Lake Winnipesaukee

Lake Winnipesaukee is the largest lake in the U.S. state of New Hampshire, located in the Lakes Region. It is approximately 21mi long (northwest-southeast) and from 1to wide (northeast-southwest), covering 69sqmi—71sqmi when Paugus Bay is included—with a maximum depth of. The center area of the lake is called The Broads.The lake contains at least 258 islands, half of which are less than a quarter-acre in size, and is indented by several peninsulas, yielding a total shoreline of approximately 288mi. The driving distance around the lake is. It is above sea level. Winnipesaukee is the third-largest lake in New England after Lake Champlain and Moosehead Lake.Outflow is regulated by the Lakeport Dam in Lakeport, New Hampshire, on the Winnipesaukee River.HistoryLake Winnipesaukee has been a popular tourist destination for more than a century, particularly among residents seeking a safe haven from the summer heat of Boston and New York City. The Native American name Winnipesaukee means either "smile of the Great Spirit" or "beautiful water in a high place". At the outlet of the lake, the Winnipesaukee Indians, a subtribe of the Pennacook, lived and fished at a village called Acquadocton. Today, the site is called The Weirs, named for the weirs colonists discovered when first exploring the region.