Highest elevation lakes & reservoirs in Minneapolis-St. Paul Metro Region, MN by altitude
While lake levels can flucuate frequently based on several circumstances, the altitude/elevation of a lake is based on its normal water level, measured by the lake’s surface distance above sea level. For a reservoir, this water level is also known as “full pond” or “full pool”.Low lake levels can occur due to deliberate seasonal draw downs for irrigation or impending snow melt, reduced water inflows, drought and evaporation, residential or commercial water demands, and hydropower generation. Some lakes’ minimum and maximum elevations are virtually the same. Lakes that generate hydropower may vary by several feet – according to power demand. Lakes whose primary purpose is to prevent flooding can seasonally vary by 100 feet or more. When some lakes reach their minimum elevation, their boat ramps may not be long enough to permit boat access – and boats docked on shallow parts of the lake may end up on dry ground. In those cases, kayakers and shore-based anglers may be among the few happy recreational users of the lake.
A lake’s highest water level, measured by the lake’s surface distance above sea level, that can occur during flooding. A lake’s highest possible maximum elevation is usually the top of the lake’s dam or spillway. At lakes that include residential development, government regulations usually forbid the construction of homes below a lake’s maximum elevation.
You can find many of the world’s highest-elevated lakes on LakeLubbers. Lakes with the lowest elevations (known by LakeLubbers) are shown on the final page of that list. Note: For some lakes, "Altitude/Elevation" data is unknown, so this table may display fewer lakes than the total 19 articles we have published for Minneapolis-St. Paul Metro Region, MN lakes.
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Below are lakes within USA > US Midwest Region > Minnesota > Minneapolis-St. Paul Metro Region, MN > Compared by highest altitude/elevation in feet. This list does not represent all lakes in Minneapolis-St. Paul Metro Region, MN, only the 19 Minneapolis-St. Paul Metro Region, MN lake articles we have published on the LakeLubbers website.
Lake name  |
Elevation in feet |
Lake description |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Sylvia, MN (Minneapolis-St. Paul Metro Region, MN, Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
1,051 ft | Also known as West Lake Sylvia, East Lake Sylvia, Twin Lake, Greater Lake Sylvia The kayaker slips into the water a paddles slowly out into West Lake Sylvia. It is barely light, and there is no one awake but the fishermen and loons … |
| Clearwater Lake MN (Minneapolis-St. Paul Metro Region, MN, Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
996 ft | Just north of Minnesota’s small city of Annandale is Clearwater Lake, a popular residential lake in an area with abundant bodies of water. Visitors an … |
| White Bear Lake (Minneapolis-St. Paul Metro Region, MN, Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
927 ft | White Bear Lake is both a lake and a lakefront community in Ramsey County, Minnesota which attracts year round visitors from across the country. Just … |
| Prior Lake (Minneapolis-St. Paul Metro Region, MN, Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
906 ft | Also known as Lower Prior Lake, Upper Prior Lake Thousands of years ago, when glaciers crept through the part of North America that is now Minnesota, they left behind a series of natural features tha … |
| Colby Lake, MN (Minneapolis-St. Paul Metro Region, MN, Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
894 ft | Situated just southeast of Minnesota’s illustrious Twin Cities, the cozy Colby Lake is comprised of 67 acres in Washington County. It features an aver … |
| Medicine Lake, MN (Minneapolis-St. Paul Metro Region, MN, Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
891 ft | Medicine Lake, in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul Metro Region, is an example of how a concerned community takes care of their natural resources. The 936-a … |
| Lake Elmo (Minneapolis-St. Paul Metro Region, MN, Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
888 ft | Shining like a jewel in an oasis of green, Lake Elmo is located along the eastern city limits of St. Paul, Minnesota. This 281-acre lake has been offe … |