Okeechobee, Lake, a lake in southern Florida, just north of the Everglades. Covering 700 square miles (1,800 km2), it is one of the nation's largest natural lakes. Depth, however, averages only about 15 feet (4.6 m). Okeechobee is an Indian word meaning "big water." The lake has no natural outlet. Its water is regulated by dikes and drainage canals that are part of a large water-control project. Lake Okeechobee is part of the Intracoastal Waterway. There is commercial and recreational fishing in the lake.