Deepest lakes & reservoirs in North Carolina by maximum depth (ft)
The estimated greatest depth of the water in a lake can be measured at the lake’s normal elevation. If the water volume and surface area of a lake are known, an estimate of the lake’s average depth can be calculated:Water volume ÷ Surface Area = Average Depth
Example: 1,000,000 acre-feet ÷ 20,000 acres = 50 feet average depth.
You can find many of the the world’s deepest lakes on LakeLubbers. If you sort the list, you will find the (maximum depth of) the shallowest lakes in our database. Note: For some lakes, lake depth data is unknown, so this table may display fewer lakes than the total 45 articles we have published for North Carolina lakes.
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Below are lakes within USA > US South Region > North Carolina > Compared by maximum depth in feet. This list does not represent all lakes in North Carolina, only the 45 North Carolina lake articles we have published on the LakeLubbers website.
Lake name  |
Max depth in feet |
Lake description |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Norman, NC (North Carolina, Piedmont Region, NC, US South Region, USA) |
110 ft | Lake Norman’s 32,510 acres garner it the superlative of being North Carolina’s largest manmade lake. An impressive 34 miles in length with 520 miles o … |
| Lake Lure, NC (Mountains Region, NC, North Carolina, US South Region, USA) |
110 ft | Snuggled into the emerald mountains of western North Carolina, Lake Lure’s 720 acres sparkle in the sunlight. Clean water, beautiful scenery, and rura … |
| Lake Hickory, NC (North Carolina, Piedmont Region, NC, US South Region, USA) |
100 ft | Lake Hickory, situated in west central North Carolina near the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains, is one of several man-made reservoirs in North Carolina’ … |
| Roanoke Rapids Lake (North Carolina, Piedmont Region, NC, US South Region, USA) |
99 ft | Often overshadowed by its better-known neighbor Lake Gaston, Roanoke Rapids Lake offers a quieter and less crowded spot for recreation. The third rese … |
| Lake Gaston, NC/VA (North Carolina, Piedmont Region, NC, Southern Virginia Region, US South Region, USA, Virginia) |
95 ft | Lake Gaston covers 20,300 acres along 34 miles of Virginia and North Carolina real estate. The lake was created in 1963 by the Virginia Electric and P … |
| Lake Tillery, NC (North Carolina, Piedmont Region, NC, US South Region, USA) |
72 ft | Also known as Tillery Reservoir Less than an hour’s drive from Charlotte, Lake Tillery is one of the best-kept secrets of the Piedmont Region of North Carolina. One of the reservoirs … |
| Jordan Lake, NC (North Carolina, Piedmont Region, NC, US South Region, USA) |
66 ft | Also known as B. Everett Jordan Reservoir, New Hope Lake Jordan Lake, initially called New Hope Lake, is a 13,940-acre reservoir in central North Carolina’s Piedmont region, part of the Upper Cape Fear River … |
| W. Kerr Scott Reservoir, NC (Mountains Region, NC, North Carolina, US South Region, USA) |
65 ft | Also known as W. Kerr Scott Lake W. Kerr Scott Reservoir is a 1,475-acre reservoir located near Wilkesboro, North Carolina in the Mountains tourism region. Built by the U.S. Army Corp … |
| Lake Toxaway, NC (Mountains Region, NC, North Carolina, US South Region, USA) |
60 ft | Tucked away amidst the ancient Appalachian Mountains is the largest private lake in North Carolina – Lake Toxaway. Lake Toxaway, spanning 640 acres, w … |
| Harris Lake, NC (North Carolina, Piedmont Region, NC, US South Region, USA) |
58 ft | Also known as Shearon Harris Reservoir Harris Lake, stretching its watery fingers out over 4,100 North Carolina acres, was created by Carolina Power and Light by impoundment of Buckhorn Cre … |
| Tuckertown Reservoir (North Carolina, Piedmont Region, NC, US South Region, USA) |
55 ft | Also known as Tuckertown Lake The Tuckertown Reservoir in North Carolina’s Piedmont region is a stunning example of how hydroelectric power generation can mesh with habitat preserv … |
| Lake Rhodhiss, NC (Mountains Region, NC, North Carolina, US South Region, USA) |
52 ft | Also known as Rhodhiss Lake Lake Rhodhiss spans 3,060 acres in Burke and Caldwell Counties of west central North Carolina, lying between Lake James and Lake Hickory. A view of su … |