NORTH WEBSTER — Anyone familiar with Lake Tippecanoe in North Webster is also familiar with the joys of the lake. The beautiful sunsets, family fun, delicious cuisine, relaxing atmosphere and great boating are some of the best around. What locals did find a surprise was the lake’s recent stint on MSN’s best lakes in 50 states.

With a maximum depth of 122 feet, “Tippy,” is the deepest lake in the state, according to the website Cheapism.com. Dan Drook, former president of Lake Tippecanoe Property Owners, laughed as he told fishermen’s tales and noted his friend found the lake to have a depth of 155 feet.

“You can see 10 to 12 boats lined up to go into the lake around 6 or 7 in the morning,” said Drook.

Drook is now the chairman of the Tippecanoe Flotilla and part of the “I (love) this lake” campaign. “I do it because I love this lake,” said Drook.

Lake Tippecanoe is part of the Tippecanoe River and connects to Lake James and Lake Oswego, another great reason to explore the area.

One part of what Drook feels makes the lake great enough to make the cut is the cooperation and respect among the homeowners around the lake. “The people around this lake really care,” said Drook. “People have respect for other property owners.” He noted the LTPO used over $5,000 of funds to help pay for the cleanup of starry stonewort, an algae, and LTPO has also begun the process of dredging the lake to remove sediment.

With the help of Department of Natural Resources grants and local residents like Drook, the community can help keep the lake clean and fun for families. Drook said the ultimate goal is to “preserve the lake and make it fun.” It also offers fun events throughout the year, such as the flotilla, annual fish fry and fireworks.

Although the lake is currently under an idle-only restriction imposed by the DNR, Drook noted “it’s not always about going fast.”

To see the recognition, visit www.cheapism.com. For more information about the Lake Tippecanoe and connecting bodies of water, visit www.ltpo.org.