saltwater lagoon on the Coromandel Coast of Andhra Pradesh state, southern India. It extends from the extreme southeastern portion of Andhra Pradesh into the adjacent portion of Tamil Nadu (Tamil Nādu) state and has a length of about 30 miles (50 km) and a width of 3 to 10 miles (5 to 16 km). The lake is located on the swampy, sandy Andhra plains, and the surrounding area is sparsely settled. Towns along the lake include Dugarajupatnam and Pulicat. The lake yields salt and prawns. Sriharikota Island separates Pulicat Lake from the Bay of Bengal (Bengal, Bay of). The only sea entrance into the lake is north of the town of Pulicat.