Highest elevation lakes & reservoirs in 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 2151 articles we have published for lakes.
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Below are lakes within Compared by highest altitude/elevation in feet. This list does not represent all lakes in , only the 2151 lake articles we have published on the LakeLubbers website.
Lake name  |
Elevation in feet |
Lake description |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Baikal, Russia (Eastern Siberia Region, Russia, Russia) |
1,496 ft | Also known as Lake Baykal, Sacred Sea, Pearl of Siberia, Blue Eye of Siberia, Galapagos of Russia Russia’s national treasure, Lake Baikal, is the world’s deepest lake and is our planet’s largest freshwater lake measured by water volume. Its bottom … |
| Gile Flowage, WI (Lake Superior Northwoods Region, WI, US Midwest Region, USA, Wisconsin) |
1,495 ft | Tucked away in Wisconsin’s Northwoods, Gile Flowage is a lovely wilderness getaway. With its undeveloped shoreline and all the amenities of nearby Hur … |
| Youghiogheny River Lake (Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh & Countryside Region, PA, US Mid-Atlantic Region, USA) |
1,470 ft | Also known as Yough Lake In the heart of the Laurel Highlands and spanning the Mason-Dixon Line between Pennsylvania and Maryland lays Youghiogheny River Lake. The U.S. Army C … |
| Lake Nokomis, WI (Lake Superior Northwoods Region, WI, US Midwest Region, USA, Wisconsin) |
1,463 ft | It is no accident that Oneida County’s motto is “Where nature lingered longer.” Wisconsin’s Northwoods are truly inspiring. With over a thousand lakes … |
| Pickerel Lake, MN (Minnesota, Northwest Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
1,458 ft | Minnesota’s northwest region is draped in majestic forests and dotted with some of the state’s most pristine lakes including Pickerel Lake. Surrounded … |
| Devil’s Lake, ND (North Central Region, ND, North Dakota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
1,458 ft | Also known as Devils Lake Spring 2011: Water levels continue to rise with melting snow and spring rains, reaching 1,453 feet above sea level and about 177,000 acres in April. A … |
| Pipestem Lake, ND (North Dakota, South Central Region, ND, US Midwest Region, USA) |
1,454 ft | Pipestem Lake stretches five and a half miles long on Pipestem Creek in south-central North Dakota, just a few miles north of Jamestown. With 840 acre … |
| Saganaga Lake, MN / Canada (Canada, Minnesota, Northeast Minnesota, Ontario, Canada, US Midwest Region, USA) |
1,435 ft | The 13,832 acres of Saganaga Lake straddle the border of Northeastern Minnesota and Ontario, Canada. Part of the well known Boundary Waters Canoe Area … |
| Cheney Reservoir, KS (Kansas, South Central Kansas, US Midwest Region, USA) |
1,429 ft | Also known as Cheney Lake Cheney Reservoir is the premier recreation spot for outdoor activity in south central Kansas. Constructed by the Bureau of Reclamation, it was complet … |
| Lake Ariel, PA (Northeastern Mountains Region, PA, Pennsylvania, US Mid-Atlantic Region, USA) |
1,427 ft | For over 150 years people have been making their way to the Pocono Mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania to enjoy the beautiful waters of Lake Ariel. … |
| Tom Steed Lake, OK (Great Plains Country, OK, Oklahoma, US Southwest Region, USA) |
1,423 ft | Also known as Tom Steed Reservoir Tom Steed Lake lies on West Otter Creek, nestled in the heart of the Great Plains Country, north of the Oklahoma-Texas border. Boasting 31 miles of sh … |
| Birch Lake, MN (Minnesota, Northeast Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
1,422 ft | Located in St. Louis County Minnesota and the Superior National Forest, Birch Lake is an escape from the hustle and bustle of the concrete civilizatio … |