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 |
|---|---|---|
| J. Edward Roush Lake, IN (East Indiana, Indiana, US Midwest Region, USA) |
798 ft | Also known as Huntington Lake J. Edward Roush Lake is one of three Upper Wabash Valley lakes and is situated in Huntington and Wells counties. The northeastern Indiana shoreline is … |
| Melton Hill Reservoir, TN (East Tennessee, Tennessee, US South Region, USA) |
796 ft | Also known as Melton Hill Lake Melton Hill Reservoir, also known as Melton Hill Lake, is an impoundment of the Clinch River. Located near Oak Ridge, TN, the reservoir extends 57 mil … |
| Elizabeth Lake, IL/WI (Illinois, Lake Michigan Region, WI, Northern Illinois, US Midwest Region, USA, Wisconsin) |
794 ft | Also known as Lake Elizabeth, Twin Lakes Lake Elizabeth or Elizabeth Lake, as it is more commonly known, has been a vacation getaway for over 150 years. Located in the Northern Region of Illi … |
| Salamonie Lake, IN (East Indiana, Indiana, US Midwest Region, USA) |
793 ft | Also known as Salamonie Reservoir Salamonie Lake is a large, unspoiled reservoir spanning the border of both Huntington and Wabash Counties in north central Indiana. The lake is part o … |
| Heyburn Lake, OK (Green Country, OK, Oklahoma, US Southwest Region, USA) |
784 ft | In the Green Country of northeastern Oklahoma, Heyburn Lake lies in a setting of gently sloping hills with a thickly wooded area that celebrates each … |
| Lake Red Rock, IA (Iowa, South Central Iowa, US Midwest Region, USA) |
782 ft | Also known as Red Rock Lake, Red Rock Reservoir Lake Red Rock is a reservoir in south-central Iowa created by the Army Corps of Engineers. This Marion County lake was constructed over the course of … |
| Lake Koshkonong, WI (Southern Savanna Region, WI, US Midwest Region, USA, Wisconsin) |
780 ft | Sprawled across southern Wisconsin, just a few miles down the Rock River from Fort Atkinson, Lake Koshkonong is a fantastic place to boat and fish. Th … |
| Mississinewa Lake, IN (East Indiana, Indiana, US Midwest Region, USA) |
779 ft | Also known as Mississinewa Reservoir Visitors to north central Indiana will find myriad recreational activities, surrounded by unspoiled, scenic beauty at Mississinewa Lake. This 3,180-ac … |
| Brookville Lake, IN (Indiana, South Central Indiana, US Midwest Region, USA) |
775 ft | Also known as Brookville Reservoir Nestled in the heart of the Whitewater River Valley, Brookville Lake is a gorgeous body of water providing water storage and many fine recreational ac … |
| Birch Lake, OK (Green Country, OK, Oklahoma, US Southwest Region, USA) |
774 ft | Also known as Birch Reservoir, Lake Birch Birch Lake is nestled into northeast Oklahoma’s Green Country. Fall and spring turn the prairie grasses and hardwood tree leaves around the lake into … |
| Great Sacandaga Lake, NY (Adirondacks Region, NY, Capital-Saratoga Region, NY, New York, US Mid-Atlantic Region, USA) |
771 ft | Also known as Great Sacanadaga Reservoir Great Sacandaga Lake, located in the Adirondack Mountains of New York, is a reservoir built to control flooding on the Hudson River and the Sacandaga … |
| Andover Lake, CT (Connecticut, River Valley Region, CT, US New England Region, USA) |
767 ft | Located in the town of Andover in northeastern Connecticut, Andover Lake provides a wonderful sense of community that only private lakes can offer. An … |