Introduction to Pitch Lake: Trinidad and Tobago Asphalt Lake (Pitch Lake) covers an area of 46 hectares, and the bottom of the lake is unfathomable. Surrounded by lush tropical plants, trees such as cashew and breadfruit grow near the lake shore. It was formed 50 million years ago from the remains of biological decay on the seabed. It is currently the largest and only mineable natural asphalt lake in the world.