Utah Lake: Top 19 most interesting facts

You want facts? We got ‘em—some of the more fascinating ones you’ll find:

1. The lake is 24 miles long, 12 miles across (over 96,000 acres)
2. Third largest fresh water lake west of the Mississippi (slightly smaller than Flathead Lake, Montana and Lake Tahoe, California)
3. Average depth is nine feet. Maximum depth is 14 feet
4. Water temperature can get as high as 80 degrees, but averages around 73 degrees during the warm summer months
5. Almost half (41%) of the water in Utah Lake evaporates each year
6. June sucker fish are endangered, native to only Utah Lake, and have a life span of over 40 years
7. There were over ten recreational resorts at one time that surrounded Utah Lake
8. A showboat used to ferry on Utah Lake, featuring ondeck dancing and a full orchestra
9. A boxing match was once staged at the bottom of the lake
10. Natural hot springs around the lake can be found on the south end of the lake and in the Saratoga Springs area
11. The Jordan River pumping station at Utah Lake was the largest pumping plant at the turn of the 20th century
12. Oppositely positioned to the South instead of the North, Utah Lake is patterned after the famous Israeli fresh water lake (Sea of Galilee), in addition to the adjoining Jordan River (name of both locations) and the Great but incredibly salty Salt Lake, which is not unlike the Dead Sea.
13. The first European to see Utah Lake was Father Silvestre Vélez de Escalante in 1776.
14. Utah Lake is a remnant of a much larger pleistocene lake called Lake Bonneville, which existed from 75,000 to 8,000 years ago
15. There are five public boat harbors/marinas: Saratoga Springs City Marina; American Fork City Boat Harbor; Lindon Boat Harbor; Utah Lake State Park; Lincoln Beach Boat Harbor
16. Non-native carp make up 75 percent of all fish (but not for long!)
17. Other fish species include walleye, white bass, channel catfish, and the endangered June sucker, which has made considerable recovery over the last decade
18. Utah Lake has one small island (Bird Island) near the south end of lake
19. The lake makes Utah Valley one of the most favorable habitats of the Great Basin