Coeur D'Alene Lake, Glacial lake in Kootenai County, Idaho

Coeur d'Alene Lake is a natural, dam-controlled lake in Kootenai County, northern Idaho, about 25 miles long and 1 to 3 miles wide, with over 109 miles of shoreline. It is fed mainly by the Coeur d'Alene and Saint Joe rivers and drains via the Spokane River. Its level is held by the Post Falls Dam, and in the photograph the water narrows toward low forested hills, with a narrow road curving along the right shore.

The Schitsu'umsh people lived in this region for centuries before British explorer David Thompson arrived as the first European in 1807. Logging and mining companies settled in the late 19th century, using the body of water to transport timber and minerals.

The name renders the French "coeur d'alêne", meaning "heart of an awl", which French-Canadian fur traders applied to the Schitsu'umsh, who call themselves "The Discovered People". The tribe owns the southern third of the lake and its submerged lands, confirmed by the Supreme Court in United States v. Idaho (2001) under an 1873 order by President Ulysses S. Grant. The Schitsu'umsh still manage water quality and fisheries there, and the EPA lets them set their own standards on that portion.

The lake's level is drawn down about 7 feet in winter by the Post Falls Dam on the Spokane River, so summer is the season for boating and swimming; the average summer surface temperature is 67.5 °F. The southern third belongs to the Coeur d'Alene Tribe, and the EPA lets the tribe set its own water-quality standards there. Experts advise against eating fish from the lake and recommend showering after swimming.

Between November and February, over 200 bald eagles gather at Wolf Lodge Bay to feed on spawning kokanee salmon. This seasonal spectacle draws birdwatchers from across the region who gather along the shore to observe the raptors diving and fishing.