Idaho's largest lake is 43 miles long and up to six miles wide, with a surface area of 85,000 acres and a shoreline of 111 miles. At more than 1,150 feet deep, it is the fifth-deepest lake in the U.S.
Lake Pend Oreille is a remnant of giant Glacial Lake Missoula, which covered the Idaho panhandle during the last Ice Age. Glacial melt settled into this deep valley, creating the lake.
French trappers in the 19th century found the indigenous Kalispell people prospering along the lake and its rivers, and a post for the timber, mining and fur communities was founded there. During World War II, nearly 300,000 sailors were trained on the lake, and the military still tests submarines in the deep waters.
Marshes and wetlands support a thriving wildlife ecosystem. More than 20 species of native and introduced game fish flourish in the lake, and birds such as ospreys and eagles nest along the shoreline. Black bears, grizzly bears, whitetail deer, bobcats and coyotes also call the area home.
Fishing, boating, sailing, scuba diving and swimming are popular on the lake. Farragut State Park on the southern tip of the lake and Sandpoint on the northwestern edge provide the most convenient access points.
