Lake Champlain is the sixth largest freshwater lake in the United States. Its 112 mile length stretches from the top of the Champlain canal at its southern end to the Richelieu River in Canada at its northern end. New York state forms its western shore and Vermont forms its eastern shore. The 490 square miles of the Lake are at their widest - 10 miles - between Burlington, VT and Corlaer Bay, NY. Its deepest point is 392 feet between Split Rock Point, NY and Thompsons Point, VT.

Lake Champlain is a beautiful place to enjoy the water. The sun comes up from behind the Green Mountains in Vermont and sets behind the Adirondacks in New York. Besides providing scenic backgrounds, the mountain ranges also tend to funnel the wind on the Lake to be mostly north or mostly south - sometimes in the same day. There are no tides or currents and the water is clean and fresh.

Because it is such a valuable natural resource, there is great community pride and interest in the Lake. Cities and towns on both sides are actively working to bring their waterfronts back to their citizens.

The open water season on Lake Champlain may be relatively short, but it is intense.

Harborwatch is Lake Champlain's online newspaper. If you want to know what's going on around the Lake, you want to subscribe to  Harborwatch Online. We go where other media can't go and report with expertise and insight other media don't have. We know the lake and we want to tell you about it.