If you’re looking for a place to get away from it all and reconnect with the great outdoors, Bayview, Idaho may be the right spot for you. Lake Pend Oreille is known for its beauty, recreation, and fishing. But besides pike, trout, and bass, there are much larger, sinister things swimming below in the aquatic depths. Dubbed the underwater Area 51, the U.S. Navy uses the largest lake in the Gem State to test advanced submarines before sending them into service. Read next: Could Lake Michigan Become “Area 52”?

Underwater Area 51 Idaho

You’re likely to find more peace than anything in the Idaho panhandle’s pristine lake near Bayview, yet the underwater Area 51 that operates in the lake continues to test advanced submersibles in preparation for the next generation of naval warfare. The U.S. Navy Acoustic Research Detachment (ARD) uses Pend Oreille as it is quiet, deep, and secluded. With a maximum depth of 1,150 feet, Lake Pend Oreille is the fifth deepest lake in the United States. It’s remote, so there isn’t a lot of traffic making noise that interferes with equipment testing, either. This is important for a few different reasons that are important to the U.S. Navy Acoustic Research Detachment, including: Fewer eyes mean secrets are more likely to remain hidden. Especially in the digital age, keeping information away from our rivals and enemies continues to be an increasing challenge. The population of only hundreds of people is also good for reducing noise. This allows for more effective acoustic studies for the Navy. The ARD is able to hone in on specific tests and missions that other bodies of water make difficult to achieve. The fact that there's an Area 51 underwater in Idaho is a bit of a shocking realization, as it’s far less popular than its counterpart in the Nevada desert. Ironically, Area 51 is also located on a "lake," albeit Groom Lake is actually a salt flat these days. Nevertheless, there are incredible submarines being developed by ARD farther north. And, in a further shocking twist, a second underwater Area 51 may also exist. Suggested read: Declining Lake Mead Water Level Unearths WWII-Era Secret

Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center (AUTEC)

If you’re headed to the Bahamas for some R&R, it’s quite understandable, but make no mistake, the island plays an important role in U.S. security. Some of these responsibilities are what have earned AUTEC the nickname “underwater Area 51 Bahamas.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gETM2xd5J5I While the UFO Hunters underwater Area 51 episode may be looking at capabilities from the heavens, the secretive functions occurring under the surf are what’s really important. This isn’t new, however, as the Navy had plans for these facilities dating back all the way to the 1940s. Eventually, the Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center was established in 1959 in the Tongue of the Ocean (TOTO) in the Bahamas, and was officially commissioned in 1967. The facility was designed to conduct underwater acoustic measurements, test sonar, and provide tracking data for the Navy's antisubmarine and undersea research programs. Today, the AUTEC strategic plan continues to prepare the U.S. Navy’s fleet and warfighters with its three offshore test ranges: the Weapons Range, the Acoustics Range, and the Sonar Range. Training and certification for Sailors also occur at the Area 51 underwater base in the Caribbean.

An Area 51 Underwater Base Isn’t Such a Crazy Idea

The practicality of calm waters and seclusion works on multiple levels for the function of the ARD. Thankfully, Lake Pend Oreille is there for use and recent developments are a reminder of how important keeping military secrets as secrets can be: In 2023, mysterious balloons suspected to serve as Chinese espionage tools have been spotted relatively close to Lake Pend Oreille in Billings, Montana. In addition, an increasing number of collaborations and military bases are popping up for Russia and China in the Caribbean and South America. For now, the best kept, but not too secret, underwater Area 51 is going to continue to help the Navy usher in new submarine technology as it’s positioned perfectly to do so. As for any anglers out there on the lake, be careful what you try to reel in…because you never know. Read next: 6 Underwater Discoveries Reveal What the Military Has Lost in the Ocean