Lake Taal (Tagalog: Lawa ng Taal), formerly known as Lake Bombón, is a freshwater caldera lake located in the province of Batangas, on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. The lake fills Taal Volcano, a large volcanic caldera formed by very large eruptions between 500,000 and 100,000 years ago.
Taal Lake was once an inlet to nearby Balayan Bay and was easily navigable from from this one. A series of major eruptions in the early 18th century hit lakeside towns with earthquakes and volcanic debris. Activity peaked in 1754 with the largest eruption of the Taal Volcano which blocked the Pansipit River with tephra, blocking the lake's only outlet to the sea. This caused the waters to rise, eventually submerging several towns along the lake - the remains of which would be visible underwater to this day. Since the 1754 eruption, the surface elevation has risen from sea level to 5m (16ft) above sea level, with the once saline waters of the lake becoming fresh water after centuries of precipitation.