What Are the Major Bodies of Water in Indiana?
The state of Indiana is home to a number of significant bodies of water. The largest and most important rivers are the Wabash and Ohio. Additionally, a sizable portion of Indiana’s northern border consists of beachline along Lake Michigan, one of the five Great Lakes.
Indiana abuts Lake Michigan in the northwest, a region that supplies Indiana with some of its most cherished natural habitat and tourist retreats. According to the state’s official website, Dunes National Park alone boasts 25 miles of prime beach beginning from the city of Gary; the park enjoys several million visitors every year. The southern border of Indiana is formed by the Ohio River, a river it shares with five other states, namely Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. The Wabash, another major river of Indiana, forms part of its southwest border before cutting inward through the central counties.
The Wabash river stretches 475 miles from its confluence with the Ohio river in the south, ultimately draining 92 counties in Indiana and Illinois as it goes. The inland lakes of Indiana, Patoka Lake and Lake Monroe, are the largest, and both are located in the south-central portion of the state. Natural springs include Cartersburg and West Baden.