Lake Champlain

Lake Champlain
Photo of Lake Champlain taken in August of 2007
Lake Champlain is located in New York
Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain
LocationNew York/Vermont in the United States; and Quebec in Canada
Coordinates44°32′N 73°20′W / 44.53°N 73.33°W / 44.53; -73.33
Primary inflowsOtter Creek, Winooski River, Missisquoi River, Poultney River, Lamoille River, Ausable River, Chazy River, Boquet River, Saranac River, La Chute River
Primary outflowsRichelieu River
Catchment area8,234 sq mi (21,326 km2)
Basin countriesCanada, United States
Max. length107 mi (172 km)[1]
Max. width14 mi (23 km)
Surface area514 sq mi (1,331 km2)
Average depth64 ft (19.5 m)
Max. depth400 ft (122 m)[2]
Water volume6.2 cu mi (25.8 km3)
Residence time3.3 years
Shore length1587 mi (945 km)
Surface elevation95 to 100 ft (29 to 30 m)
Islands80 (Grand Isle, North Hero, Isle La Motte, see list)
SettlementsBurlington, Vermont; Plattsburgh, New York
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Lake Champlain (/ʃæmˈpln/ sham-PLAYN; French: Lac Champlain) is a natural freshwater lake in North America. It mostly lies between the US states of New York and Vermont, but also extends north into the Canadian province of Quebec.[3]

The New York portion of the Champlain Valley includes the eastern parts of Clinton County and Essex County. Most of this area is part of the Adirondack Park. There are recreational facilities in the park and along the relatively undeveloped coastline of the lake. The cities of Plattsburgh, New York, and Burlington, Vermont, are on the lake's western and eastern shores, respectively, and the town of Ticonderoga, New York, is in the southern part of the region. The Quebec portion is in the regional county municipalities of Le Haut-Richelieu and Brome-Missisquoi. There are a number of islands in the lake; the largest include Grand Isle, Isle La Motte and North Hero: all part of Grand Isle County, Vermont.

Because of Lake Champlain's connections both to the St. Lawrence Seaway via the Richelieu River, and to the Hudson River via the Champlain Canal, Lake Champlain is sometimes referred to as "The Sixth Great Lake".[4]

  1. ^ "Lake Champlain – lake, Canada-United States". www.britannica.com. Archived from the original on July 11, 2015. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
  2. ^ "Lake Champlain Facts". Lake Champlain Land Trust. Archived from the original on July 28, 2013. Retrieved January 10, 2020.
  3. ^ Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Champlain" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 5 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 830–831.
  4. ^ "Lake Look – The Sixth Great Lake". Lake Champlain Committee. March 2, 2017. Archived from the original on December 28, 2022. Retrieved December 28, 2022.