Lake Okeechobee , locally referred to as "
The Lake", "
Florida's Inland Sea", or "
The Big O", is the largest freshwater
lake in the
state of
Florida. It is the seventh largest freshwater lake in the United States and the second largest freshwater lake (the largest being
Lake Michigan) contained entirely within the
contiguous 48 states. However, it is the largest freshwater lake completely within a single one of the lower 48 states. Okeechobee covers , approximately half the size of the state of
Rhode Island, and is exceptionally shallow for a lake of its size, with an average depth of only 9 feet (2.7 metres). The lake is divided between
Glades,
Okeechobee,
Martin,
Palm Beach, and
Hendry counties. All five counties meet at one point near the center of the lake.