July is Lake Appreciation Month in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania is fortunate to have thousands of ponds and lakes dotting its landscape. Many were originally constructed for agricultural or fire protection purposes but now serve their owners as an aesthetic part of the landscape.

Ponds are generally described as being less than one acre in size, while a lake is larger than this.  

In Pennsylvania, of the more than 2,500 water bodies classified as "lakes," there are only about 50 natural, glacial lakes, with the vast majority of those found in northeastern PA in the Pocono Mountains. ⁽¹⁾ Of course, we also share a northwest border with Lake Erie, one of the Great Lakes, but there are other lakes to take note of in our state:

Conneaut Lake,
located in Crawford County is the largest natural and deepest lake in Pennsylvania. It has a surface area of approximately 925 acres and is 75ft deep, at its deepest point. ⁽²⁾

Raystown Lake
is the largest man-made lake built by the Army Corps of Engineers in Pennsylvania and located in Huntingdon County. The lake spans 8,300 acres and is part of a 29,000 acre project that serves as a home for recreation in the area. ⁽³⁾

In addition to recreation, Pennsylvania lakes serve as havens for abundant fish and wildlife populations including waterfowl, shore birds, and birds of prey like bald eagles and osprey just to name a few.  If you are fortunate enough to have a lake on your property you know that their unique ecology can sometimes make management difficult, but the benefits are also plentiful.

Extension offers many pond and lake management resources. In addition the PA Lake Management Society provides additional resources for lake management, restoration, and protection.

Enjoy and appreciate our Pennsylvania lakes!!

Resources for lake facts:

(1) Google search on "How many natural lakes are in Pennsylvania"

(2)  Wikipedia page on Conneaut Lake

(3)  Wikipedia page on Raystown Lake