Tippecanoe Lake facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lake Tippecanoe |
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 Lake Tippecanoe
Location in Indiana
Lake Tippecanoe
Location in the United States
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| Location | Leesburg, Kosciusko County, Indiana, US |
| Coordinates | 41°19′40″N 085°45′35″W / 41.32778°N 85.75972°W |
| Type | Glacial lake |
| Primary inflows | James Lake, Grassy Creek |
| Primary outflows | Oswego Lake to Tippecanoe River |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Surface area | 880 acres (360 ha) |
| Average depth | 37 ft (11 m) |
| Max. depth | 123 ft (37 m) |
| Residence time | 4 years |
| Surface elevation | 837 ft (255 m) |
Lake Tippecanoe is a large lake in Leesburg, Indiana. It was formed by glaciers long ago. At 123 feet deep, it is the deepest natural lake in Indiana.
Contents
Exploring Lake Tippecanoe
Lake Tippecanoe is about two miles west of North Webster, Indiana. You can also find the small area of Oswego, Indiana near its west-northwestern shore.
Fun Activities on the Lake
Lake Tippecanoe is a popular spot for many fun activities. People love to go fishing, boating, and skiing here. Most of the land around the lake has homes on it.
A cool historical place is on the southwest shore. It's called Tippy Dance Hall. This building was built in the late 1950s. It had both covered and open-air areas. Many famous musicians played there, like Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong. Even the band The Byrds played there in the 1960s. From the mid-1980s until 2016, it was a teen dance club. It hosted Saturday night dances all summer long. Now, the building is for sale, and the dance club is closed.
Places Around the Lake
Many interesting spots are located around Lake Tippecanoe:
- Bel Rohr Park is on Patona Bay, on the far northwest side of the lake. You'll find Patona Bay Resort and Patona Bay Marina here.
- Black's Landing is on the northern shore, across from Government Point.
- Forest Glen is on the central western shore, east of Stanton Lake.
- Government Point is on the southern shore. It's north of Pie-Eyed Petey's Marina.
- Kalorama Park is on the northern shore, opposite Forest Glen. This is also where the Tippecanoe Lake Country Club is.
- Mineral Springs is on the southeastern shore.
- Stony Ridge is on the northwestern shore, across Patona Bay from Bel Rohr Park.
- Walker's Landing is on the northern shore, west of Black's Landing.
Cool Places to Visit
Tippecanoe Lake Country Club
The Tippecanoe Lake Country Club is a private club. It is one of the lake's biggest attractions. You can find it north of Kalorama Park. The club opened on April 15, 1926. Its clubhouse opened a few months later.
The club hosted professional golf tournaments in the past. Famous golfers like Kathy Cornelius and Mickey Wright played here. Besides golf, the club offers tennis, swimming, and boating. They also have a big fireworks show for July 4th.
Marinas and Resorts
Marinas are places where boats can be stored, repaired, and rented.
Patona Bay Marina and Resort
Patona Bay Marina is on the west side of Lake Tippecanoe. It sells new and used boats. You can also rent boats and kayaks here for a day or a week. The marina offers boat storage and helps put boats in and take them out of the water.
Patona Bay Resort has been around since the 1920s. It's a seasonal resort with many units. Families can rent a spot for the summer months. Some people bring their campers or RVs. There's even a small area for tent camping. The resort is a more affordable way for families to enjoy the lake. It has a snack bar with a small arcade. There's also a free library for kids. The resort has a private swimming beach and areas for children to play. They also host family events on summer holidays.
Pie-Eyed Petey's Restaurant and Marina
Note: Pie-Eyed Petey's Restaurant closed in 2018. The marina and gas pumps might still be open in a limited way.
Pie-Eyed Petey's used to be a full-service restaurant and bar. It was the only one on the lake. The menu included pizzas, subs, and hamburgers. The restaurant had a fun, old-fashioned lake theme. It showed off items from Lake Tippecanoe's past. There was also an outdoor "Tiki" Bar with TVs. A red lighthouse was built nearby.
Tippecanoe Boat Co Inc
Tippecanoe Boat Co. Inc. is a marina on the northeast side of the lake. You reach it through a long channel. Gas for boats is available here. It is also a full boat dealership.
Getting to the Lake
You can get to Lake Tippecanoe from several public spots:
- Grassy Creek: This creek connects Lake Tippecanoe to other lakes upstream. There's a boat ramp on the east side of the creek.
- Patona Bay Resort: On the northwest shore.
- Tippy Dance Hall: On the southwest shore.
- Tippecanoe Boat Company: On the northeast shore.
- Pie-Eyed Petey's Marina and Restaurant: On the southeast shore.
How the Lake Drains
The water from Lake Tippecanoe flows into the Tippecanoe River. This river then flows south to the Wabash River. The Tippecanoe River ends near Battle Ground, Indiana.
Two large reservoirs, Lake Shafer and Lake Freeman, get their water from the Tippecanoe River. Dams control the water flow into these reservoirs.
Lake Legends
There are some interesting stories about Lake Tippecanoe:
- One myth says the lake has a "false bottom" made of silt. Underneath this, there's supposedly a spring that goes down 200 to 300 feet!
- Another story is that a crashed airplane is somewhere in the lake. Some say it's a large B-17 Flying Fortress, while others say it's a small private plane.
- A funny myth says that SCUBA divers went so deep into the lake that they had to come up when the fish became bigger than them!
