Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin A new studey has ranked the cleanest lakes in America. getty There’s nothing quite like jumping into a pristine lake, where the water is so clear you can see the bottom. But while the United States is home to hundreds of thousands of lakes—479,950 in the lower 48 alone and nearly three million in Alaska—not all are created equal in terms of cleanliness.
So what are the cleanest lakes in America? A new report from Lake.com has the answers, ranking the top 10 cleanest lakes based on a comprehensive analysis of water quality data. The report analyzed the cleanliness of 276 lakes across the country, using data from the National Water Quality Monitoring Council (NWQMC) collected between January 1, 2023, and May 28, 2024.
The research focused on eight key water quality characteristics: dissolved oxygen, ammonia, lead, phosphorus, sulfate, total dissolved solids, turbidity and pH levels. These factors were used to rank each lake’s cleanliness. So what is the cleanest lake in America? Lake Louise in Florida came out on top, with near-optimal levels in most categories.
Located in the Butler Chain of Lakes within the greater Orlando metropolitan area, this lake has a pH level of 6.98, which is perfect for both aquatic life and human skin. Additionally, it has a dissolved oxygen level that’s well above the acceptable threshold for supporting aquatic life.
The lake also shows low levels of ammonia and lead, making it a haven .