Conneaut Lake
| Conneaut Lake | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Location | Crawford County, Pennsylvania |
| Coordinates | 41°37′20″N 80°18′20″W / 41.62222°N 80.30556°W |
| Type | Natural Lake |
| Primary outflows | Conneaut Outlet |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Max. length | Approx. 3 mi (4.8 km) |
| Max. width | Approx. 1 mi (1.6 km) |
| Average depth | 29 ft (8.8 m) |
| Max. depth | Approx. 80 ft (24 m) |
| Islands | 2 (not named) |
| Settlements | Conneaut Lake, Pennsylvania |
Conneaut Lake is the largest natural lake in Pennsylvania by surface area. It is located in western Crawford County near a town with the same name. The site of the lake is actually in adjacent Sadsbury Township and nearby Summit Township. During the summer season, it is heavily populated with people vacationing to the lake area, some from the area spending time in their houses on the lake, and many others from the surrounding area that like to spend the summer away from home, many of these people being residents of the Pittsburgh area. Other than the lake itself, the largest draw to the area has long been a popular resort known as Conneaut Lake Park, long known for its amusement park.
Conneaut Lake was formed as a kettle lake at the end of the . A large block of ice broke off the receding ice front and was surrounded by accumulating sediment. After the ice melted, the resulting depression was filled with water forming the lake. Water flows into Conneaut Lake through Inlet Run, a small stream on the north end of the lake. Water exits through the Conneaut Outlet, a larger creek which flows to the south through the Conneaut Marsh. The Conneaut outlet flows into French Creek, making it part of the Mississippi River drainage.
For the size of the lake, it has an oddly shallow depth. In most areas the lake is around 20 to 25 feet deep, however in some places it is over 50 feet deep. Its greatest depth is about 79 feet.
Before the early 19th century, Conneaut Lake was conspicuously absent from maps of the region, while much smaller nearby lakes were shown. The first recorded account of the lake was on May 5, 1791. A settler named Cornelius Van Horn was captured by Wyandots or their allies near what is today Meadville, Pennsylvania. He was taken on a path through the forest and bound to a tree near the lake's outlet. Van Horn managed to free himself using a small knife.
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Wikipedia