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Is there a Lake Pennsylvania?
No lake is officially named Lake Pennsylvania. A search of the U.S. Geological Survey's national place-name database (GNIS, file dated Sept. 29, 2026) on Oct. 5, 2026 found no lake, reservoir or bay with that name.
The September 2026 proposal
On September 8, 2026, State Rep. David Maloney (R-Berks) announced he was preparing a House resolution urging the President, Congress and the U.S. Secretary of the Interior to rename Lake Erie 'Lake Pennsylvania.'
“Maloney is preparing a resolution urging the President of the United States, Congress, and the United States Secretary of the Interior to take the necessary steps to rename Lake Erie as "Lake Pennsylvania."” — Maloney Says It's Time for Lake Pennsylvania! (Sept. 8, 2026)
On September 9, 2026, he circulated a co-sponsorship memo to all House members.
“In the near future, I will introduce a resolution urging the President of the United States, Congress and the United States Secretary of the Interior to take the necessary steps to rename Lake Erie as "Lake Pennsylvania."” — PA House co-sponsorship memo 49214: It's Time for Lake Pennsylvania (Sept. 9, 2026)
On September 11, 2026, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that the resolution had not yet been formally introduced.
“Maloney's resolution has not yet been formally introduced in the Pennsylvania House.” — The Philadelphia Inquirer, Abigail Covington (Sept. 11, 2026)
Status as of Oct. 5, 2026: the PA House co-sponsorship memo page says the resolution "has not been submitted for introduction yet."
Context
On August 27, 2026, the President signed Executive Order 14422, directing federal use of the name 'Lake America' for Lake Ontario (91 FR 56543, published September 2, 2026). Federal Register
A state House resolution of this kind urges federal officials to act. It does not itself rename anything.
Sources
- Maloney Says It's Time for Lake Pennsylvania! — Sept. 8, 2026
- PA House co-sponsorship memo 49214: It's Time for Lake Pennsylvania — Sept. 9, 2026
- The Philadelphia Inquirer — Sept. 11, 2026
- Honoring the American History of the Great Lakes and Renaming Lake Ontario as Lake America — Aug. 27, 2026 (Executive Order 14422 of August 27, 2026, 91 FR 56543 (published September 2, 2026; FR Doc. 2026-18020))
- USGS GNIS Domestic Names, national file — file dated Sept. 29, 2026, searched Oct. 5, 2026
What this site is
PA Lake Rules Atlas is an independent guide to boating rules on inland Pennsylvania lakes. The domain name is only our address; it isn't the name of a lake or an organisation.
Lake Erie and Presque Isle Bay are outside this atlas.