The Most Beautiful Lake In America Isn’t One Of The Great Lakes… And It’s Right Here In Northern California

Country Living recently published a list of the 45 most beautiful places in America, choosing the prettiest places from different categories. When it comes to the prettiest lakes in the US, the Great Lakes typically take the cake in notoriety. Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior are all mighty and stunning lakes, to be sure, but there's a lake in Northern California that tops them all. Lake Tahoe is one of the most magnificent sights in the country, and its beauty is completely unmatched by any of the other Northern California lakes. This is not only one of the best lakes in Northern California, but also one of the most beautiful lakes in the US.

Lake Tahoe straddles the state line of California and Nevada and is surrounded by the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The lake and mountains combine to make such a beautiful view.

The water in Lake Tahoe is particularly clear. In some areas, you can see down an incredible 70 feet.

The water is so clear because much of the precipitation in the area falls directly into the lake. Also, nearby meadows and marshes act as filtration systems. Due to development around the lake, the clarity is decreasing at a rate of about one foot per year.

Lake Tahoe is the second-deepest lake in the United States, and it's the sixth-largest lake in the country by volume (the Great Lakes are larger).

For a lake this size, there's actually only one island in all of Lake Tahoe, and it’s called Little Fannette Island.

Little Fannette Island has a population of zero and only contains the ruins of a single building.

The lake was formed approximately two million years ago.

The last century saw quite a bit of development in the area, but thankfully the trend now is towards keeping the region surrounding Lake Tahoe in a natural state.

It's easy to see why this is such a popular travel destination: it's incredibly stunning.

Check out the magnificent views at Lake Tahoe:

Does Lake Tahoe top your list of the most beautiful lakes in the US? Share your thoughts in the comments! Find out which lakes our readers have said are the most beautiful lakes in Northern California.