Lake Mattamuskeet-so named by Algonquian Indians-is North Carolina's largest natural lake. The ancient body of water has not escaped man's intervention. Originally, Mattamuskeet was a shallow, self-contained lake without creeks or rivers feeding it. The lake's waters were solely the product of rain, runoff, and groundwater. Europeans first viewed what became known as Lake Mattamuskeet in1585, during one of Sir Walter Raleigh's first expeditions to the New World.