The United States is one of only 17 megadiverse countries in the world. A megadiverse country features a broad array of plant and animal species. To be classified as a megadiverse country, a nation must have at least 5,000 endemic plants. It must also feature a marine ecosystem within its borders. These 17 megadiverse countries only cover about 10% of the Earth’s surface, but they house more than 70% of all the planet’s species. Along with the U.S., the world’s other megadiverse countries include Australia, Brazil, China, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ecuador, India, Indonesia, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mexico, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines, South Africa, and Venezuela.
U.S. Lakes
Lakes are essential to the varied ecosystems in the United States. They also add unmatched beauty to the landscapes throughout the country.
The U.S. features tens of thousands of square miles of water area, which is key in its megadiverse designation. The nation’s water environments range from the ocean depths to raging rivers to inland lakes. It is estimated that the United States has the third-most lakes of any nation in the world, trailing only Canada and Russia. Exact numbers are difficult to corroborate, though, because there is no universally accepted definition regarding what constitutes a lake.
We can, however, ascertain the depth of a lake with verifiable numbers. Here is a look at the deepest lake in every U.S. state. (And, if you want to see which lakes are drying up, here is a list of 20 famous lakes that are going dry, one of which is included in the list below.)
Determining the Deepest U.S. Lakes
To determine each state’s deepest lake, 24/7 Wall St. consulted various sources such as state government and geological survey websites.
The Great Lakes were not included in this survey. These five lakes are massive natural wonders that touch eight U.S. states (Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York). According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the maximum depths of the Great Lakes are:
- Lake Superior – 1,332 feet (406 meters)
- Lake Michigan – 925 feet (282 meters)
- Lake Ontario – 802 feet (244 meters)
- Lake Huron – 750 feet (229 meters)
- Lake Erie – 210 feet (64 meters)
These gigantic lakes, which account for 21% of the world’s freshwater, are obviously the deepest lakes in any state they touch. For example, Lake Superior is clearly the deepest lake in Minnesota. For our purposes, though, we excluded these lakes (which could be considered freshwater seas) and focused on the deepest inland lakes in each state.
Where Most Deep Lakes Are Found
All 50 U.S. states have lakes within their borders, although many are manmade reservoirs. Maryland, for instance, has no natural lakes. There are over 100 manmade impoundments in the state, though. All of Maryland’s lakes were created through damming systems.
Alaska, on the other hand, has the most natural lakes of any U.S. state and it is not remotely close. The Last Frontier has nearly 3,200 named lakes and over three million unnamed lakes!
Deep lakes are rare in the American South. For example, Lake Okeechobee is the largest lake in Florida by surface area, covering over 460,000 acres. However, it is only 12 feet deep at its deepest point.
Most of the nation’s deepest lakes are found in more northerly regions. Alaska not only has the most lakes, but it also houses more lakes with depths over 300 feet than any other state. The nation’s deepest lake is not found in Alaska, though but rather in the northwestern part of the conterminous U.S.
Depth Ranges
The deepest lakes in each U.S. state showcase quite a range of depths. The shallowest of these lakes is just nine feet deep. That is shallower than the typical “deep end” of a swimming pool, which is ten feet deep.
On the other end of the spectrum, the deepest lake in the U.S. is 1,949 feet deep. The waters of this lake could completely cover One World Trade Center, the tallest building in the nation, with 173 feet to spare!
Here is the complete list of the deepest lakes in all 50 U.S. states.
Alabama – Lewis Smith Lake (also known as Smith Lake)
Lewis Smith Lake lies about 20 miles northwest of Birmingham.
- Maximum Depth: 264 feet (80 meters)
- Surface Area: 21,200 acres
Alaska – Lake Clark
Alaska’s deepest lake is located in the Lake Clark National Park and Preserve.
- Maximum Depth: 1,054 feet (321 meters)
- Surface Area: 81,920 acres
Arizona – Lake Mead
Lake Mead was formed by the Hoover Dam on the Colorado River.
- Maximum Depth: 532 feet (162 meters)
- Surface Area: 158,080 acres
Arkansas – Lake Ouachita
Lake Ouachita was created in the 1950s when the Ouachita River was dammed.
- Maximum Depth: 200 feet (61 meters)
- Surface Area: 66,324 acres
California – Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe is famous, not only for its depth (it is the second-deepest lake in the U.S.) but also for its amazing water clarity.
- Maximum Depth: 1,645 feet (501 meters)
- Surface Area: 122,240 acres
Colorado – Grand Lake
Grand Lake was formed by glaciers in what is now north-central Colorado.
- Maximum Depth: 389 ft (119 meters)
- Surface Area: 507 acres
Connecticut – Lake Lillinonah
Lovers Leap State Park is located along the northern edge of Lake Lillinonah.
- Maximum Depth: 110 feet (33.5 meters)
- Surface Area: 1,547 acres
Delaware – Horsey Pond
Delaware is the second-smallest U.S. state. It’s deepest lake is only nine feet deep.
- Maximum Depth: 9 feet (3 meters)
- Surface Area: 46 acres
Florida – Deep Lake
Deep Lake is located in Collier County (red) in southern Florida.
- Maximum Depth: 90 feet (27 meters)
- Surface Area: 31 acres
Georgia – Carters Lake
Carters Lake in Georgia is the deepest lake in the American South.
- Maximum Depth: 450 feet (137 meters)
- Surface Area: 3,200 acres
Hawaii – Halali’i Lake
Halali’i Lake is located on Niʻihau (red), the westernmost of Hawaii’s main islands.
- Maximum Depth: Varies (Halali’i Lake’s depth depends on the weather. During the rainy seasons, it is Hawaii’s deepest lake)
- Surface Area: 840 acres
Idaho – Lake Pend Oreille
Lake Pend Oreille sits in the shadow of Schweitzer Mountain.
- Maximum Depth: 1,158 feet (353 meters)
- Surface Area: 96,000 acres
Illinois – Devil’s Kitchen Lake
Devil’s Kitchen Lake is part of the Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge.
- Maximum Depth: 90 feet (27.5 meters)
- Surface Area: 810 acres
Indiana – Tippecanoe Lake
Tippecanoe Lake is located in Kosciusko County (red) in northern Indiana.
- Maximum Depth: 123 feet (37 meters)
- Surface Area: 880 acres
Iowa – West Lake Okoboji
Boating is a popular pastime on West Lake Okoboji.
- Maximum Depth: 136 feet (41.5 meters)
- Surface Area: 3,847 acres
Kansas – Milford Lake and Wilson Lake (tie)
Milford Lake is Kansas’ largest lake by surface area, but it is tied with Wilson Lake for the deepest lake in the state.
- Maximum Depth: 65 feet (20 meters)
- Surface Areas: Milford Lake – 15,709 acres, Wilson Lake – 9,020 acres
Kentucky – Herrington Lake
Herrington Lake was created by damming the Dix River in 1925.
- Maximum Depth: 249 feet (76 meters)
- Surface Area: 2,335 acres
Louisiana – Lake Peigneur
Lake Peigneur is a brackish lake located in Iberia Parish (red).
- Maximum Depth: 200 feet (61 meters)
- Surface Area: 1,125 acres
Maine – Sebago Lake
Sebago Lake turns into a postcard in the fall.
- Maximum Depth: 316 feet (96 meters)
- Surface Area: 30,513 acres
Maryland – Quarry Lake
Quarry Lake was originally a marble quarry.
- Maximum Depth: 490 feet (150 meters)
- Surface Area: 40 acres
Massachusetts – Quabbin Reservoir
Quabbin Reservoir provides water for Boston.
- Maximum Depth: 151 feet (46 meters)
- Surface Area: 119,940 acres
Michigan – Torch Lake
Torch Lake is the deepest lake in Michigan outside of the Great Lakes.
- Maximum Depth: 285 feet (87 meters)
- Surface Area: 18,770 acres
Minnesota – Portsmouth Mine Pit Lake
Portsmouth Mine Pit Lake is part of the Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area.
- Maximum Depth: 450 feet (137 meters)
- Surface Area: 121 acres
Mississippi – Okhissa Lake
Bill Dance, the world-famous bass fisherman, sanctioned Lake Okhissa as his first signature lake.
- Maximum Depth: 75 feet (23 meters)
- Surface Area: 1,075 acres
Missouri – Table Rock Lake
Table Rock Lake is located near Branson in southwest Missouri.
- Maximum Depth: 220 feet (67 meters)
- Surface Area: 42,400 acres
Montana – Tally Lake
Winter at Tally Lake is a lovely scene.
- Maximum Depth: 492 feet (150 meters)
- Surface Area: 1,200 acres
Nebraska – Lake McConaughy
At full capacity, “Lake Mac” is twenty miles long and four miles wide with a depth of 142 feet at the dam.
- Maximum Depth: 142 feet (43 meters)
- Surface Area: 35,700 acres
Nevada – Lake Tahoe
Sand Harbor is a beautiful spot on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe.
- Maximum Depth: 1,645 feet (501 meters)
- Surface Area: 122,240 acres
New Hampshire – Lake Winnipesaukee
The Abenaki name Winnipesaukee could mean “smile of the Great Spirit” or “beautiful water in a high place.”
- Maximum Depth: 212 feet (65 meters)
- Surface Area: 44,500 acres
New Jersey – Merrill Creek Reservoir
Merrill Creek Reservoir is located in Warren County, New Jersey.
- Maximum Depth: 225 feet (68.5 meters)
- Surface Area: 650 acres
New Mexico – Navajo Lake
New Mexico’s deepest lake is part of Navajo Lake State Park.
- Maximum Depth: 395 feet (120 meters)
- Surface Area: 15,600 acres
New York – Seneca Lake
Seneca Lake is the largest of the Finger Lakes in New York State.
- Maximum Depth: 618 feet (188 meters)
- Surface Area: 42,797 acres
North Carolina – Fontana Lake
Fontana Lake is situated in the Great Smoky Mountains.
- Maximum Depth: 440 feet (134 meters)
- Surface Area: 10,230 acres
North Dakota – Lake Sakakawea
Government Bay at Lake Sakakawea is a popular recreation area.
- Maximum Depth: 180 feet (55 meters)
- Surface Area: 307,000 acres
Ohio – Caesar Creek Lake
Ohio’s deepest lake is part of Caesar Creek State Park in the southwestern part of the state.
- Maximum Depth: 115 feet (35 meters)
- Surface Area: 2,830 acres
Oklahoma – Broken Bow Lake
Broken Bow Lake, located in southeastern Oklahoma, is a popular destination for Oklahomans along with visitors from Texas and Arkansas.
- Maximum Depth: 185 feet (56 meters)
- Surface Area: 14,000 acres
Oregon – Crater Lake
Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States.
- Maximum Depth: 1,949 feet (594 meters)
- Surface Area: 13,069 acres
Pennsylvania – Raystown Lake
Much of the land around Raystown Lake belongs to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and is not available for development, making it a wonderful place to enjoy Pennsylvania’s natural beauty.
- Maximum Depth: 200 feet (61 meters
- Surface Area: 8,300 acres
Rhode Island – Scituate Reservoir
Scituate Reservoir provides drinking water to Providence.
- Maximum Depth: 87 feet (27 meters)
- Surface Area: 3,392 acres
South Carolina – Lake Jocassee
Lake Jocassee lies in Devils Fork State Park in northwestern South Carolina.
- Maximum Depth: 350 feet (107 meters)
- Surface Area: 7,500 acres
South Dakota – Lake Oahe
Lake Oahe is the fourth-largest manmade reservoir in the U.S., stretching from Pierre, South Dakota to Bismarck, North Dakota.
- Maximum Depth: 205 feet (62.5 meters)
- Surface Area: 370,000 acres
Tennessee – Watauga Lake
Watauga Lake is surrounded by the Cherokee National Forest.
- Maximum Depth: 265 feet (81 meters)
- Surface Area: 6,430 acres
Texas – Lake Travis
Lake Travis is a flood control reservoir, so the lake’s depth can change drastically depending on weather conditions. At full capacity, it is Texas’ deepest lake.
- Maximum Depth: 210 feet (64 meters)
- Surface Area: 18,930 acres
Utah – Bear Lake
Bear Lake is known as the “Caribbean of the Rockies” because of its turquoise-blue water.
- Maximum Depth: 208 feet (63 meters)
- Surface Area: 69.760 acres
Vermont – Lake Willoughby
Like all of Vermont, Lake Willoughby sparkles in the fall.
- Maximum Depth: 328 feet (100 meters)
- Surface Area: 1,687 acres
Virginia – Smith Mountain Lake
Smith Mountain Lake is the largest lake that lies entirely in Virginia.
- Maximum Depth: 220 feet (67 meters)
- Surface Area: 20,480 acres
Washington – Lake Chelan
Lake Chelan is the third-deepest lake in the U.S. behind Crater Lake and Lake Tahoe.
- Maximum Depth: 1,486 feet (453 meters)
- Surface Area: 33,280 acres
West Virginia – Summersville Lake
Summersville Lake is famous for its clear blue waters. The northern shore of the lake was designated as a state park in August 2023.
- Maximum Depth: 327 feet (99.5 meters)
- Surface Area: 2,700 acres
Wisconsin – Wazee Lake
Wazee Lake lies on the site of a former taconite mining quarry.
- Maximum Depth: 355 feet (108 meters)
- Surface Area: 146 acres
Wyoming – Fremont Lake
Fremont Lake is largely undeveloped, making it the perfect place to enjoy the serene Wyoming landscape.
- Maximum Depth: 607 feet (185 meters)
- Surface Area: 5,050 acres
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