Lake Okeechobee authorized uses for Lake Okeechobee include the following: The wide dike surrounding Lake Okeechobee is the basis for the Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail (LOST), a part of the Florida National Scenic Trail, a trail that is a National Scenic Trail. There is a well-maintained paved pathway along the majority of the perimeter, although with significant breaks. It is used by hikers and bicyclists, and is wide enough to accommodate vehicles. The most common fish in this lake are largemouth bass, crappie, and bluegill. Pickerel have been less commonly caught. Lake Okeechobee and the Everglades are featured as a backdrop for
Lake Okeechobee muck. By the 1960s, all of these settlements were abandoned. In 1926 the Great Miami Hurricane hit the Lake Okeechobee area, killing approximately 300 people. Two years later in 1928, the Okeechobee Hurricane crossed over the lake, killing thousands. The Red Cross reported 1,836 deaths which the National Weather Service initially accepted, but in 2003, the number was revised to "at least 2,500". In both cases the catastrophe was caused by flooding from a storm surge when strong winds drove water over the mud dike that circled the lake at the time. After the two hurricanes, the Florida State Legislature