Joseph Edward Lake (born October 18, 1941) is an American career diplomat who, in 1990, became the first resident U.S.

Ambassador to Albania (1994–1996) and then Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Information Management (1996–1997).

He is the father of late science fiction author Jay Lake.

After serving in several capacities in overseas assignments in Canada, Dahomey, and China he became an analyst in the Office of Research for East Asia in the Bureau of Intelligence and Research at the Department of State from 1969 to 1971.

In 1987 Lake was named director of the Department of State's operations center.