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 |
|---|---|---|
| Hulah Lake, OK (Green Country, OK, Oklahoma, US Southwest Region, USA) |
765 ft | Nestled in emerald hills, Hulah Lake and its surrounding lands are an outdoor enthusiast’s dream location. Located in Osage County, in northeastern Ok … |
| Magician Lake, MI (Michigan, Southwest Michigan, US Midwest Region, USA) |
763 ft | Also known as Silver lake Magician Lake. . .the name holds an air of mystery. One envisions foggy evenings and a haunted island. But in truth, the only mystery about Magician L … |
| Herrington Lake, KY (Bluegrass Region, KY, Kentucky, US South Region, USA) |
760 ft | Meandering 32 miles across the Bluegrass Region of Kentucky is Herrington Lake. The first large impoundment in Kentucky, Herrington Lake was created i … |
| Lake Cumberland, KY (Kentucky, Southern Lakes Region, KY, US South Region, USA) |
760 ft | Lake Cumberland boasts an impressive 50,250 acres and 1,255 miles of winding shoreline at its normal full pool level of 723 feet above sea level. The … |
| 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 … |
| Cachuma Lake (California, Central Coast Region, CA, US West Region, USA) |
751 ft | Also known as Cachuma Reservoir, Lake Cachuma One of the most popular destination lakes along the California Central Coast is 3100-acre Cachuma Lake. In 1953, the federal Bureau of Reclamation con … |
| Lake Winnebago, WI (Central Sands Prairie Region, WI, US Midwest Region, USA, Wisconsin) |
749 ft | American white pelicans skim across the surface of Lake Winnebago, fishing alongside the anglers below. Birds and fishermen alike flock to the beautif … |
| Gun Lake, MI (Michigan, Southwest Michigan, US Midwest Region, USA) |
745 ft | Beautiful Gun Lake, located off US 131 north of Kalamazoo, Michigan, has been a vacation and boating destination for well over a hundred years. Origin … |
| Lake Muskoka, ON (Canada, Ontario, Canada) |
742 ft | Also known as Muskoka Lake, Muskoka Lakes Region Lake Muskoka, located in Ontario’s Muskoka Lakes Region, is one of Canada’s most famous lakes. Actually a chain of lakes, Muskoka joins Lake Joseph an … |
| Harry S. Truman Lake, MO (Central Missouri, Missouri, US Midwest Region, USA) |
740 ft | Also known as Harry S. Truman Reservoir, Truman Lake It looks a like a reel of film perched on a bluff; it is the visitor center overlooking Truman Lake. The round wall of windows offers a panoramic view … |