Highest elevation lakes & reservoirs in US Southwest Region 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 149 articles we have published for US Southwest Region lakes.
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Below are lakes within USA > US Southwest Region > Compared by highest altitude/elevation in feet. This list does not represent all lakes in US Southwest Region, only the 149 US Southwest Region lake articles we have published on the LakeLubbers website.
Lake name | Elevation in feet | Lake description |
---|---|---|
Lake Marble Falls, TX (Hill Country Region, TX, Texas, US Southwest Region, USA) |
756 ft | Also known as Marble Falls Reservoir Lake Marble Falls, in the central Texas Hill Country, is the 4th and the smallest lake in the Highland Lakes chain. It was created by the Lower Colora … |
Grand Lake O’the Cherokees, OK (Green Country, OK, Oklahoma, US Southwest Region, USA) |
755 ft | Also known as Grand Lake Over the Cherokees Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees stands out as a sapphire jewel tucked into the northeastern Oklahoma landscape. Created in 1940, the reservoir stretches f … |
Keystone Lake, OK (Green Country, OK, Oklahoma, US Southwest Region, USA) |
754 ft | Keystone Lake is an impressive 26,000-acre recreational gem located in north-central Oklahoma, just 15 miles west of Tulsa. Natural beauty surrounds t … |
Copan Lake, OK (Green Country, OK, Oklahoma, US Southwest Region, USA) |
732 ft | Also known as Lake Copan, Copan Reservoir Named after a small town situated near its banks in Oklahoma, Copan Lake was completed in 1983. Flood control, water supply, water quality control, re … |
Skiatook Lake, OK (Green Country, OK, Oklahoma, US Southwest Region, USA) |
729 ft | Also known as Skiatook Reservoir Scenic Skiatook Lake covers 10,500 acres in northern Oklahoma’s Green Country, just 30 minutes from Tulsa. The lake’s 160 miles of shoreline are surro … |
Benbrook Lake (Prairies and Lakes Region, TX, Texas, US Southwest Region, USA) |
724 ft | Also known as Lake Benbrook, Benbrook Reservoir Sprawled along the Clear Fork branch of the Trinity River in the Texas Prairies and Lakes region, Benbrook Lake works hard to improve the quality of l … |
Lake Travis, TX (Hill Country Region, TX, Texas, US Southwest Region, USA) |
714 ft | Lake Travis is a beautiful 18,930 acre reservoir in the Hill Country of central Texas, about 12 miles northwest of Austin. It is over 63 miles long wi … |
Lake Granbury, TX (Prairies and Lakes Region, TX, Texas, US Southwest Region, USA) |
694 ft | One of only three lakes that dam the Brazos River, Lake Granbury was created in 1969 to provide storage capacity for flood and storm waters for munici … |
Tenkiller Lake, OK (Green Country, OK, Oklahoma, US Southwest Region, USA) |
667 ft | Also known as Lake Tenkiller, Tenkiller Ferry Lake Tenkiller Lake is an amazing place filled with fascinating history and natural beauty in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains. There’s tons of fun to … |
Oologah Lake, OK (Green Country, OK, Oklahoma, US Southwest Region, USA) |
661 ft | Also known as Oolagah Reservoir Located in the northeast corner of Oklahoma, in the Green Country region, Oolagah Lake hides a wealth of surprises for the visitor. Located just a hal … |
Lake Mohave, AZ/NV (Arizona, Las Vegas Territory, NV, Nevada, US Southwest Region, US West Region, USA, West Coast Region, AZ) |
655 ft | Lake Mohave is a man-made reservoir on the Colorado River that spans 28,260 acres. It is a part of the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, and was cre … |
Lake Texoma, OK/TX (Arbuckle Country, OK, Oklahoma, Prairies and Lakes Region, TX, Texas, US Southwest Region, USA) |
640 ft | Also known as Texoma Lake An 89,000-acre jewel set into the landscape of Texas and Oklahoma, Lake Texoma is a sparkling wonder of deep blue water and beautiful green shores. Wi … |