As a result, many lakes are taken over by harmful algae blooms and accumulate muck on the bottom.

Foul smells and declining fish populations ensue.

Then there are those few, pristine bodies of water thatremain clean and crystal clear.

This aerial view of Lake George features the Narrows

Credit:Jerry Trudell the Skys the Limit/Getty Images

The cleanest among them, according to a new study byA-Z Animals, is Lake George in the Adirondacks.

Multiple resorts, campgrounds, and preserves line the lake, providing entry points to the watery paradise.

There are also plenty of boat cruises and charters.

Lake George Lake George, New York

2.

Crater Lake Klamath County, Oregon

3.

Lake Michigan Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin

4.

Lake Coeur dAlene Kootenai County, Idaho

5.

Lake Tahoe California and Nevada

6.

Lake Chelan North Cascades National Park, Washington

7.

Hanging Lake Glenwood Canyon, Colorado

8.

Flathead Lake Between Polson and Kalispell, Montana

9.

Newfound Lake Grafton County, New Hampshire

10.

Deer Lake Itasca County, Minnesota