Lake Pend Oreille

Lake Pend Oreille is a large freshwater lake in northern Idaho, United States, noted as the deepest lake in the state with a maximum depth of about 351 meters (1,152 feet). It is a major regional recreation and nautical area in the Idaho Panhandle.

The lake stretches for many miles and offers boating, sport fishing, swimming, and shoreline recreation across numerous bays and public parks. Scenic drives and viewpoints around towns such as Sandpoint and facilities like Farragut State Park provide common access and lookouts over the water.

Pend Oreille is a natural lake formed by glacial and post-glacial processes; it has supported Indigenous peoples, later settlement, and 20th-century recreational and military uses, including naval training exercises in the 20th century. Over time the lake’s shoreline developed with towns, marinas, and parks.

The lake lies in Idaho’s northern Panhandle near the town of Sandpoint, set within a mountainous and forested landscape and forming a prominent feature of northern Idaho’s inland waterways.

• Depth and ranking: Maximum depth reaches approximately 351 meters, making it the deepest lake in Idaho and one of the deepest in the contiguous United States.
• Popular access points: Farragut State Park and the town of Sandpoint are well-known access points and viewing locations on the lake’s shores.

Lake Pend Oreille is reached from Sandpoint, Idaho (US-95). From Sandpoint follow US-200/US-2 along the southern and eastern edges for access points; marinas and state parks have defined parking. The nearest major airport is Spokane, Washington (about 1.5-2 hours by car). Regional bus connections to Sandpoint are available but limited.

• Drive the lakeside scenic byway for frequent pullouts and viewpoints.
• If boat rental is desired, reserve in summer-marinas can fill up on weekends.
• Look for remnants of old logging rail grades along the eastern shore if interested in regional history.