US Lake Comparison Tool: Side-by-Side Analysis

Lake Tahoe is a large freshwater lake situated in the Sierra Nevada of the United States, straddling the state line between California and Nevada. Formed approximately two million years ago as part of the Lake Tahoe Basin, it is the second deepest lake in the United States (1,645 feet) and the sixth largest lake by volume in the nation. It is internationally famous for its exceptional water clarity, cobalt blue color, and surrounding alpine ski and hiking terrain.

Crater Lake is a caldera lake located in south-central Oregon. It is the main feature of Crater Lake National Park and is famous for its intense blue color and water clarity. The lake partly fills a 2,148-foot-deep caldera that was formed around 7,700 years ago by the catastrophic collapse of the volcano Mount Mazama. Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States and the ninth deepest lake in the world.

Lake Sidney Lanier is an impoundment on the Chattahoochee and Chestatee Rivers in northern Georgia, constructed and operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Completed in 1956 following the construction of Buford Dam, the reservoir provides primary drinking water for metropolitan Atlanta, hosts millions of recreational visitors annually, and served as the rowing and canoe sprint venue during the 1996 Summer Olympic Games.