, which dye the waters a vivid pink.

Learn more about Magadi, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

German Vierwaldstättersee (“Lake of the Four Forest Cantons”)

Lake, central Switzerland. It is 24 mi (39 km) long and 0.5 to 2 mi (0.8 to 3 km) wide, with an area of 44 sq mi (114 sq km). It has a maximum depth of 702 ft (214 m). The “Cross of Lucerne” is formed by its four main basins, which are joined by narrow channels. Named after the city of Lucerne at its western end, it is in a region of resorts and tourist attractions.

Learn more about Lucerne, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Lake, central Alberta, Canada. Located northwest of Edmonton and south of Great Slave Lake, it occupies an area of 451 sq mi (1,168 sq km) and drains into the Athabasca River via the Lesser Slave River. Its name refers to the Slave (Dogrib) Indians, who once inhabited its shores.

Learn more about Lesser Slave Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Lake, south-central Missouri, U.S. One of the largest man-made lakes in the U.S., it is located in the scenic Ozark Mountains. It is about 125 mi (200 km) long, with an area of 93 sq mi (242 sq km). It is formed by the Bagnell Dam in the Osage River. The area of Lake of the Ozarks State Park has recreational fishing and water sport facilities and is a popular resort destination. Nearby are several limestone caverns.

Learn more about Ozarks, Lake of the with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Lake, east-central New Hampshire, U.S. New Hampshire's largest lake, it covers an area of 71 sq mi (184 sq km) and is 20 mi (32 km) long by 12 mi (19 km) wide. It is dotted with 274 islands. Its outlet, the Winnipesaukee River, flows about 20 mi (32 km) southwest to enter the Merrimack River. It is a popular summer recreation area.

Learn more about Winnipesaukee, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Lake, western Manitoba, Canada. Located west of Lake Winnipeg, it is a remnant of glacial Lake Agassiz. Numerous streams feed the 2,075-sq-mi (5,374-sq-km) lake, which drains southeastward into Lake Manitoba. It is more than 150 mi (240 km) long, up to 32 mi (51 km) wide, and has a maximum depth of 833 ft (254 m). It was explored in 1739 by Pierre La Verendrye and later served as part of a fur-trading route. It now is important for commercial fishing.

Learn more about Winnipegosis, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Lake, south-central Manitoba, Canada. Fed by many rivers, including the Saskatchewan, Red River of the North, and Winnipeg, it is drained to the northeast by the Nelson River. It is 264 mi (425 km) long, up to 68 mi (109 km) wide, and has an area of 9,416 sq mi (24,387 sq km). The Canadian explorer Pierre La Verendrye visited the lake in 1733. With an average depth of 50 ft (15 m), it is important for shipping, commercial fishing, and recreation.

Learn more about Winnipeg, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Lake, Ghana. One of the world's largest artificial lakes, it was formed in 1965 when the Akosombo Dam dammed the Volta River and created a reservoir that extends about 250 mi (400 km) upstream to beyond the former confluence of the Black Volta and White Volta rivers. It covers 3,283 sq mi (8,502 sq km), or 3.6percnt of Ghana's area. It is a major fishing ground and provides irrigation water for farmland in the Accra plains. The dam generates enough hydroelectric power to supply most of Ghana's electricity needs.

Learn more about Volta, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

or Victoria Nyanza

Largest lake in Africa and chief reservoir of the Nile River, east-central Africa. The southern half lies in Tanzania, the northern half in Uganda; it borders Kenya in the northeast. With an area of 26,828 sq mi (69,484 sq km), it is the second largest freshwater lake in the world (after Lake Superior in North America). It is about 210 mi (337 km) long, 150 mi (240 km) wide, and up to 270 ft (82 m) deep. Though the Kagera River is its largest tributary, the most important source of water for the lake is rainfall. Its only outlet is the Victoria Nile. John Hanning Speke, searching for the source of the Nile in 1858, was the first European to sight it. He named it for Queen Victoria; the Arabs had called it Ukerewe. Henry Morton Stanley circumnavigated it in 1875. It became a reservoir when the water level was raised after completion of Owen Falls Dam (now the Nalubaale Dam) in 1954.

Learn more about Victoria, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Salt lake, eastern Anatolia. The largest lake in Turkey, it covers an area of 1,434 sq mi (3,713 sq km) and is more than 74 mi (119 km) across at its widest point. Its greatest depth exceeds 330 ft (100 m). It is fed by precipitation and meltwater as well as by several small tributaries. It has no apparent outlet, and its brackish waters are unsuitable for either drinking or irrigation.

Learn more about Van, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

formerly Tacarigua

Lake, Carabobo and Aragua states, northern Venezuela. Its total area of 141 sq mi (364 sq km) makes it the second largest natural lake in Venezuela, after Lake Maracaibo. It lies in an agricultural region and popular resort area.

Learn more about Valencia, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Persian Daryācheh-ye Orūmiyyeh

Shallow, saline lake, northwestern Iran. The largest lake in the Middle East, it covers an area that varies from 2,000 to 2,300 sq mi (5,200 to 6,000 sq km). It is about 87 mi (140 km) long and 25–35 mi (40–55 km) wide, with a maximum depth of 53 ft (16 m). There is a cluster of about 50 tiny islands at its southern part. Fed by three rivers, it has no outlet. It has been protected since 1967.

Learn more about Urmia, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

or Sea of Galilee

Freshwater lake, northern Israel. It is 13 mi (21 km) long and 7 mi (11 km) wide; it lies about 700 ft (212 m) below sea level and receives most of its inflow from the Jordan River. The region has been inhabited for millennia: archaeological finds dating to some 500,000 years ago are among the oldest in the Middle East. In the 1st century AD, the region was rich and populated; Christians know it as the scene of many episodes in the life of Jesus. Today the lake's waters irrigate the surrounding agricultural region. Modern health resorts have grown up, and the baths at Tiberias are among Israel's winter resort attractions.

Learn more about Tiberias, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Lake, central Mexico. Originally one of the five lakes of the Valley of Mexico, Texcoco has been drained by channels and a tunnel to the Pánuco River since the early 17th century. It now occupies only a small area surrounded by salt marshes just east of Mexico City. Tenochtitlán, the Aztec capital, stood on islands in old Lake Texcoco and was connected to the mainland by causeways.

Learn more about Texcoco, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Lake, central North Island, New Zealand. The largest lake in New Zealand, it is 234 sq mi (606 sq km) in area and covers the remains of several volcanic craters. The Waikato River flows into and out of it. Numerous geothermal springs on the lake's borders are used for health resorts and for generating electricity. Tongariro National Park, to the southwest, was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1990; the region is a major tourist attraction.

Learn more about Taupo, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Lake, central Africa. Located on the boundary between Tanzania and Congo (Kinshasa), it is the longest freshwater lake in the world, 410 mi (660 km) long, and the second deepest, 4,710 ft (1,436 m) deep. Fed by several rivers, it tends to be brackish. Oil palms and rice grow along its steep shores; hippopotamuses and crocodiles abound. It was first visited by Europeans, searching for the source of the Nile, in 1858.

Learn more about Tanganyika, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Lake on the California-Nevada border in the northern Sierra Nevada, U.S. The lake, which occupies a fault basin, covers 193 sq mi (500 sq km). It is 22 mi (35 km) long by 10 mi (16 km) wide and lies at an elevation of 6,229 ft (1,899 m). Its water level has varied during seasons of drought in recent decades. Fed by numerous small streams, the intensely blue lake and the surrounding national forests have been developed as popular tourist resorts.

Learn more about Tahoe, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Lake, U.S. and Canada. The largest of the five Great Lakes, Superior is the world's largest freshwater lake. It is 383 mi (616 km) long and 160 mi (258 km) at its widest, with an area of 31,800 sq mi (82,362 sq km) and depths reaching 1,330 ft (405 m). Lake Superior is known for its picturesque coastline and its numerous shipwrecks; its islands include Isle Royale. The head of the Great Lakes–Saint Lawrence Seaway system, it is connected to Lake Huron at its southeastern end via the Sault Ste. Marie locks. Ships transport grain, flour, and iron ore during the eight-month navigation season. The French Jesuit missionary Claude-Jean Allouez charted the lake in 1667. The region came under British control (1763–83) and remained in British hands until 1817, when the American Fur Co. took over south of the Canadian border.

Learn more about Superior, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Lake, southeastern Ontario, Canada. Located between Georgian Bay and Lake Ontario north of Toronto, Lake Simcoe is 287 sq mi (743 sq km) in area. Numerous small streams and the Trent Canal feed the lake, which is 30 mi (48 km) long and contains several islands; the largest, Georgina, is an Indian reserve. The lake is a popular summer vacation area.

Learn more about Simcoe, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Largest lake in the Balkan Peninsula. Located on the frontier between Montenegro and Albania, it has an area of 150 sq mi (390 sq km). It was formerly an arm of the Adriatic Sea. Steep mountains, plains, and marshland border the lake, as do many small villages that are noted for their old monasteries and fortresses.

Learn more about Scutari, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Lake, forming part of the boundary between Michigan, U.S., and Ontario, Canada. Roughly circular, with an area of 467 sq mi (1,210 sq km), it connects with the St. Clair River and Lake Huron to the north and with the Detroit River and Lake Erie to the south. It is in a popular summer recreation area. Suburbs of Detroit lie on its western shore.

Learn more about Saint Clair, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

or Lake Turkana

Lake, mainly in northern Kenya. The fourth largest of the eastern African lakes, it lies 1,230 ft (375 m) above sea level in the Great Rift Valley and covers an area of 2,473 sq mi (6,405 sq km). The three main islands in the lake are volcanic. The lake is relatively shallow; its greatest recorded depth is 240 ft (73 m). Having no outlet, the lake's waters are brackish. Sudden storms are frequent, rendering navigation treacherous. It is a rich reservoir of fish.

Learn more about Rudolf, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Lake on the boundary between Macedonia, Albania, and Greece. It is 14 mi (23 km) long, 8 mi (13 km) wide, 2,800 ft (853 m) above sea level, and it drains northwest into Lake Ohrid through a subterranean channel. South of it is Little Prespa Lake, which contains the island of St. Achilius; the island was an early capital of Bulgarian Tsar Samuel in the 10th century. It became a tourist and fishing centre in the 1970s.

Learn more about Prespa, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Lake, southeastern Louisiana, U.S. It is 40 mi (64 km) long and 25 mi (40 km) wide, with an area of 630 sq mi (1,631 sq km). More a tidal lagoon than a lake, it is brackish and teems with game fish. It is connected through Lake Borgne with the Gulf of Mexico and by canal with the Mississippi River. It is spanned by the Pontchartrain Causeway, two parallel road bridges which cross the lake north of New Orleans and, at nearly 24 mi (39 km) in length, are the longest overwater bridges in the world.

Learn more about Pontchartrain, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Village (pop., 2000: 2,638), northeastern New York, U.S., on Mirror Lake and Lake Placid, in the Adirondack Mountains. The site was settled in 1800, but it was abandoned after crop failures. Resettled during the 1840s, it was promoted in 1850 as a summer resort, and Melvil Dewey founded the Lake Placid Club there in 1895. It is a year-round recreation area with numerous hotels, golf courses, ski resorts, and mountain scenery. It was the scene of the Olympic Games in 1932 and 1980.

Learn more about Lake Placid with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Estonian Peipsi Järv

Lake, north-central Europe, forming the boundary between Estonia and Russia. Lake Peipsi is 60 mi (97 km) long and 31 mi (50 km) wide, and it is frozen for half of the year. In 1242 the Russians, under Alexander Nevsky, defeated the Teutonic Knights (see Teutonic Order) on the frozen lake in the “Battle on the Ice,” forcing the order to relinquish claims to Russian lands.

Learn more about Peipsi, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Smallest and easternmost of the Great Lakes of North America. Bounded by New York and Ontario, and with the U.S.-Canada border passing through it, the lake is roughly elliptical; its major axis, 193 mi (311 km) long, lies nearly east to west, and its greatest width is 53 mi (85 km). The Niagara River is the lake's main feeder. There are five islands at its eastern end, where the lake discharges into the St. Lawrence River near Kingston, Ont. The Welland Canal and the Niagara River connect it to Lake Erie to the southwest. It was visited by Samuel de Champlain in 1615; its early French name was Lac Frontenac. Ports on the lake include Toronto and Hamilton, Ont., and Rochester and Oswego, N.Y.

Learn more about Ontario, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Lake, northwestern Russia. Located between Lake Ladoga and the White Sea, it is the second-largest lake in Europe. It has an area of 3,753 sq mi (9,720 sq km) and is 154 mi (248 km) long. It empties into the Svir River and is frozen for about half of each year. It is connected with the Baltic and White seas by canal and with the Volga River basin by a waterway, enabling it to play an important part in international trade and transport.

Learn more about Onega, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Lake, southeastern Florida, U.S. It is the third largest freshwater lake wholly within the country. It drains to the sea through the Everglades. It is a remnant of the prehistoric Pamlico Sea, and its name means “Big Water” in the language of the Hitchiti Indians. There is a Seminole reservation on the lake's northwestern shore.

Learn more about Okeechobee, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Lake, southeastern Ontario, Canada. Located midway between the Ottawa River and Georgian Bay, it is 50 mi (80 km) long and 30 mi (48 km) wide, with an area of 321 sq mi (832 sq km). A remnant of glacial Lake Algonquin, it contains many islands. The French River drains the lake as it flows west into Georgian Bay. It was discovered by Étienne Brûlé circa 1610 and was later a fur-trading route linking the Ottawa River with the upper Great Lakes.

Learn more about Nipissing, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Lake, Ontario, Canada. Located north of Lake Superior and northeast of Thunder Bay, it is about 70 mi (110 km) long and 50 mi (80 km) wide and has an area of 1,870 sq mi (4,840 sq km). It lies at an elevation of 1,050 ft (320 m) and has a maximum depth of 540 ft (165 m). Its Indian name means “deep, clear water.” It is studded with many wooded islands, and large bays characterize its shoreline. Its outlet is the Nipigon River, which flows into Lake Superior.

Learn more about Nipigon, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Lake, southwestern Nicaragua. It is 102 mi (164 km) long, with a surface area of about 3,100 sq mi (8,000 sq km). The largest freshwater lake between the U.S. and Peru, it is connected to Lake Managua by the Tipitapa River and is drained by the San Juan River. It is the only freshwater lake in the world containing marine animal life, including sharks, swordfish, and tarpon. Its largest island, Ometepe, is the preeminent site in Nicaragua for pre-Columbian archaeological finds.

Learn more about Nicaragua, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Shallow lake, northwestern Botswana, north of the Kalahari Desert. It was a large lake, estimated at more than 170 mi (275 km) in circumference when the explorer David Livingstone sighted it in 1849. The lake varies in size with the amount of rainfall, and, although it is much smaller today than in Livingstone's time, it is rich in birdlife.

Learn more about Ngami, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

ancient Lacus Nemorensis

Crater lake in the Alban Hills, southeast of Rome, Italy. Its area is about 0.67 sq mi (1.7 sq km), and it is 110 ft (34 m) deep. Nearby were a temple and grove sacred to the goddess Diana. Two ships dating from the reign of Caligula were raised from the lake bottom in the 1920s but were burned by the retreating German army in 1944, toward the end of World War II.

Learn more about Nemi, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

or Lake Nubia

Lake, southern Egypt and northern Sudan. About 300 mi (480 km) long, it was formed in the 1960s by the construction of the Aswan High Dam in order to control the annual floods of the Nile River, whose waters now feed the lake. Its waters, when discharged downstream, have brought some 1,250 sq mi (3,240 sq km) of additional land under irrigation. Its formation flooded a number of archaeological sites, including those found at Abu Simbel. In The Sudan it is known as Lake Nubia.

Learn more about Nasser, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

French Lac Moero

Lake, central Africa. It is located on the boundary between southeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (Zaire) and Zambia, west of the southern tip of Lake Tanganyika. Part of the Congo River system, it is 76 mi (122 km) long and has a surface area of 1,900 sq mi (4,920 sq km). The Luapula River, a headstream of the Congo River, flows through it. The Bangweulu Swamps adjoin the lake.

Learn more about Mweru, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Third largest of the five Great Lakes and the only one lying wholly within the U.S. Bordered by the states of Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana, it connects with Lake Huron through the Straits of Mackinac in the north. It is 321 mi (517 km) long and up to 118 mi (190 km) wide, with a maximum depth of 923 ft (281 m); it occupies an area of 22,300 sq mi (57,757 sq km). The first European to discover it was the French explorer Jean Nicolet in 1634; the explorer La Salle brought the first sailing ship there in 1679. It now attracts international shipping as part of the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence Seaway. The name is derived from the Algonquian word michigami or misschiganin, meaning “big lake.”

Learn more about Michigan, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Reservoir of the Hoover Dam, on the Arizona-Nevada border in the U.S. One of the largest man-made lakes in the world, it was formed by the damming of the Colorado River. Lake Mead is 115 mi (185 km) long and 1–10 mi (1.6–16 km) wide; it has a capacity of over 31 million acre ft (38 billion cubic m), with a surface area of 229 sq mi (593 sq km). It was named after Elwood Mead, commissioner of reclamation. Lake Mead National Recreation Area (established 1936) has an area of 2,338 sq mi (6,055 sq km) and extends 240 mi (386 km) along the river.

Learn more about Mead, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Inlet of the Caribbean Sea, northwestern Venezuela. The largest natural lake in South America, it occupies an area of 5,130 sq mi (13,280 sq km), extending southward for 130 mi (210 km) from the Gulf of Venezuela and reaching a width of 75 mi (121 km). Many rivers flow into the lake, notably the Catatumbo River. It is in one of the world's richest oil-producing regions, which supplies about two-thirds of Venezuela's total petroleum output. Its oil fields are located along the eastern shore, extending 20 mi (32 km) into the lake.

Learn more about Maracaibo, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Lake, south-central Manitoba, Canada. Located northwest of Winnipeg, it drains into Lake Winnipeg. It is more than 125 mi (200 km) long and up to 28 mi (45 km) wide, with an area of 1,785 sq mi (4,624 sq km). It was discovered in 1738 by Pierre La Vérendrye, who named it Lac des Prairies. The name Manitoba is believed to come from the Algonquian word maniot-bau or maniot-wapau (“strait of the spirit”).

Learn more about Manitoba, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

ancient Lacus Verbanus

Lake, northern Italy and southern Switzerland, bordered on the north by the Swiss Alps. Occupying an area of 82 sq mi (212 sq km), it is Italy's second largest lake. It is 34 mi (54 km) long, with a maximum width of 7 mi (11 km) and a maximum depth of 1,220 ft (372 m). Traversed from north to south by the Ticino River, it is also fed by the Tresa River from Lake Lugano on the east. It is a popular resort area.

Learn more about Maggiore, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Lake, Great Rift Valley, southern Kenya, east of Lake Victoria. It occupies an area of about 40 sq mi (104 sq km). Its bed consists almost entirely of soda deposits, which dye the waters a vivid pink.

Learn more about Magadi, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

German Vierwaldstättersee (“Lake of the Four Forest Cantons”)

Lake, central Switzerland. It is 24 mi (39 km) long and 0.5 to 2 mi (0.8 to 3 km) wide, with an area of 44 sq mi (114 sq km). It has a maximum depth of 702 ft (214 m). The “Cross of Lucerne” is formed by its four main basins, which are joined by narrow channels. Named after the city of Lucerne at its western end, it is in a region of resorts and tourist attractions.

Learn more about Lucerne, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Lake, northwestern Russia. The largest lake in Europe, it covers an area of 6,700 sq mi (17,600 sq km). It is 136 mi (219 km) long and has an average width of 51 mi (82 km); its greatest depth is 754 ft (230 m). It contains 660 islands of more than 2.5 acres (1 hectare) in area. Its outlet is the Neva River, in the southwestern corner. Formerly divided between the U.S.S.R. and Finland, it now lies entirely within Russia. During the Siege of Leningrad (1941–44) in World War II, the lake was the lifeline that connected the city with the rest of the Soviet Union.

Learn more about Ladoga, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Lake, northwestern Minnesota, U.S. Occupying an area of 1.8 sq mi (4.7 sq km), it is located 1,475 ft (450 m) above sea level. Henry Rowe Schoolcraft's theory that Lake Itasca is the source of the Mississippi River has been widely accepted. He is generally credited with originating the name Itasca, but Indian legend mentions I-tesk-ka, the daughter of Hiawatha, whose tears of anguish at being spirited away to the netherworld were the source of the Mississippi.

Learn more about Itasca, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Lake, U.S. and Canada. The second-largest of the Great Lakes of North America, it is bounded by Michigan and Ontario, and is about 206 mi (330 km) long with an area of 23,000 sq mi (59,570 sq km). Inflow comes from Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, and numerous streams; the lake discharges at its southern end into Lake Erie. It contains many islands, including Mackinac, and Saginaw Bay indents the Michigan coast. As part of the St. Lawrence Seaway, it supports heavy commercial traffic from April to December. The first of the Great Lakes seen by Europeans, it was explored by the French (1615–79), who named it after the Huron Indians.

Learn more about Huron, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Lake, northeastern New York, U.S. It is 32 mi (51 km) long and 1–4 mi (1.6–6.4 km) wide and is connected to Lake Champlain through a series of waterfalls. In the foothills of the Adirondacks, it is noted for its scenic beauty and is a popular resort area. Memorialized in James Fenimore Cooper's novels as Lake Horicon, the real lake was the scene of numerous battles during the French and Indian War and the American Revolution. Fort Ticonderoga is located on the falls at the lake's outlet.

Learn more about George, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

French Lac Léman German Genfersee

Lake, on the border of southwestern Switzerland and southeastern France. About 134 sq mi (347 sq km) of the lake's area is Swiss and 90 sq mi (234 sq km) French. Lying at an elevation of 1,220 ft (372 m), it is 45 mi (72 km) long with an average width of 5 mi (8 km). It is formed by the Rhône River, which enters at the eastern end and leaves at the western end through the city of Geneva. The water level is subject to fluctuations known as seiches, in which the lake's water mass rhythmically swings from shore to shore.

Learn more about Geneva, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

ancient Lacus Benacus

Lake, northern Italy. Largest of the Italian lakes, it is 34 mi (54 km) long and 2 to 11 mi (3 to 18 km) wide, with a shoreline of 77.5 mi (125 km). It borders Lombardy, Veneto, and Trentino–Alto Adige. Separated from the Adige River valley by the narrow ridge of Mount Baldo, it is fed by the Sarca River at its northern end, while the Mincio flows out toward the Po River to the south. The lake is encircled by the Gardesana scenic route, opened in 1931. Well sheltered by the Alps to the north, Lake Garda has a temperate Mediterranean climate. It is a popular resort area.

Learn more about Garda, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Salt lake, northeastern South Australia. With a total area of 3,700 sq mi (9,600 sq km), Lake Eyre is the lowest point in Australia, 50 ft (15 m) below sea level. The lake consists of two sections: Lake Eyre North, 90 mi (144 km) long and 40 mi (65 km) wide, is joined by the narrow Goyder Channel to Lake Eyre South, which is 40 mi (65 km) long and about 15 mi (24 km) wide. Lake Eyre is normally dry, and it fills completely only (on average) twice a century. When filled, the lake takes about two years to dry up again. The region is within Lake Eyre National Park.

Learn more about Eyre, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Lake, in U.S. and Canada. The fourth largest of the five Great Lakes, it lies between lakes Huron and Ontario and forms the boundary between Canada (Ontario) and the U.S. (Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York). It is 240 mi (388 km) long and has a maximum width of 57 mi (92 km), with a surface area of 9,910 sq mi (22,666 sq km). The Detroit River carries inflow from Lake Huron to the west, and the lake discharges at its eastern end through the Niagara River. It is an important link in the St. Lawrence Seaway; its ports handle steel, iron ore, coal, and grain. The area was once inhabited by Erie Indians; when the French arrived in the 17th century they found the Iroquois living there. The British were in the region in the 18th century, and the U.S. shores were settled after 1796. It was the site of the Battle of Lake Erie, an important engagement of the War of 1812.

Learn more about Erie, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Lake, eastern Africa. One of the great lakes of the western Great Rift Valley, it lies on the border of Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda and is 48 mi (77 km) long and 26 mi (42 km) wide. On the northeast it is connected to the smaller Lake George. Lake Edward empties north through the Semliki River to Lake Albert. The lake abounds in fish; wildlife on its shores is protected within Virunga National Park and Queen Elizabeth National Park. It was named by Henry Morton Stanley, who visited the lake in 1888–89.

Learn more about Edward, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Mountainous region, administrative county of Cumbria, northwestern England. Roughly coextensive with Lake District National Park, the country's largest, it occupies an area of 866 sq mi (2,243 sq km). It contains numerous lakes, including Windermere (England's largest), Grasmere, and Coniston Water, as well as England's highest mountains, the loftiest being Scafell Pike, which rises to 3,210 ft (978 m). The district was home to several English poets, including William Wordsworth, Robert Southey, and Samuel Taylor Coleridge, who celebrated its landscape. It became a national park in 1951.

Learn more about Lake District with a free trial on Britannica.com.

German Bodensee ancient Lacus Brigantinus

Lake, bordering Switzerland, Germany, and Austria. Occupying an old glacier basin at an elevation of 1,299 ft (396 m), it has an area of 209 sq mi (541 sq km) and an average depth of 295 ft (90 m). It forms part of the course of the Rhine River, and by the Middle Ages it was a major traffic hub. Spectacular Alpine scenery makes the lakeshore a popular resort area. The remains of Neolithic lake dwellings are found in the area.

Learn more about Constance, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

ancient Lacus Larius

Lake, Lombardy, northern Italy. It lies at an elevation of 653 ft (199 m) in a depression surrounded by limestone and granite mountains. It is 29 mi (47 km) long and up to 2.5 mi (4 km) wide, with an area of 56 sq mi (146 sq km) and a maximum depth of 1,358 ft (414 m). Famous for its natural beauty, its shores have many resorts.

Learn more about Como, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

National park, southern Alaska, U.S. Located on the western shore of Cook Inlet, it was proclaimed a national monument in 1978 and a national park in 1980. Its total area is 3,653,000 acres (1,478,300 hectares). Lake Clark, more than 40 mi (65 km) long, is the largest of its glacial lakes; it feeds rivers that provide the most important spawning ground for red salmon in North America. The park includes glaciers, waterfalls, and active volcanoes.

Learn more about Lake Clark National Park and Preserve with a free trial on Britannica.com.

German Chiemsee

Lake, southern Germany. Located southeast of Munich, it lies 1,699 ft (518 m) above sea level, and drains through the Alz River into the Inn River. At 9 mi (15 km) long and 5 mi (8 km) wide, it is Bavaria's largest lake. One of its three islands has a Benedictine monastery and a royal castle modeled on the palace at Versailles.

Learn more about Chiem, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Lake between Vermont and New York, U.S. Located on the states' northern boundaries and extending into Canada about 6 mi (10 km), it is about 125 mi (200 km) long and has an area of 430 sq mi (1,115 sq km). It was visited in 1609 by Samuel de Champlain. In 1776 it was the scene of the first British-American naval battle and in 1814 of a U.S. naval victory over the British. A link in the waterway between New York City's harbour and the lower St. Lawrence River, it is used extensively for commercial and pleasure-boat navigation.

Learn more about Champlain, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Lake, west-central Africa. Located at the juncture of the boundaries of Nigeria, Niger, Chad, and Cameroon, the lake covered 9,900 sq mi (25,600 sq km) in the mid-20th century. Its water level has since dropped—owing to severe drought, the desertification of the surrounding Sahel region, and irrigation projects—and, by the beginning of the 21st century, the lake had shrunk to 580 sq mi (1,500 sq km). The lake is fed by the Chari River.

Learn more about Chad, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Lake, northern Zambia. Located southeast of Lake Mweru and southwest of Lake Tanganyika at an elevation of 3,740 ft (1,140 m), it is about 45 mi (72 km) long and, with its adjacent swamps, covers an area of 3,800 sq mi (9,840 sq km). Its outlet is the Luapula, a headstream of the Congo. It has three inhabited islands. David Livingstone, the first European to visit the lake, died there in 1873.

Learn more about Bangweulu, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Lake, western central Canada. It extends 208 mi (335 km), crossing the Alberta-Saskatchewan boundary. On the southwest it receives the Athabasca River, and on the northwest it discharges into the Slave River. It is important for its commercial fishing.

Learn more about Athabasca, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Lake, east-central Africa. Lying at an altitude of 2,021 ft (616 m), it is 100 mi (160 km) long and has an average width of about 20 mi (32 km). In the southwest, the Semliki River brings into the lake the waters of Lake Edward; at its northeastern corner, just below Murchison Falls, it receives the Victoria Nile from Lake Victoria. In 1864 the lake's first European visitor, Samuel Baker, named it after Queen Victoria's consort. Initially part of Uganda, it now forms part of the Uganda-Congo border.

Learn more about Albert, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Lake, northwestern Russia. The largest lake in Europe, it covers an area of 6,700 sq mi (17,600 sq km). It is 136 mi (219 km) long and has an average width of 51 mi (82 km); its greatest depth is 754 ft (230 m). It contains 660 islands of more than 2.5 acres (1 hectare) in area. Its outlet is the Neva River, in the southwestern corner. Formerly divided between the U.S.S.R. and Finland, it now lies entirely within Russia. During the Siege of Leningrad (1941–44) in World War II, the lake was the lifeline that connected the city with the rest of the Soviet Union.

Learn more about Ladoga, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Lake, northwestern Minnesota, U.S. Occupying an area of 1.8 sq mi (4.7 sq km), it is located 1,475 ft (450 m) above sea level. Henry Rowe Schoolcraft's theory that Lake Itasca is the source of the Mississippi River has been widely accepted. He is generally credited with originating the name Itasca, but Indian legend mentions I-tesk-ka, the daughter of Hiawatha, whose tears of anguish at being spirited away to the netherworld were the source of the Mississippi.

Learn more about Itasca, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Lake, U.S. and Canada. The second-largest of the Great Lakes of North America, it is bounded by Michigan and Ontario, and is about 206 mi (330 km) long with an area of 23,000 sq mi (59,570 sq km). Inflow comes from Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, and numerous streams; the lake discharges at its southern end into Lake Erie. It contains many islands, including Mackinac, and Saginaw Bay indents the Michigan coast. As part of the St. Lawrence Seaway, it supports heavy commercial traffic from April to December. The first of the Great Lakes seen by Europeans, it was explored by the French (1615–79), who named it after the Huron Indians.

Learn more about Huron, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

or Handsome Lake

(born circa 1735, Ganawaugus, N.Y.—died Aug. 10, 1815, Onondaga, N.Y., U.S.) Seneca Indian chief. He led a somewhat dissolute life before becoming seriously ill in 1799; on recovering, he reported a vision revealing the will of the Great Spirit. He developed a religion he called Gai'wiio (Good Message) that combined elements of Christianity and Indian beliefs; as an itinerant preacher, he urged his people to refrain from adultery, drunkenness, laziness, and witchcraft. The religion revitalized the demoralized Iroquois, and it was adhered to by many into the 20th century.

Learn more about Ganioda'yo with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Lake, south-central Northwest Territories, Canada. Named for the Slave Indians, it is fed by several rivers, including the Slave, and drained by the Mackenzie River into the Arctic Ocean. The lake, with an area of 11,031 sq mi (28,570 sq km), is the fifth largest in North America. It is 300 mi (500 km) long and 30–140 mi (50–225 km) wide, with a maximum depth of more than 2,000 ft (600 m). While supporting a fishing industry, the lake is an integral part of the Mackenzie River waterway.

Learn more about Great Slave Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Lake, northern Utah, U.S. It is the largest inland body of salt water in the Western Hemisphere and one of the most saline in the world. It fluctuates greatly in size, depending on rates of evaporation and the flow of the rivers into it. Its surface area has varied from about 2,400 sq mi (6,200 sq km) at its highest levels in 1873 and the mid 1980s to about 950 sq mi (2,460 sq km) at its low level in 1963. At times of median water level, it is generally less than 15 ft (4.5 m) deep. Surrounded by stretches of sand, salt land, and marsh, the lake remains isolated, though in recent years it has become important as a source of minerals, as a beach and water-sports attraction, and as a wildlife preserve.

Learn more about Great Salt Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Lake, Northwest Territories, Canada. Lying astride the Arctic Circle, it was visited before 1800 by North West Company traders and later named for the bears that inhabited its shores. Containing many small islands, Great Bear Lake is roughly 200 mi (320 km) long and 25–110 mi (40–175 km) wide and has a maximum depth of 1,356 ft (413 m). It is the largest lake entirely within Canada and the fourth largest in North America. The lake's waters abound with fish, including the speckled trout.

Learn more about Great Bear Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

French Lac Léman German Genfersee

Lake, on the border of southwestern Switzerland and southeastern France. About 134 sq mi (347 sq km) of the lake's area is Swiss and 90 sq mi (234 sq km) French. Lying at an elevation of 1,220 ft (372 m), it is 45 mi (72 km) long with an average width of 5 mi (8 km). It is formed by the Rhône River, which enters at the eastern end and leaves at the western end through the city of Geneva. The water level is subject to fluctuations known as seiches, in which the lake's water mass rhythmically swings from shore to shore.

Learn more about Geneva, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

ancient Lacus Benacus

Lake, northern Italy. Largest of the Italian lakes, it is 34 mi (54 km) long and 2 to 11 mi (3 to 18 km) wide, with a shoreline of 77.5 mi (125 km). It borders Lombardy, Veneto, and Trentino–Alto Adige. Separated from the Adige River valley by the narrow ridge of Mount Baldo, it is fed by the Sarca River at its northern end, while the Mincio flows out toward the Po River to the south. The lake is encircled by the Gardesana scenic route, opened in 1931. Well sheltered by the Alps to the north, Lake Garda has a temperate Mediterranean climate. It is a popular resort area.

Learn more about Garda, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Salt lake, northeastern South Australia. With a total area of 3,700 sq mi (9,600 sq km), Lake Eyre is the lowest point in Australia, 50 ft (15 m) below sea level. The lake consists of two sections: Lake Eyre North, 90 mi (144 km) long and 40 mi (65 km) wide, is joined by the narrow Goyder Channel to Lake Eyre South, which is 40 mi (65 km) long and about 15 mi (24 km) wide. Lake Eyre is normally dry, and it fills completely only (on average) twice a century. When filled, the lake takes about two years to dry up again. The region is within Lake Eyre National Park.

Learn more about Eyre, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Lake, in U.S. and Canada. The fourth largest of the five Great Lakes, it lies between lakes Huron and Ontario and forms the boundary between Canada (Ontario) and the U.S. (Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York). It is 240 mi (388 km) long and has a maximum width of 57 mi (92 km), with a surface area of 9,910 sq mi (22,666 sq km). The Detroit River carries inflow from Lake Huron to the west, and the lake discharges at its eastern end through the Niagara River. It is an important link in the St. Lawrence Seaway; its ports handle steel, iron ore, coal, and grain. The area was once inhabited by Erie Indians; when the French arrived in the 17th century they found the Iroquois living there. The British were in the region in the 18th century, and the U.S. shores were settled after 1796. It was the site of the Battle of Lake Erie, an important engagement of the War of 1812.

Learn more about Erie, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Lake, eastern Africa. One of the great lakes of the western Great Rift Valley, it lies on the border of Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda and is 48 mi (77 km) long and 26 mi (42 km) wide. On the northeast it is connected to the smaller Lake George. Lake Edward empties north through the Semliki River to Lake Albert. The lake abounds in fish; wildlife on its shores is protected within Virunga National Park and Queen Elizabeth National Park. It was named by Henry Morton Stanley, who visited the lake in 1888–89.

Learn more about Edward, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

German Bodensee ancient Lacus Brigantinus

Lake, bordering Switzerland, Germany, and Austria. Occupying an old glacier basin at an elevation of 1,299 ft (396 m), it has an area of 209 sq mi (541 sq km) and an average depth of 295 ft (90 m). It forms part of the course of the Rhine River, and by the Middle Ages it was a major traffic hub. Spectacular Alpine scenery makes the lakeshore a popular resort area. The remains of Neolithic lake dwellings are found in the area.

Learn more about Constance, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

ancient Lacus Larius

Lake, Lombardy, northern Italy. It lies at an elevation of 653 ft (199 m) in a depression surrounded by limestone and granite mountains. It is 29 mi (47 km) long and up to 2.5 mi (4 km) wide, with an area of 56 sq mi (146 sq km) and a maximum depth of 1,358 ft (414 m). Famous for its natural beauty, its shores have many resorts.

Learn more about Como, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

German Chiemsee

Lake, southern Germany. Located southeast of Munich, it lies 1,699 ft (518 m) above sea level, and drains through the Alz River into the Inn River. At 9 mi (15 km) long and 5 mi (8 km) wide, it is Bavaria's largest lake. One of its three islands has a Benedictine monastery and a royal castle modeled on the palace at Versailles.

Learn more about Chiem, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Lake between Vermont and New York, U.S. Located on the states' northern boundaries and extending into Canada about 6 mi (10 km), it is about 125 mi (200 km) long and has an area of 430 sq mi (1,115 sq km). It was visited in 1609 by Samuel de Champlain. In 1776 it was the scene of the first British-American naval battle and in 1814 of a U.S. naval victory over the British. A link in the waterway between New York City's harbour and the lower St. Lawrence River, it is used extensively for commercial and pleasure-boat navigation.

Learn more about Champlain, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Lake, west-central Africa. Located at the juncture of the boundaries of Nigeria, Niger, Chad, and Cameroon, the lake covered 9,900 sq mi (25,600 sq km) in the mid-20th century. Its water level has since dropped—owing to severe drought, the desertification of the surrounding Sahel region, and irrigation projects—and, by the beginning of the 21st century, the lake had shrunk to 580 sq mi (1,500 sq km). The lake is fed by the Chari River.

Learn more about Chad, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Salt lake, Nova Scotia, Canada. Located on Cape Breton Island, it is about 50 mi (80 km) long and has an area of 360 sq mi (932 sq km). Its extension, Little Bras d'Or, connects it to the Atlantic Ocean on the north, while a man-made canal connects it to the Atlantic on the south. The lake is a popular summer resort area.

Learn more about Bras d'Or Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Lake, northern Zambia. Located southeast of Lake Mweru and southwest of Lake Tanganyika at an elevation of 3,740 ft (1,140 m), it is about 45 mi (72 km) long and, with its adjacent swamps, covers an area of 3,800 sq mi (9,840 sq km). Its outlet is the Luapula, a headstream of the Congo. It has three inhabited islands. David Livingstone, the first European to visit the lake, died there in 1873.

Learn more about Bangweulu, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Lake, western central Canada. It extends 208 mi (335 km), crossing the Alberta-Saskatchewan boundary. On the southwest it receives the Athabasca River, and on the northwest it discharges into the Slave River. It is important for its commercial fishing.

Learn more about Athabasca, Lake with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Lake-effect snow is produced in the winter when cold, Arctic winds move across long expanses of warmer lake water, providing energy and picking up water vapor which freezes and is deposited on the lee shores. The same effect over bodies of salt water is called ocean effect snow, sea effect snow, or even bay effect snow. The effect is enhanced when the moving air mass is uplifted by the orographic effect of higher elevations on the downwind shores. This uplifting can produce narrow, but very intense bands of precipitation, which deposit at a rate of many inches of snow each hour and often bringing copious snowfall totals. The areas affected by lake-effect snow are called snowbelts. This effect occurs in many locations throughout the world, but is best known in the populated areas of the Great Lakes of North America.

If the air temperature is not low enough to keep the precipitation frozen, it falls as lake-effect rain. In order for lake-effect rain or snow to form, the air moving across the lake must be significantly cooler than the surface air (which is likely to be near the temperature of the water surface). Specifically, the air temperature at the altitude where the air pressure is 850 millibars (roughly 1.5 vertical kilometers) should be 13°C lower than the temperature of the air at the surface. Lake-effect occurring when the air at 850 millibars is much colder than the water surface can produce thundersnow, snow showers accompanied by lightning and thunder (due to the larger amount of energy available from the increased instability).

Formation

There are several key ingredients that are required to form lake effect precipitation, and which determine its characteristics: instability, fetch, wind shear, upstream moisture, upwind lakes, synoptic (large)-scale forcing, orography/topography, and snow or ice cover.

Instability

A temperature difference of 13°C between the lake temperature and 850 millibar level, or above sea level, provides for absolute instability and allows vigorous heat and moisture transportation vertically. Atmospheric lapse rate and convective depth are directly affected by both the mesoscale lake environment and the synoptic environment; a deeper convective depth with increasingly steep lapse rates and a suitable moisture level will allow for thicker, taller lake effect precipitation clouds and naturally a much greater precipitation rate.

Fetch

The distance that an airmass travels over a body of water is called its fetch. Because most lakes are irregular in shape, different angular degrees of travel will yield different distances; typically a fetch of at least 100 km is required to produce lake effect precipitation. Generally, the larger the fetch the more precipitation that will be produced. Larger fetches provide the boundary layer with more time to become saturated with water vapor, and for heat energy to move from the water to the air.

Wind shear

Directional shear is one of the most important factors governing the development of squalls, environments with weak directional shear typically produce more intense squalls than those with higher shear levels. If directional shear between the surface and 700mb level is greater than 60 degrees, nothing more than flurries can be expected at the most. If the directional shear between the surface and 700mb level is between 30 and 60 degrees weak lake effects bands are possible. In environments where the shear is less than 30 degrees strong, well organized bands can be expected.

Speed shear unlike directional shear is less critical but it should be relatively uniform. The wind speed difference between the surface and 700mb level should be no greater than so as to prevent the upper portions of the band from shearing off. However assuming the surface to 700mb winds are uniform, a faster overall velocity will work to transport moisture quicker from the water and the band will travel much further inland.

Upstream moisture

A lower upstream relative humidity will make it more difficult and time consuming for lake effect condensation, cloud and precipitation to form. The opposite is true if the upstream moisture has a high relative humidity allowing lake effect condensation, cloud and precipitation to form more quickly and in a greater quantity.

Upwind lakes

Any large body of water upwind will impact lake effect precipitation to the lee of a downwind lake by adding moisture or pre-existing lake effect bands which can re-intensify over the downwind lake. It should be noted though that upwind lakes do not always lead to an increase of precipitation downwind.

Synoptic forcing

Vorticity advection aloft and large upscale ascent help increase mixing and the convective depth, while cold air advection lowers the temperature and increases instability.

Orography and topography

Typically lake effect precipitation will increase with elevation to the lee of the lake as topographic forcing squeezes out precipitation and dries out the squall much faster.

Snow and ice cover

As a lake gradually freezes over its ability to produce lake effect precipitation decreases for two reasons. Firstly, the open ice free liquid surface area of the lake shrinks reducing fetch distances while secondly, the water temperature nears freezing reducing the overall latent heat energy available to produce squalls. In order to end the production of lake effect precipitation, a complete freeze is often not necessary.

Even when precipitation is not produced, cold air passing over warmer water may produce cloud cover. Fast moving mid latitude cyclones, known as Alberta clippers often cross the Great Lakes. After the passage of a cold front, winds tend to switch to northwest, and a frequent pattern is for a long lasting low to form over the Canadian Maritimes which may pull cold northwestern air across the Great Lakes for a week or more. Since the prevailing winter winds tend to be colder than the water for much of the winter, the southeastern shores of the lakes are almost constantly overcast, leading to the use of the term The Great Gray Funk as a synonym for winter. These areas allegedly contain populations that suffer from high rates of seasonal affective disorder, a type of psychological depression thought to be caused by lack of light.

Phenomenon in the Great Lakes region, Southeast Canada and the U.S. Northeast

Cold winds in the winter typically prevail from the northwest in the Great Lakes region, producing the most dramatic lake-effect snow falls on the east to south shores of the Great Lakes. This lake-effect produces a significant difference between the snow fall on the eastern and western shores of the Great Lakes.

Lake-effect snows on the Tug Hill Plateau (east of Lake Ontario) can frequently set the daily records for snowfall in the United States. Syracuse, New York is directly south of the Tug Hill Plateau and receives significant lake-effect snow from Lake Ontario, averaging of snow a year, which is enough snowfall to often be considered one of the "snowiest" large cities in America. The communities of Redfield in Oswego County and Montague and North Osceola in Lewis County, all on the Tug Hill Plateau, average over of snow a winter. In February, 2007, a prolonged lake-effect snow event left of snow on the Tug Hill Plateau.

Small amounts of lake-effect snow from the Finger Lakes occurs in upstate New York as well, until those lakes freeze over. The Appalachian Mountains and Atlantic Ocean largely shield New York City and Philadelphia from picking up any lake-effect snow; snow there tends to come from storm systems mixing with cold weather.

Lake Erie produces a similar effect for a zone stretching from the eastern suburbs of Cleveland to Erie to Buffalo. Remnants of lake-effect snows from Lake Erie have been observed to reach as far as Garrett County in western Maryland. The Canadian lake effect belt spans from Port Stanley in the west, Brantford in the north, Niagara-on-the-Lake to the northeast and Fort Erie to the south, with the cities of Nanticoke, Dunnville, Port Colborne and Fort Erie seeing the greatest accumulations. Lake Erie has the distinction of being the only great lake capable of completely freezing over during the winter due to its relative shallowness. Once frozen, the resulting ice cover alleviates lake-effect snow downwind of the lake.

The biggest snowbelt in the United States would be the snowbelt in the Upper Peninsula (UP) of Michigan, near the cities of Houghton, Marquette, and Munising. These areas average over of snow a season. For comparison, on the western shore, Duluth, Minnesota receives per season. Lake Superior and Lake Huron rarely freeze due to their size and depth; lake-effect snow can fall continually in the Upper Peninsula and the Ontario, Canada snowbelts during the winter months. There are 4 distinct Lake Huron snow belts that exist in Ontario, the first spans from Sarnia to Grand Bend, with cities as far south as London sometimes receiving significant accumulations. The second spans from Grand Bend to Owen Sound and north to Tobermory with significant snows often affecting regions as far south as Arthur, Orangeville and Caledon. Under extremely unstable conditions significant snows may reach Kitchener, Guelph and western portions of Halton and Peel Regions. The third distinct belt spans from Owen Sound in the West to Cannington in the East, and Gravenhurst to the North, with significant snows often affecting the cities of Barrie and Orillia and to a lesser degree northern portions of York Region, such as Newmarket, Aurora and King City. The fourth belt spans from Noelville which is 50 km south of Sudbury to Gravenhurst, and as far East as Ont. Route 62, with strong streamers often reaching into Algonquin Park. Lake Superior has its own series of Canadian snow belts, the first spanning from Wawa to Sault Ste. Marie with streamers travelling as far east as Hwy. 129. The second belt spans from Marathon to Wawa with Pukaskwa National Park receiving the majority of the precipitation. Sault Ste. Marie.

Western Michigan, western Northern Lower Michigan, and Northern Indiana can get heavy lake-effect snows as winds pass over Lake Michigan and deposit snows over Traverse City, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, and South Bend, but these snows abate significantly before Lansing or Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Cities such as Toronto, Hamilton, Detroit, Milwaukee, and Chicago frequently miss out on lake-effect events because they are not on the leeward shore of a lake during the predominant northwest wind seen during many lake effect events. However Toronto and Hamilton are close enough to Georgian Bay and Lake Huron that they receive small amounts of lake-effect snow each winter with a typical westerly or north-westerly wind. Nevertheless, both cities have received significant accumulations resulting from rare easterly and south-easterly winds, usually associated with northern potions of winter cyclones and sometimes southern portions of anti-cyclones that can generate snow squalls from Lake Ontario. Even so, a less frequent easterly or northeasterly wind can deposit heavy snows on Chicago or Milwaukee much as a northwest/westerly wind does for the opposite side of Lake Michigan.

Phenomenon elsewhere in the United States

The southern and southeastern sides of the Great Salt Lake receive significant lake-effect snow. Since the Great Salt Lake never freezes, the lake-effect can affect the weather along the Wasatch Front year around. The lake-effect largely contributes to the 55-80 inch (140-200 cm) annual snowfall amounts recorded south and east of the lake, and in average snowfall reaching 500 inches (1,270 cm) in the Wasatch Range. The snow, which is often very light and dry due to the desert climate, is referred to as "The Greatest Snow on Earth" in the mountains. Lake-effect snow contributes to approximately 6-8 snowfalls per year in Salt Lake City, with approximately 10% of the city's precipitation being contributed by the phenomenon.

The Finger Lakes of New York also are long enough for lake-effect precipitation. The twin cities of Sherman, Texas and Denison, Texas are also known to have experienced lake-effect snow from Lake Texoma in rare instances.

The West Coast occasionally experiences ocean-effect showers, usually in the form of rain at lower elevations south of about the mouth of the Columbia River. These occur whenever an Arctic air mass from western Canada is drawn westward out over the Pacific Ocean, typically by way of the Fraser Valley, returning shoreward around a center of low pressure.

Phenomenon elsewhere in Canada

Lake Winnipeg and Lake Winnipegosis in Manitoba traditionally see lake effect snow as early as late October and it is common throughout early to mid November. Towards the end of November the lakes sufficiently cool and begin to freeze ending the lake effect snow. A brief period of lake effect snow is also common near Great Bear Lake and Great Slave Lake in the Northwest Territories during early winter (usually early to mid October), however the lake effect season for both lakes is very short. Due to their northern location the lakes are frozen roughly 8 months of the year and as a result have very little time to warm during the summer months.

Other small lakes such as Lake Athabasca in Northern Saskatchewan and Lake Nipigon in Northwestern Ontario also produce early season lake effect snows. The Smallwood Reservoir, a man made lake located in Labrador has on occasion also generated lake effect snow.

Similar phenomena

Similar snowfall can occur near large inland bays, where it is known as bay effect snow. Bay-effect snows fall downwind of Delaware Bay, Chesapeake Bay, and Massachusetts Bay when the basic criteria are met. Ocean effect snows are possible downwind of the Gulf Stream and the Sea of Japan. Canadian Maritimes, in particular Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island provinces, are often affected by such snowsqualls when an Arctic winter airmass moves over unfrozen waters. This effect is especially intense with very warm waters of the Gulf Stream or the Sea of Japan. This also happens usually a couple of times per winter in the area near Cape Cod and on rarer occasions along Long Island. An extreme occurrence of "ocean effect" snow occurred on January 24, 2003, when wind off the Atlantic, combined with air temperatures in the 20 °F (-6.6 °C), brought snow flurries to the Atlantic coast of Florida as far south as Cape Canaveral.

International phenomena

A phenomenon similar to lake-effect snow may also occur in other countries, near large lakes or large sea areas. One such example is the Aegean Sea in Greece, where cold northeast winds known as the boreas combined with the sea moisture can produce very heavy snowfalls over Athens (particularly across the mountainous northern suburbs of the city), the island of Euboea and easternmost Peloponese. These intense systems can have a duration of 2 to 5 days and result to a snowcover of 40 inches (101.6 cm) or more. One such system, that occurred between January 4 and January 7, 2002, wreaked havoc across that entire area, essentially shutting down Athens.

Similar effects also occur in the regions of the Black Sea in Georgia and Turkey or the Adriatic Sea and Italy. The snowfall in the eastern regions of the Black Sea is amplified by the orographic effect of the nearby Caucasus Mountains, often resulting in snowfall of several meters, especially at higher elevations. In Northern Europe, cold, dry airmasses from Sweden can blow over the Baltic Sea and cause heavy snow squalls on areas of the southern and eastern coasts.

In the United Kingdom, easterly winds bringing cold Continental air across the North Sea can lead to a similar phenomenon. Locally it is also known as "lake-effect snow" despite the snow coming in from the sea rather than a lake. Similarly during a north-westerly wind, snow showers can form coming in from the Liverpool Bay, coming down the Cheshire gap, causing snowfall in the West Midlands. This formation resulted in the white Christmas of 2004, in the area.

Due to the North Sea being relatively warm (around 13C at the beginning of winter, typically 10C to 6C by the end), sufficiently cold air aloft can create significant snowfalls in a relatively short period of time. The best-known example occurred in January 1987, when record-breakingly cold air (associated with an upper low) moved across the North Sea towards the UK. The end result was over a foot of snow for coastal areas, leading to communities being cut off for over a week. In recent years lake-effect snow has been much lighter, due to a lack of very cold Continental easterlies.

Notable lake-effect episodes

• Lake Storm "Aphid": October 12 – 13, 2006 - A crippling lake effect storm which struck Buffalo New York and surrounding areas with nearly 60 cm of heavy wet snow, damaging many trees (most of which were still in full leaf) and knocking out power.
• Lake Effect Storm Bald Eagle: December 24, 2001 – January 1, 2002 - A major several day event in which Buffalo NY sees over . This event is even featured in local postcards.

References

See also

• Great Salt Lake effect

Warnings about lake-effect snow:

United States:

• Lake Effect Snow Advisory
• Lake Effect Snow Warning
• Severe weather terminology (United States)

Canada:

• Snowsquall warning
• Severe weather terminology (Canada)

External links

• National Weather Service Official Lake Effect Page - Based in Buffalo, NY
• Lake effect forecasting
• The Golden Snowball Award website
• Canadian Snowsquall storm chaser
• Digital Snow Museum
• A BBC forecast of lake effect snow in the UK in 1991