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Lake James is a natural lake located in the northeast corner of the state of Indiana in the United States. It is popular as a place for boating and fishing, and has a wide variety of wildlife. As the state's fourth largest natural lake, it has over of surface water, and consists of three basins. Its water quality is ranked among the best in Indiana lakes. The lake is the largest of a group of lakes known as the James Lake Chain. These lakes are located mostly in Steuben County, Indiana, but also extend into southern Michigan. During the 1700s, the lake was part of a huge swamp that was the hunting grounds for the Potawatomi Indians. As European fur traders made wild game scarce, the Indians were persuaded to sell their land and move west. Pokagon State Park, located along all three of the lake's basins, is named in honor of two Potawatomi leaders: Simon Pokagon and his father Leopold. The park, with grounds of more than , is open all year. Camping sites are available, and the park features hiking trails, a toboggan, and two beaches. The park's Potawatomi Inn faces the north side of the lake's lower basin. Lake James was named by surveyor James Watson Riley. It was first surveyed in 1831 by E. H. Lytle, and settlement began shortly thereafter. Settlement around the lake was initially slow, as there were no roads that provided access. The construction of a small railroad between the city of Angola and the lake's southern tip spurred development, as visitors could ride a train to Angola and connect to the lake. After arriving at the lake by train, many of the original cottage owners took a boat to their cottage. With the exception of Pokagon State Park and a private campground, nearly all of the lake's shoreline is now developed. Much of the development consists of cottages and homes, which began over 100 years ago. Two additional lakes of significant size, Jimmerson Lake and Snow Lake, are connected to Lake James. Water from these lakes flows west, and eventually reaches Lake Michigan. ==Description== Lake James is a glacial lake located in the northeastern corner of the state of Indiana. The lake occupies an area west of Interstate highway 69 in Indiana's Steuben County, which borders Michigan and Ohio. The city of Angola is located about southeast of the lake's southern tip.〔 The northern half of Lake James is in the county's Jamestown Township, while the southern half is located in Pleasant Township. The lake consists of three sections called the First, Second, and Third Basins, where the First Basin is the southernmost and the Third Basin is the northernmost of the three. Snow Lake lies on the north side of the Third (northern) Basin. Although a separate lake today, it was described as one of "four portions" of Lake James in a report from the early 20th century.〔 Vegetation effectively separated Snow Lake from Lake James around the end of the 19th century. As Indiana's fourth largest natural lake, Lake James is large enough to be the site of a state park and multiple boat ramps. The lake has a surface area of , and about of shoreline. Its elevation is . The lake's mean depth is . All three basins are deepest in their center, and the deepest part of the lake is .〔 All three basins also have sunken islands, and an island in the First Basin remains above the water level.〔 The island located in the First Basin is about from the shore on the south side of the lake. During the early 20th century, it was known as Kemery Island. It has one cottage, a pier, and several trees. Lake James has two other islands that might be more appropriately described as an islet and a tidal island. A small islet can be found near what was Bledsoe's Beach on the west side of the Second Basin near Jimmerson Creek. This tiny island is unofficially known as Goat Island. The small piece of land was not originally an island, but became one as erosion created a channel on its west side. Beginning in 1969, and continuing into the 1970s, goats were left on the island during the summer to "mow" the vegetation. The practice of using goats to groom the island was discontinued later in the 1970s, but locals still call the tiny piece of land "Goat Island". The lake's Third Basin has a residential subdivision known as Eagle Island. This tidal island is located on the north side of the Third Basin, and is connected to the mainland by wetlands and marshes.〔 A group of about 10 cottages on the island are accessed via a causeway. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Lake James (Indiana)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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