Lake Okeechobee

Lake Okeechobee is the largest freshwater lake in Florida and the second-largest natural freshwater lake contained entirely within the contiguous 48 states, after Lake Michigan. The lake covers roughly 730 square miles and is notably shallow, with an average depth of only 9 feet (2.7 m) and a maximum depth of approximately 12 feet. It is bordered by five counties: Glades, Okeechobee, Martin, Palm Beach, and Hendry. The Kissimmee River, immediately to the north, provides over 60 percent of the lake's inflow. Lake Okeechobee functions as the headwaters of the Everglades; historically, water moved southward as broad sheet flow across the southern Florida peninsula, though modern management diverts most outflow through engineered canals to coastal rivers. The lake is jointly managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the South Florida Water Management District. The Herbert Hoover Dike — a 40-foot-high levee built after the 1928 Okeechobee Hurricane killed at least 2,500 people — surrounds the lake; USACE targets keeping the lake surface between 12.5 and 15.5 feet above sea level for flood control and water supply. Lake Okeechobee is a nationally significant largemouth bass and black crappie fishery, with more than 40 native fish species along with numerous introduced species inhabiting its waters.