Bay

A bay is an extensive area of a large lake or the ocean that extends into the land, being enclosed on three sides. Bays are prominent for inshore fishing (see) in saltwater and also for varied fishing activities in freshwater, in part because of their generally shallow nature, often the presence of current, and the fact that some (especially in saltwater) are part of estuary (see) systems. In small lakes an area that would otherwise be classified as a bay may be called a cove.