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 |
|---|---|---|
| High Rock Lake, NC (North Carolina, Piedmont Region, NC, US South Region, USA) |
52 ft | The northernmost of the Uwharrie Lakes, High Rock Lake enjoys its spot as North Carolina’s second largest reservoir entirely within the state: its wat … |
| Finger Lakes of the South (East Tennessee, Mountains Region, NC, North Carolina, Tennessee, US South Region, USA) |
50 ft | Also known as Chilhowie Lake, Calderwood Lake, Cheoah Lake. Chilhowie Reservoir, Calderwood Reservoir, Cheoah Reservoir Three reservoirs on the Little Tennessee River in northwestern North Carolina and Southeastern Tennessee offer some of the most spectacular wilderness … |
| Lake Royale, NC (North Carolina, Piedmont Region, NC, US South Region, USA) |
40 ft | Also known as Lake Sagamore Situated in the plains, valleys and gentle hills of North Carolina’s Piedmont region is a private lake resort community called Lake Royale. As its nam … |
| Oak Hollow Lake, NC (North Carolina, Piedmont Region, NC, US South Region, USA) |
36 ft | Also known as Highpoint Reservoir Tucked in between Winston-Salem and Greensboro, North Carolina, sparkling 810-acre Oak Hollow Lake is the primary water supply for the City of High Po … |
| Hyco Lake, NC (North Carolina, Piedmont Region, NC, US South Region, USA) |
30 ft | Hyco Lake is a man-made reservoir located in northern North Carolina near the Virginia state line in the Roanoke River Basin. In the early 1960s, the … |
| Lake Waccamaw, NC (Coast Region, NC, North Carolina, US South Region, USA) |
12 ft | Lake Waccamaw in southeastern North Carolina is estimated to have formed around 250,000 years ago, although the exact origin of its formation is uncer … |
| Bay Tree Lakes (Coast Region, NC, North Carolina, US South Region, USA) |
9 ft | Canals reminiscent of Venice weave through the private community of Bay Tree Lakes in the Coastal region of North Carolina. The manmade canals connect … |
| Greenfield Lake (Coast Region, NC, North Carolina, US South Region, USA) |
7 ft | Only those lucky enough to spend time in Wilmington, North Carolina will see Greenfield Lake. That’s because the small man-made reservoir is located w … |
| Lake Mattamuskeet, NC (Coast Region, NC, North Carolina, US South Region, USA) |
5 ft | 40,000-acre Lake Mattamuskeet is located in North Carolina’s Coastal tourism region. Although the lake averages only 2-3 feet deep, it is one of the m … |