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 |
|---|---|---|
| Shenango River Lake, PA/OH (Great Lakes Region, PA, Northeast Ohio, Ohio, Pennsylvania, US Mid-Atlantic Region, US Midwest Region, USA) |
919 ft | Also known as Shenango Reservoir Located mostly in northwestern Pennsylvania between Greenville PA and Sharon PA – and spilling into northeastern Ohio – Shenango River Lake provides f … |
| Lake Osoyoos, WA / Canada (British Columbia, Canada, Canada, North Central Washington, US West Region, USA, Washington) |
913 ft | Also known as Osoyoos Lake Lake Osoyoos spans more than 5,700 acres and straddles the border of British Columbia, Canada and Washington state in the United States. The Okanagan … |
| Lake Lure, NC (Mountains Region, NC, North Carolina, US South Region, USA) |
911 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 … |
| Longview Lake (Missouri, Northwest Missouri, US Midwest Region, USA) |
909 ft | Also known as Longview Reservoir Northwest Missouri’s Longview Lake is one of the recreational focal points of Jackson County Parks and Recreation. The 930-acre lake lies amid 4,852-a … |
| 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 … |
| Mosquito Creek Lake, OH (Northeast Ohio, Ohio, US Midwest Region, USA) |
904 ft | Also known as Mosquito Creek Reservoir, Mosquito Lake Mosquito Creek Lake is one of the highlights of Northeast Ohio. At 7850 acres, it is the second largest inland lake in the state. Also known as Mosqui … |
| Inks Lake, TX (Hill Country Region, TX, Texas, US Southwest Region, USA) |
903 ft | Inks Lake is located about an hour northwest of Austin in the picturesque Texas Hill Country. Measuring just 4.2 miles long and 3000 feet at its wides … |
| Hamilton Lake, IN (Indiana, North Indiana, US Midwest Region, USA) |
900 ft | Located in Northeast Indiana’s beautiful Steuben County, Hamilton Lake is the fourth largest lake in the state. In 1832, several small lakes were damm … |
| Lake Oroville, CA (California, Shasta Cascade Region, CA, US West Region, USA) |
900 ft | Also known as Oroville Reservoir Lake Oroville, snuggled into the Sierra Nevada Foothills about 75 miles north of Sacramento, is one of northern California’s favorite playgrounds. Boa … |
| Lake Wissota, WI (Mississippi-Chippewa Rivers Region, WI, US Midwest Region, USA, Wisconsin) |
897 ft | Also known as Wissota Lake If you are a Titanic (the movie) fan, you might remember Jack Dawson saying that he grew up in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. He also mentioned that he us … |
| Tims Ford Lake, TN (Middle Tennessee, Tennessee, US South Region, USA) |
895 ft | Also known as Tims Ford Reservoir Nestled in south central Tennessee between Tullahoma and Winchester, the clear, deep water of the Elk River meets the wooded sloped shores of Tims For … |
| 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 … |