Lake Okeechobee
Lake Okeechobee (US: /oʊkiˈtʃoʊbi/ oh-kee-CHOH-bee) is the largest freshwater lake in the U.S. state of Florida. It is the tenth-largest natural freshwater lake among the 50 states of the United States and the second-largest natural freshwater lake contained entirely within the contiguous 48 states, after Lake Michigan.
| Lake Okeechobee | |
|---|---|
Photographed from space, 2000 | |
Lake Okeechobee Lake Okeechobee | |
Shown at the top of this map of South Florida | |
| Location | Florida |
| Coordinates | 26°56′N 80°48′W |
| Primary inflows | Kissimmee River, Fisheating Creek, Taylor Creek |
| Primary outflows | Everglades, Caloosahatchee River, St. Lucie River |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Max. length | 36 mi (57.5 km) |
| Max. width | 29 mi (46.6 km) |
| Surface area | 734 sq mi (1,900 km2) |
| Average depth | 8 ft 10 in (2.7 m) |
| Max. depth | 12 ft (3.7 m) |
| Water volume | 1 cu mi (5.2 km3) (estimated) |
| Residence time | 3 years |
| Surface elevation | 12 to 18 ft (3.74 to 5.49 m) |
| Islands | Kreamer, Torry, Ritta, Grass, Observation, Bird, Horse, Hog, Eagle Bay |
Okeechobee covers 730 square miles (1,900 km2) and is exceptionally shallow for a lake of its size, with an average depth of only 9 feet (2.7 metres). It is not only the largest lake in Florida or the largest lake in the southeast United States, but it is too large to see across. The Kissimmee River, located directly north of Lake Okeechobee, is the lake's primary source. The lake is divided between Glades, Okeechobee, Martin, Palm Beach and Hendry counties. All five counties meet at one point near the center of the lake.