Over a span of 30+ years I started before there were filters and we did the best we could by boiling when we thought necessary, middle of the lake etc. Then I bought a Pur water purifier and filtered all my water for a few years until I couldn't keep up with my own demand and went back to drinking some water directly from the lake always away from shore. So now I do three things. I drink from the middle of large deep lakes when possible. I filter (pump)when in camp. And when ultra-light traveling without the filter and not near a water source that I think is safe, I use iodine tablets.
Last year on a trip to WCP I decided not to carry the filter and took only iodine tablets. I used the tablets a few times. When I was on a large deep lake I would get water from the middle of the lake. The video link shows the water that I/we were drinking from the middle of some of the lakes we travelled on. This happens to be Carrol Lake.

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Yeah, we drank live moving wiggly bugs and did not really realize it until late in the trip. No harmful effects that we know of however. Once we knew about it we all had one of those "man up" and just drink it moments. Cheers all you middle of the lake drinkers!