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 |
|---|---|---|
| Castle Rock Lake, WI (Central Sands Prairie Region, WI, US Midwest Region, USA, Wisconsin) |
894 ft | Also known as Castle Rock Flowage Castle Rock Lake offers what lake lovers want: a lot of water, an abundance of fish, and countless beautiful views. Castle Rock one of Wisconsin’s lar … |
| Lake Lugano (Italy, Lombardy Region, Italy, Switzerland, Ticino Region, Switzerland) |
892 ft | Also known as Lago di Lugano, Ceresio Lake Lugano, which curls through southeastern Switzerland just south of the Swiss Alps and borders northern Italy, features the best of both of these … |
| Crystal Lake, NH (Dartmouth-Lake Sunapee Region, NH, New Hampshire, US New England Region, USA) |
892 ft | Crystal Lake, in the town of Enfield in Grafton County, New Hampshire, showcases New England’s scenic beauty with its clean clear water and picturesqu … |
| Lake Guri, Venezuela (Venezuela) |
892 ft | Also known as Lago Guri, Guri Lake, Guri Reservoir Lake Guri, in the Guiana Highlands region of Bolivar Province, Venezuela, is the dream fishing destination for many a fisher folk. Guri Dam provides w … |
| Stockton Lake, MO (Missouri, Southwest Missouri, US Midwest Region, USA) |
892 ft | Stockton Lake is a popular recreational reservoir covering 24,900 acres on the western edge of the scenic Missouri Ozarks. Though perhaps not as widel … |
| 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 … |
| Saylorville Lake, IA (Central Iowa, Iowa, US Midwest Region, USA) |
890 ft | Also known as Saylorville Reservoir Saylorville Lake is a man-made reservoir located on the Des Moines River bordering the town of Polk City, about 11 miles north of Des Moines, Iowa. Th … |
| 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 … |
| Arbuckle Lake, OK (Arbuckle Country, OK, Oklahoma, US Southwest Region, USA) |
885 ft | Also known as Lake of the Arbuckles, Lake Arbuckles, Lake Arbuckle, Arbuckle Reservoir Oklahoma’s Chickasaw National Recreation Area draws over three and a half million visitors a year and their main attraction is Lake of the Arbuckles. … |
| Normandy Reservoir, TN (Middle Tennessee, Tennessee, US South Region, USA) |
880 ft | Also known as Normandy Lake, Lake Normandy Situated in south central Tennessee near Manchester, Normandy Lake draws anglers, campers and boaters from all over. With its proximity to nearby Tims … |
| Smithville Lake, MO (Missouri, Northwest Missouri, US Midwest Region, USA) |
876 ft | Smithville Lake, located in the City of Smithville in northwest Missouri, is a recreational wonderland. With nearly 7,200 surface acres of water, Smit … |
| Cheat Lake, WV (Mountaineer Country, WV, US South Region, USA, West Virginia) |
870 ft | Also known as Lake Lynn A dam built across the Cheat River in 1925 created the scenic reservoir of Cheat Lake. Originally called Lake Lynn, the dam sits nearly at the border … |