Some of the most popular lakes in the USA for kayaking, fishing, and outdoor activities are Lake Erie, Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Green Bay Lake, Perry’s Lake, Lake Okeechobee, Lake Winnipesaukee, Lake Powell – Utah, Great Bear River – Alaska, etc.
Key Takeaways
- Lake Tahoe is a large freshwater lake with maximum depths ranging from 200 to 525 meters (660 to 1,740 feet)
- Lake Superior has a total surface area of 32,000 square miles (84800 square kilometers) and It has an average depth of 245 feet (75 meters)
- Lake Michigan is a freshwater lake that covers an area of 4300 sq mi (11800 km2) with a maximum depth of 350 feet (110 m)
- The Chesapeake Bay is one of the largest estuaries in the world and it is home to over 100 different species of fish, waterfowl, crabs, oysters, and other shellfish
List of 15 Popular Lakes Near You In The USA For Kayaking, Fishing, Etc.
The following 15 lakes are widely popular in America and those you can visit and kayak or fish today.
8 ) Shenandoah River – Virginia & West Virginia
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The Detailed Overview Of The Lakes Near You In The USA
Lakes are unique in the ways that they are formed. Some lakes are formed by glaciers which leave an enormous block of ice at the top of a mountain. Other lakes form as a result of volcanic eruptions or earthquakes, and yet others form after the sediment is deposited. Lakes can be found all over America but so can activities to do on them. Let’s dive in-
1. Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe is a large freshwater lake that sits in the Sierra Nevada mountains of the Western United States. Lake Tahoe’s water levels are high year-round, due to its high elevation and proximity to other major snow-capped peaks like Mount Shasta and Kings Peak.
The lake is long and narrow, with maximum depths ranging from 200 to 525 meters (660 to 1,740 feet). With an average depth of around 300 meters (1,000 feet), Landsat 7 can see the ocean from space.
This is a famous tourist destination and the area gets a lot of visitors during summer. You can spend time on the water by boating, fishing, and swimming. Lake Tahoe is one of the deepest lakes in America. It is also one of the most popular places for boating, swimming, and fishing.
2. Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain is located in the U.S. state of Vermont and is a part of the Missisquoi River Basin. It is fed by groundwater, streams, and precipitation. The river empties into Lake Champlain near Burlington, Vermont.
Lake Champlain has been a part of the global water cycle since pre-historic times; it has been the site of both natural and human-made changes that have significantly impacted its dimensions, water quality, and ecosystem.
The Lake Champlain is made up of four major tributaries – Trout Brook, West Branch Trout Brook, East Branch Trout Brook, and Otter Creek – that converge at the community of Peacham to form one major stream flowing northwest into Lake Champlain as it heads toward the Atlantic Ocean.
This lake is one of the most popular destinations for kayaking in the US. There are many places where you can fish this beautiful expanse of clean water as well as enjoy picnics at scenic islands.
3. Lake Winnipesaukee
Lake Winnipesaukee is the largest lake in New Hampshire and is the largest cleanest, coldest and clearest lake in the northeast.
Lake Winnipesaukee is a popular tourist destination and a source of freshwater for approximately 1.2 million people in New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Maine. The river also caters to boaters with recreational opportunities on both ends of Lake Winnipesaukee.
The river starts at Mount Kearsarge in Franconia Notch State Park near North Conway and Lake Sunapee before continuing west on its way to the Atlantic Ocean. The upper part of the river has scenic views while the lower section has rapids that make it an ideal location for white water rafting.
This is a place to find peace and relaxation without any partying or crowds of people to get in your way when you want to relax quietly near the water. You can enjoy swimming, fishing, camping, boating, etc., all while enjoying the great outdoors.
4. Lake Okeechobee
Lake Okeechobee is an interesting part of Florida’s natural landscape. It was formed by a large, ancient lake that dried up thousands of years ago. The area is now home to about 258 species of fish.
Lake Okeechobee is located in the southern United States and has been linked with the Atlantic Ocean via the St. Lucie Canal which connects it to Florida’s coastline. It can also be accessed via water from the Gulf of Mexico or from Lake Istokpoga in Louisiana, which has been associated with Lake Okeechobee since 2010 during a project overseen by the U.S Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S Geological Survey.
The lake along with its surrounding wetlands are protected under federal law as a national water resource, providing recreational opportunities for many Americans.
5. Perry’s Lake
Perry’s Lake is a popular summer fishing spot and is located in the center of the state of Oregon. It was formed by the damming of the Metolius River in 1911 and has been a popular tourist destination ever since.
Lake Metolius is an alpine lake that offers great recreation opportunities for both locals and visitors. The lake is also the location of Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World, which provides families with an option to get out on their own or take family members along on a guided fishing excursion.
Perry’s Lake is a saltwater estuary located at a southeastern point in the Mississippi River Delta near New Orleans. This 13-mile-long lake provides great freshwater habitat for fish, birds, reptiles, turtles, alligators, and more.
6. Lake Erie
Lake Erie is one of the five Great Lakes and the largest freshwater lake on Earth. It is the largest of the North American Great Lakes, and the ninth-largest lake by volume in the world.
The lake was formed by a retreating glacier, which created many bays as it moved away from north to south. As it melted, water from nearby rivers was carried to Lake Erie. It also has many tributaries that feed into it including the Niagara River which flows into its southern end.
Lake Erie shares its name with an ocean inlet off its western shore – The Gulf of Mexico.
7. Lake Superior
Lake Superior is the largest of the five Great Lakes in North America and the world’s third-largest freshwater lake. It is surrounded by over a thousand smaller lakes and is bordered by Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ontario, and Quebec.
Lake Superior has a total surface area of 32,000 square miles (84800 square kilometers) and it stretches for about 640 miles (1 072 kilometers) from east to west across the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. It has an average depth of 245 feet (75 meters).
It has numerous islands throughout its body, including Isle Royale National Park in Lake Superior’s northwestern corner. The climate is cool with significant variations between summer and winter temperatures. Its location is north of 60 degrees north latitude on the border between much cooler temperate forests and arid deserts.
8. Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is the fourth-largest of the five Great Lakes in North America and is in the northeastern part of the country. The lake is shared by the U.S. and Canada and borders Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Ontario.
Lake Michigan is a freshwater lake that covers an area of 4300 sq mi (11800 km2). It has a total surface area of 3,862 square miles (10 697 km2) with a maximum depth of 350 feet (110 m). Lake Michigan holds about 20% of North America’s fresh surface water.
Lake Michigan’s main tributaries are the Fox River to its east and the St Joe River to its west and south. Lake Michigan also receives water from streams that feed into it from the south.
9. Green Bay Lake
Green Bay Lake is a lake in Green Bay, Wisconsin. It is also part of the Fox River Chain of Lakes. The lake and parks are significant because they are close to the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay
The name “Green Bay” may be derived from the Green Bay River or from a French voyageur, who named it for the large number of trees and green vegetation along its banks.
The site was originally called Lac des Pants (Creek of Filth) by Native Americans because its waters were polluted with sewage and animal carcasses, but this was changed to Green Bay by French mapmakers in 1731.
Green Bay is surrounded by a mixture of prairie grasslands, oak savanna, and mixed forest.
10. Lake Huron
Lake Huron is the third-largest freshwater lake in the world and the 5th largest saltwater lake in the world. It is also one of North America’s most productive fisheries, with a catch worth $2.4 billion per year.
Lake Huron covers an area of about 19,300 square kilometers and its maximum depth is around 687 meters. Its mean depth is 39 meters and it has a volume of about 3 quadrillion metric tons of water.
11. Great Sacandaga
The Sacandaga River is a river in the state of New York. It is situated in the Adirondack Mountains and it is also known as the “Adirondack River” or “Great Sacandaga.”
The Sacandaga River has been designated an American Heritage River by Congress.
12. The Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is one of the most important estuaries in North America and one of the largest in the world. The bay is found in the US state of Maryland and stretches along its coastline.
The Chesapeake Bay has been through a lot, but recently there have been significant efforts to make it better. There is a large push to save this ecosystem that has provided food for people for thousands of years.
In recent decades, the bay has experienced widespread habitat loss due to human activity, including sand mining, dredging, filling wetlands with sediment, and causing pollution such as nitrogen and phosphorus levels that are too high.
The Chesapeake Bay is home to over 100 different species of fish (both saltwater and freshwater), waterfowl, crabs, oysters, and other shellfish.
13. Shenendoah River – Virginia & West Virginia
Shenandoah River is a tributary of the Potomac River, which flows southeast into the Chesapeake Bay. The river is primarily located in Virginia and West Virginia, along the eastern border of the United States.
The Shenandoah River is over 500 miles long and was named after an indigenous American Indian group that lived near or on its banks.
The Shenandoah Valley was settled by English colonists in the 1730s under the leadership of George Washington, who had been given a large land grant by King George II. The land had been previously inhabited chiefly by Native Americans who were driven from it during their wars with European settlers.
14. Great Bear River – Alaska
The Great Bear River is the largest tributary of the Amazon River in Canada. It is located in north-eastern British Columbia, and it was also named a National Historic Site by Canada in 2008.
A tributary is a stream or river that flows into another stream or river. The Great Bear River has more than 2900 km of shoreline and approximately 15 million cubic meters of water flow through it every day.
The Great Bear River location is near the southeast corner of Alaska, but the city where the river passes through is called Prince George, British Columbia which is near Vancouver and Seattle.
15. Lake Powell – Utah
Lake Powell is a man-made lake in the state of Utah, United States. The construction of Glen Canyon Dam on the Colorado River created it.
The lake stretches for over 200 miles and is about 50 miles long at its widest point. The water cannot be drawn back up into the dam, so it remains a huge reservoir. Lake Powell has an average depth of around 365 feet and an elevation of just over 3,000 feet above sea level.
Lake Powell covers over 200 square miles and is about 50 miles long at its widest point with an average depth of around 365 feet and an elevation of just over 3,000 feet above sea level.
4 Popular Activities In Lakes In USA For Americans:
The best part about this list is that there’s something for everyone – whether you’re into hiking, swimming, fishing, or just enjoying the sun and the scenery. And this is only a small list of what America has in store for its visitors!
Kayaking: This is an activity that many people enjoy while visiting lakes. It’s also a great exercise for your cardiovascular health.
Fishing: Fishing is one activity that most people enjoy on their trips to any lake, but fishing at bigger lakes like Lake Michigan can be even more fun than catching small fish at smaller lakes near your house!
Surfing: If you’re not looking for big waves or sunbathing, then you typically won’t find them in many places. However, if you’re looking for a peaceful day at the beach, then it is very possible to find a more serene area of the coast.
Hiking: Hiking in the United States is a popular leisure activity that can range from short hikes to long treks. The country has many scenic places where hikers will see wildlife such as bears, eagles, and foxes.
There are many ways to hike in America and there are some areas that offer better views than others. Mountain trails provide spectacular views of other mountains while having a panoramic view of forests and valleys below them. Lakes provide scenery with waterfalls, trees, and shallow waters while also providing respite for tired hikers.
Hikers love to explore new places, but they come across some pretty strange sights on their adventures. Some hikers encounter bears, mountain lions, rattlesnakes, and alligators on their hikes that are just waiting to pounce on them from behind some trees!
References:
https://clearlytahoe.com/all-tours/
https://www.lakechamplainregion.com/outdoors/paddling
https://stepoutside.org/okeechobee-fl/kayak-and-canoe/
https://www.northernontario.travel/paddling/kayaking-and-canoeing-lake-superior
Rockey is a kayaking enthusiast who has been kayaking with a local group for the last five years. He loves using kayaks while out on outings on the water or camping when the friends want to have a BBQ party somewhere on the bank of a local lake. More About James R Rockey at About Page Here: Authors
Based on his experiences with the different types of kayaks, he is sharing his opinion about kayaking tricks and required gears so that a beginner can get started right away.
Find his team on Twitter here. Happy reading!