Popular Lake in Idaho Named the Prettiest Lake in the State

If you live in Idaho, there’s a 99% chance that you have a favorite lake that you love being at in the summer. The one place where you can wait to get away to when temperatures soar into the triple digits. 

There’s no shortage of choices. The Idaho Department of Water Resources reveals that there are more than 2,000 lakes in the state. The question is which of these lakes is the “prettiest” and who has the authority to judge one lake from another? 

READ MORE: There is a Shockingly Huge Number of Shipwrecks Hiding in Idaho's Lakes

Reader’s Digest Names the “Prettiest Lake in Every State”

Apparently, the staff at Reader’s Digest does. When we saw that they created a list of the prettiest lakes in every state we had a gut feeling that it would be the lake that Idaho shares with Utah - Bear Lake. 

For years, the lake has been called the “Caribbean of the Rockies” because of its unique turquoise blue water. The unique color is the result of microscopic particles of white-colored limestone reflecting the water’s natural blue hue back to the surface. 

Get our free mobile app

To our surprise, Reader’s Digest did NOT pick Bear Lake for Idaho OR Utah. The named Lake Powell, which Utah shares with Arizona, as the Beehive State’s prettiest lake. As for Idaho? The prettiest lake in the state can be found in North Idaho. 

Lake Coeur d’Alene Name Prettiest Lake in Idaho

In choosing Lake Coeur d’Alene Reader’s Digest said: 

Lake Coeur d’Alene is a stunning example of a Pacific Northwest alpine lake, complete with plenty of surrounding pine trees and a distinct cerulean hue. There are many ways to enjoy Lake Coeur d’Alene, with its 135 miles of stunning shoreline, including boating, fishing, and hiking on the Centennial Trail. Bird enthusiasts should pay special attention in late fall to winter when bald eagles, America’s unintended national mascot, flock to the area to feast on the seasonal spawning salmon.

We’ve only been to Lake Coeur d’Alene once and it was on a cloudy day in February, so we probably missed out on seeing how pretty the lake’s water is but we did learn a lot about the lake while taking a Hot Cocoa Cruise around it. 

Did you know that it’s home to a “shipwreck graveyard"? Our tour guide explained that decades ago, when a steamboat was decommissioned, it was easier to strip it for parts and sink it than dispose of it another way. We’ve written about those shipwrecks HERE. 

It’s also home to Cedars Floating Restaurant, which has an impressive 4.5-star rating on Google Reviews and the world’s only floating, movable golf green in the world. If you play the Coeur d’Alene Resort’s golf course you’ll get to take on the one-of-a-kind hole when you reach the 14th hole.