amazing us lakes for summer vacation

Theres plenty of room for fish to thrive in Lake Superior which has shores in Michigan Wisconsin Minnesota and Ontario Canada.

Oregons Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States.Best for scuba diving: Other lakes have shipwrecks or sunken towns but only Crater Lake offers the bragging rights of diving in a flooded volcano that also happens to be the deepest lake in the U.S. (and ninth deepest in the world). Without a deepsea submersible you wont be able to reach the absolute bottom (1943 feet). But theres plenty to explore in the crystalclear shallows: lava formations wildlife (trout and salmon) and underwater moss meadows.

Best for windsurfing: Steady wind and easy launch make Winnebago the lake of choice for Wisconsin windsurfers and kite surfers especially in summer when the shallow sandy bottom creates water temperatures that are downright tropical (7585

Best for kayak or canoe camping: Paddle along the same routes as early French trappers traders and explorers on Lake Kabetogama in northern Minnesota. Part of the warren of waterways that make up Voyageurs National Park the lake offers more than two dozen wilderness campsites that can be reached only by boat including gorgeous spots along Lost Bay and among the Chief Wooden Frog Islands. Keep an eye out for wildlife along the shore from bear and bald eagles to otters wolves and moose.

Best for wilderness adventure: The only way to reach supersecluded Lake Clark is trekking overland through the Alaska bush getting dragged by a dogsled team or flying in by a floatplane. Flanked by snowcapped peaks thick boreal forest and whitewater rivers the 50milelong lake is quintessential Alaska.

Best for waterskiing: Sixteen lakes form a deepblue chain around the west side of Winter Haven the Water Skiing Capital of the World. The craze started in 1936 with the debut of Cypress Garden the nations first aquatic theme park and its celebrated waterski shows. If its being done on the water chances are somebody tried it in Winter Haven first wrote Waterski magazines Tony Smith. Try barefoot waterskiing for instance taught by the Footers Edge Training Center one of half a dozen local waterski and wakeboard schools.

Best for snow sports: Highaltitude Tahoe (6225 feet) is nirvana for skiing snowboarding and other coldweather sports. Seven major winter resorts ring the shore including Squaw Valley where the 1960 Winter Olympics took place. Hike along snowy forest trails snuggle up beside a fire in a lakeshore caf or ride the Sky Express to the top of Heavenlys highest peak for a snowmantled panorama of the entire lake basin. Or go now and enjoy the striking scenery without the snow.

Best for beaches: With more than 1600 miles of shoreline Lake Michigan offers more beaches than any other American lake. But its not just quantity: theres a beach for nearly every taste. The bigcity strands that front Chicago the wild rolling dunes of northern Indiana the pastoral shores of Wisconsins Door Peninsula and the carnivallike atmosphere along the Traverse City Boardwalk offer totally different sunandsand experiences on the same lake. Youll pass that boardwalk on the scenic drive from Bay Harbor to Sleeping Bear Dunes.

Best for wine tastings: With more than a hundred vintners the Finger Lakes region of Upstate New York is the prime wine region of the Eastern U.S. The largest concentration of tasting rooms is along Highway 414 on the east side of Lake Seneca. Wineries with spectacular waterfront locations include Belhurst Estate in Geneva and Thirsty Owl in Ovid. Riesling is the most popular plonk but the lakes region also produces fine Cabernet Sauvignon Zinfandel Pinot Noir Chardonnay and Gew

Best for desert houseboating: From the original Planet of the Apes to Charlies Angels: Full Throttle more than three dozen movies have been filmed in and around dropdeadgorgeous Lake Powell. Spin your own highadventure tale on a houseboat cruise through the redrock desert wilderness. Created by Glen Canyon Dam in northern Arizona the vast lake stretches for nearly 200 miles into uninhabited southern Utah and includes more than 80 side canyons where yours will often be the only boat.