Pymatuning Lake is located in northwestern Pennsylvania but a percentage spills over into northeastern Ohio. It was created in 1933 after being authorized by the Pennsylvania legislature some 20 years prior. The purpose was, ostensibly, to control the flood waters of the Shenango and Ohio River Valleys. The area was originally carved out by the encroaching glaciers of the Ice Age but subsequently reverted to marsh-like status.
The lake covers 17,000 acres and is 16 miles long with 70 miles of shoreline that has given rise to numerous recreational opportunities and facilities including Pymatuning State Park. The average depth of the lake is 35 feet and holds just over 67 billion gallons of water.
The name was derived from a Native American term meaning "Crooked-mouthed man's dwelling place"--the "crooked mouth" was their term for liar.