The 5 States of America with the most Lakes

Calling all lake lovers — the United States is the ultimate vacation territory for you! Some of the most beautiful lakes in the world make their home in the country, whether it’s Crater Lake, the deepest in the United States, nestled in the Oregon Cascades, or the ultra-blue waters of Lake Tahoe, which stretch across the California-Nevada state line in the Sierra Nevada mountains. But which states have the most lakes overall? Which corners of the country are bursting with more bodies of water than a fishing license can shake?

Well, we decided to find out. To compile our list, we took data from the US Geological Survey (USGS) study of the Great Lakes of the United States to rank the territories with the most lakes in the country. The study filters out small lakes and ponds and includes only waters with more than 10 square miles of surface area. We took those metrics as our base number and counted an extra lake for each of the Great Lakes bordering one of our states, a process that had little impact on the bottom five but changed the order in which they appear.

The result is a small number of places where a vacation based on water is sure to go off with a splash. Regardless of whether you’re planning on whizzing around the clear waters of Minnesota’s lush Northwoods or cruising the scenic lakeside byways in Alaska, you can’t really go wrong.

Read more: This Wildly Scenic US Railroad Is a Coast-to-Coast Journey From Skyscrapers to Bayous

The many lakes of Alaska

There is no single state out there that can even come close to Alaska’s number of lakes. According to the USGS, The Last Frontier is home to more than 90 lakes 10 square miles or larger. However, other estimates that do not include the USGS size cutoff put that number much higher. According to World Population Review, which draws on data from a range of sources, including the United Nations and the US Census Bureau, this wild and remote region of glaciers and tundra has as many as 3 million naturally occurring lakes, most of which are unnamed.

But this should not be too much of a surprise. Alaska is, after all, the largest single state in the country, containing an absurd 665,384 square miles within its borders, meaning it is more than twice the size of Texas. Additionally, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game estimates that a whopping 40% of all surface water in the United States is in Alaska. That’s a lot of water!

Many lakes in this northern land are quite remote. Take in the bear waters of Lake Clark, a 45 mile long body of water surrounded by volcanoes and glaciers. The effort required to see Alaska’s beautiful lakes can include things like embarking on one of America’s most dangerous hikes, a stunning route from Chinitna Bay to Silver Salmon Creek. Access to the region is largely achieved by small-wing aircraft. Other places are easier to reach, such as the Goose Lake bird sanctuary in the suburbs of Anchorage.

Minnesota

No list of US states with the most lakes would be complete without a mention of Minnesota. In addition to being called The North Star State, this large slice of the Midwest has another nickname: The Land of 10,000 Lakes. The truth is, there are even more than that, with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources reporting that the territory counts a whopping 11,842 lakes in total. Meanwhile, the USGS survey of larger lakes counts more than 40 larger waters when you add in the presence of the Great Lakes here.

Some Minnesota lakes are quite iconic. Take Lake Superior, the largest of all the Great Lakes and the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area. That giant forms quite a powerful part of the northwestern border of Minnesota, its banks running all the way from the city of Duluth to the border between the United States and Canada more than 146 miles away. The coastal route is actually a scenic byway on State Highway 61, where the rushing waters and forested campsites of Gooseberry Falls State Park meet the strangely pink stones of Iona’s Beach.

You don’t have to venture far from Minneapolis to enjoy what Minnesota’s lakes have to offer. The bustling Twin Cities sits just a 1.5 hour drive south of Mille Lacs Lake, the second largest inland lake in the state.

Maine

The bronze medal for most lakes in the United States is taken from the jewel of the East Coast that is The Pine Tree State. While the official USGS survey lists 25 lakes of more than 10 square miles in this corner of the country, other numbers paint an even more watery story. Yes, the University of Maine estimates that there are nearly 6,000 separate lakes here, which combine to cover nearly a million acres in total.

So, where to visit? It’s hard to tell, but you won’t find yourself wanting, as the state contains quite a few standouts. There is Megunticook Lake, the largest in Knox County with a size of 1,300 acres, and a true center for rest and relaxation – summer fishing, swimming in the cove beaches, and walking in the hemlock woods around the banks are all offered here. There is Sebago Lake, the deepest in Maine, where boats meet to enjoy views of forested hills in the warmer months.

Of course, Maine also boasts water of a saltier kind. In fact, there are 3,500 miles of coastline, which meet the Atlantic Ocean in grand style. Trade the ponds for the ocean, and you can find yourself whale watching in Bar Harbor or hitting the scenic sand and surf at Popham Beach, which boasts the best waves in the state.

Michigan

Motown, motorcycles, cherries – there are many things that the great state of Michigan is known for. Fresh water should be there too, as the USGS reports that there are about 20 lakes larger than 10 square miles in these parts, while the State of Michigan puts the total number of its inland lakes closer to 11,000.

Just looking at the map is enough to show that this is one corner of the heavy lakes of the United States. Michigan is divided in two by the Strait of Mackinac, with the Upper Peninsula in the north and the Lower Peninsula in the south. The Great Lakes happily impose themselves on all sides. They start in the southeast, they fan out; first Lake Erie, then Lake Huron, Lake Superior, and finally the eponymous Lake Michigan to the west. This geography even gave birth to the local myth that you are never more than 85 miles from one of the Great Lakes here.

Smaller lakes pepper the Michigan backcountry, too. Torch Lake is known as one of the most beautiful in the state, with its crystal clear waters that have even led some to compare it to the Caribbean Sea. Visitors and locals alike also wax lyrical about Higgins Lake, a shimmering body of water made by glaciers that has state parks that offer camping, various boating, and beautiful beachfronts.

Florida

Florida is well known as the Sunshine State, but it can also be called the “Water State” or the “Lake State.” The reason? The USGS survey counts 19 large lakes here, while the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the body responsible for managing wildlife resources throughout the region, says there are as many as 7,500 lakes when counting smaller bodies of water (those under 10 square miles).

The obvious place to look would be Lake County (the clue in the name). It includes an area of ​​central Florida that has 1,000 lakes alone, woven together by rivers and the occasional band of rolling hills. The southern part of the county is even home to the Clermont Chain of Lakes, which unfolds like a tiara of waters along the bends of the Palatlakaha River. You get 17 lakes for the price of one there!

Then there’s the hiking, camping and wildlife of the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes, a 21,000-acre water wonderland spanning two counties. Going there means entering the headwaters of the iconic Everglades, a land of sawgrass meadows and hammocks, where bald eagles and turtles can be spotted in the surrounding nature reserves.

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Read the original article about the Islands.