“A lake is a landscape's most beautiful and expressive feature. It is Earth's eye; looking into which the beholder measures the depth of his own nature.”
~Henry David Thoreau, Walden

What is your definition of a lake?

okinaw55: "“A lake is a landscape's most beautiful and expressive feature. It is Earth's eye; looking into which the beholder measures the depth of his own nature.”
~Henry David Thoreau, Walden

What is your definition of a lake?"

That's a pretty good definition. I'm reminded of Psalm 23 - "He leads me beside still waters."

...a long expanse of portage-free water. How about "He leadeth me to portage-free waters"?

TZ

A lake is…both life giving and life taking.

A lake is something I can drink from, swim in, paddle on and enjoy the sunsets at.

... bigger than a pond, but smaller than an ocean.

deerfoot: "A lake is something I can drink from, swim in, paddle on and enjoy the sunsets at."

I have been on many lakes big and small, but very few that would fit that definition with the “drink from” part. Dreamily it sounds great, realistically though I’m glad that’s not where I draw the line.

For me .. a lake is something that i just know. I guess it could be called home.

I grew up in Hastings on the mighty Miss and my grandfather had a 52 foot Gibson houseboat that we went south down the Mississippi every weekend in the summer. I feel as if I was born on the water.

I love boating, paddling, fishing, relaxing, and sunning on the water. It's in my DNA.

I see water :-)

I see the developement of resources in MN, WI and Michigan ;-)

LindenTree: "I see water :-)


I see the developement of resources in MN, WI and Michigan ;-) "

Such a great movie. Thanks for the nostalgia trip LindenTree.

A lake is a place where the lunkers lie, patiently waiting for my bait to swim near enough for an ambush attack.

LindenTree: "I see water :-)


I see the developement of resources in MN, WI and Michigan ;-) "

Such a great movie. Thanks for the nostalgia trip LindenTree.

A lake is a place where the lunkers lie, patiently waiting for my bait to swim near enough for an ambush attack.

okinaw55: "“A lake is a landscape's most beautiful and expressive feature. It is Earth's eye; looking into which the beholder measures the depth of his own nature.”
~Henry David Thoreau, Walden

What is your definition of a lake?"

Seems like this dude needs to spend more time outside.

Lakes are just one of the infinite number of treasures offered by Mother Nature.

too far away right now.

It's easy to define a lake as a body of fresh water. But to me it's way more mystical than that. I know what I feel when I'm on it...

A lake is a mystery of what's below and a reflection of what's above. It's filled with life and it's life giving. Each one has it's own unique personality - sometimes peaceful and invitingly still echoing even a whisper, sometimes rhythmic and flowing and steady, sometimes cruel and threatening and dangerous! You can immediately sense the song of a lake simply passing through one quick paddle. And then it can take decades to hear it tell you all its hidden secrets. A lake can be seen with the eyes and touched with the skin, but it can also be felt with the deep places of the soul.

Call me flowery or poetic, but there's nothing that connects with me quite like a lake.

Dreamer: "It's easy to define a lake as a body of fresh water. But to me it's way more mystical than that. I know what I feel when I'm on it...

A lake is a mystery of what's below and a reflection of what's above. It's filled with life and it's life giving. Each one has it's own unique personality - sometimes peaceful and invitingly still echoing even a whisper, sometimes rhythmic and flowing and steady, sometimes cruel and threatening and dangerous! You can immediately sense the song of a lake simply passing through one quick paddle. And then it can take decades to hear it tell you all its hidden secrets. A lake can be seen with the eyes and touched with the skin, but it can also be felt with the deep places of the soul.
"

That is a beautiful and soul stirring statement.

A lake is both friend and foe, depending on the wind.

I have one particular lake, that definitely feels like an old friend.

deerfoot: "A lake is something I can drink from, swim in, paddle on and enjoy the sunsets at."

Ice fisherman would say its something you can walk on, and drill holes into.

A big enough collection of fresh water to be its own place with its own identity and personality. I'm amazed at how NTL winners on this site identify a lake with just a snapshot of info. It's like meeting someone once and knowing you know them when you see them again years later. On a barely related topic that's a pet peeve of mine, a lake, even one as big as Superior, has only boats on it and only shore around it, never ships or a coast.

A very welcome site after a long winter in the desert… still weeks away for me…

naturboy12: "

deerfoot: "A lake is something I can drink from, swim in, paddle on and enjoy the sunsets at."

I have been on many lakes big and small, but very few that would fit that definition with the “drink from” part. Dreamily it sounds great, realistically though I’m glad that’s not where I draw the line. "

Try Canada.

nctry: "A very welcome site after a long winter in the desert… still weeks away for me…"

I hear ya. Spend some time in the desert and you'll never again take greens and water for granted.

So when Minnesota counts its lakes -- all 11,842 of them -- it's only counting lakes larger than 10 acres, or about the equivalent of 30 suburban residential yards.