What is the name of the lake on which Esgaroth sits?

Esgaroth sits on the Long Lake in northeastern Middle-earth. Esgaroth is the town’s formal name, while Lake-town is the familiar English name used in The Hobbit.

The settlement is built largely on wooden platforms and piles over the lake, near the mouth of the Forest River and south of the Lonely Mountain. Its position makes it an important trading centre linking the Men of Lake-town with the Elves of Mirkwood and the Dwarves travelling toward Erebor.

Bilbo and Thorin’s Company reach Esgaroth after escaping the Elvenking’s halls in barrels. From there, they travel north by boat toward the Lonely Mountain. The town’s elected Master welcomes them, hoping that the arrival of Thorin’s company will bring trade and prosperity.

Esgaroth is destroyed when Smaug attacks after Bilbo’s intrusion into his lair. Bard the Bowman kills the dragon, and a rebuilt Lake-town is established farther north after the Battle of the Five Armies. The Long Lake itself is fed by the Forest River and drains south through the River Running.