Discover the Deepest Lake in New England

Do you happen to be from New England? Or are you planning a fun vacation there sometime soon? The New England area is compromised of several states in the northeastern part of the United States. The states that makeup New England includes Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. This area is most well known for the gorgeous Atlantic coast and is a hub for much of Colonial history. If you consider yourself to be an outdoorsy person who loves to be out at the lake during the summer, then you may be interested in learning about the deepest lake in New England. So if you’re interested in learning about the deepest lake in New England, then keep reading on! 

We’ve got the rundown on the lake as well as other fascinating facts about the lake and its history.

What Is New England’s Deepest Lake?

The deepest lake in New England is Lake Champlain. It is a freshwater lake that actually holds the record for the lowest point within the six-million-acre Adirondacks. The lake itself is 125 miles in length, and it is only about 100 feet above sea level. If you want a better idea of just how large this lake is, it features 587 miles of shoreline. When it comes to the amount of water within the lake, it holds 6.8 trillion gallons of water. At its deepest point, Lake Champlain is 400 feet and 12 miles at its widest. However, the average depth of the lake is around 64 feet. Today, it is the sixth-largest body of water found in the United States. 

In fact, back in 1993, there was a bill signed into effect by President Bill Clinton that designated Lake Champlain as one of the Great Lakes. However, there was a pretty negative response to this, and the bill was quickly reversed. The reason for the uproar was that many of the residents of New England felt that Lake Champlain deserved to be in a league of its own. They felt that lumping the lake in with the others didn’t give it the recognition the lake deserved. Instead, they wanted the lake to be revered all on its own — which it is to this day.

Why Is Lake Champlain So Well-Known?

Many people often wonder what it is about Lake Champlain that makes it such a well-known lake. There are many reasons as to why this lake is so well-known. For starters, as we mentioned above, Lake Champlain is the deepest lake in New England. Outside of being the deepest lake, it is also one of the largest lakes in the country. Many people all throughout New England (and throughout the country) come to the lake to enjoy recreational activities and more. However, there are other aspects that impact this lake’s popularity. For example, did you know that this lake is responsible for supplying drinking water to over 200,000 people? Each day there is around 20 million gallons of water pumped from the lake in order to supply drinking water to residents in the basin’s area. 

Since the lake lies in both the United States and Canada, there are many people who visit this lake in both countries. As such, it has international fame! Additionally, if you happen to be interested in birds, you may find it fascinating that nearly 318 different species of birds in the Vermont area depend on Lake Champlain. As a result, there are many conservation efforts in place that also educate the public about the lake and the species that depend on it. As you can tell, this lake is an incredibly important body of water to many different species — humans included!

Where Is Lake Champlain Located on a Map?

Lake Champlain is a natural freshwater glacial lake that mostly lies between the U.S. states of New York and Vermont, but also extends north into the Canadian province of Quebec. The city of Plattsburgh, New York is on the north-western shore of the lake. Burlington, Vermont is located on the eastern shoreline of Lake Champlain.

There are two states and one province that Lake Champlain surrounds. The largest portion of Lake Champlain is found in Vermont, then the second largest is in New York, and finally, a smaller portion of the lake is in the Canadian Province of Quebec. Eastern Clinton County and Essex County make up the New York region of Lake Champlain. However, Vermont residents make up the largest portion of people living along the basin of the lake. This is why so many Vermont residents head out to Lake Champlain to enjoy the weather, go fishing, or swim.

Fishing at Lake Champlain

When it comes to fishing, Lake Champlain is considered one of the best bass fishing lakes in the northeast. However, bass isn’t the only type of fish that you’ll find swimming in this freshwater lake. There are roughly over 90 different species of fish swimming around in Lake Champlain. Anglers will find that there are tons of warm- and cold-water game fish to partake in catching. Outside of largemouth and smallmouth bass, you will also find trout, pike, and panfish in great abundance here. 

Anglers come out to fish at Lake Champlain during all four seasons as well. During the spring and fall seasons, you can expect to catch lots of trout and landlocked Atlantic salmon. During the winter months, there are many ice fishing tournaments that are hosted on the lake. Additionally, there are tons of bank and boat access points all around the basin — in fact, too many to even name them all!

Recreational Activities at Lake Champlain

Outside of fishing, there are many other recreational activities to enjoy at the lake. With such deep waters and lots of shorelines, there are a ton of fun activities to partake in. For starters, swimming is always a fun activity to enjoy on the lake, however, there really is so much more. For those of you that are more adventurous, you can enjoy kayaking and paddleboarding. Some people enjoy taking a boat on the lake and just cruising for pure enjoyment! Outside of the lake, there are also tons of areas where you can go hiking or even snowshoeing during the winter months.

The History of Lake Champlain

The history behind the lake is actually quite interesting. The lake was originally named in 1609 after French explorer, Samuel de Champlain. It was also an incredibly vital asset during the Revolutionary War. The lake allowed easier movement between New England and Canada. This allowed New England to remain a strong force throughout the war. However, this wasn’t the only time the lake proved to be an asset. During the War of 1812, the lake was important because many ships were built out of the area. 

If we travel back even further in time, the history of the lake is even more captivating. During the Ice Age, the state of Vermont was completely covered by glaciers. When the ice began to melt at the end of the ice age, it allowed for the rocks to compress and create an inlet around New England and Eastern Canada. This inlet became known as the Champlain Sea even though all of the water was freshwater from the melting glaciers. Over time, the sea began to shrink as the land began to rise more, and today this area is known as Lake Champlain.

What Is Found at the Bottom of Lake Champlain?

Lake Champlain has an even more fascinating history when we take a look at what’s at the bottom of the lake. Located in Lake Champlain is the oldest fossil reef in the world. It is roughly 450-480 million years old. It is called The Chazy Reef and it was created by Brozoa, which are organisms that predate coral. There are also some pretty interesting theories surrounding what else is at the bottom of the lake, including Champ — America’s Loch Ness Monster. Many locals and visitors have claimed to see this monster swimming in the lake! However, this is all very much up for debate.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Alexander Ryan Thompson/Shutterstock.com