Largest lakes & reservoirs in East Tennessee by acres
There is no widely-accepted minimum surface area that defines a lake. What LakeLubbers describes as a lake, you might call a pond. Acreage of a lake (or sometimes square kilometers) is most often measured at the top surface area when the lake is at normal elevation. The surface area can be considerably smaller or larger when lake levels are lower or higher than normal. North America’s Lake Superior is the world’s largest freshwater lake by this measure.The other measure of a lake’s size is the lake’s water volume. By that measure, the world’s largest freshwater lake is Lake Baikal in Siberia.
You can find many of the world’s largest lakes (acres) on LakeLubbers in the comparison table below. Note: For some lakes, "Largest Lakes - Acres" data is unknown or does not apply, so you may see fewer lakes than the total 16 articles we have published for East Tennessee lakes.
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Below are lakes within USA > US South Region > Tennessee > East Tennessee > Compared by surface area in acres. This list does not represent all lakes in East Tennessee, only the 16 East Tennessee lake articles we have published on the LakeLubbers website.
Lake name  |
Surface area in acres |
Lake description |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Guntersville, AL (Alabama, East Tennessee, Mountains Region, AL, Tennessee, US South Region, USA) |
69,100 ac | Also known as Guntersville Lake, Guntersville Reservoir Alabama’s Mountain Region contains the state’s largest lake: Lake Guntersville. Cradled in the Appalachian foothills of northern Alabama, it’s located … |
| Watts Bar Lake, TN (East Tennessee, Tennessee, US South Region, USA) |
39,090 ac | Also known as Watts Bar Reservoir Midway between Knoxville and Chattanooga, Watts Bar Lake has been called “King of the Southern Great Lakes.” Watts Bar Lake is an impoundment of the T … |
| Chickamauga Lake, TN (East Tennessee, Tennessee, US South Region, USA) |
36,240 ac | Also known as Chickamauga Reservoir Chickamauga Lake is a fabulous recreational reservoir. It is located in southeast Tennessee, 20 miles from Chattanooga, and includes 810 miles of shor … |
| Norris Lake, TN (East Tennessee, Tennessee, US South Region, USA) |
33,840 ac | Also known as Norris Reservoir Just 25 miles north of Knoxville, Tennessee, Norris Lake is the first reservoir created by the Tennessee Valley Authority. Named for Senator George No … |
| Cherokee Lake, TN (East Tennessee, Tennessee, US South Region, USA) |
28,780 ac | Also known as Cherokee Reservoir Cherokee Lake: Artists stop at Clinch Mountain Overlook to paint it, and photographers to photograph it, and every year millions of people come from a … |
| Douglas Lake, TN (East Tennessee, Tennessee, US South Region, USA) |
28,420 ac | Also known as Douglas Reservoir Douglas Lake, also known as Douglas Reservoir, stretches out over more than 28,000 acres and 500 shoreline miles in eastern Tennessee. Douglas Lake is … |
| Tellico Reservoir, TN (East Tennessee, Tennessee, US South Region, USA) |
15,560 ac | Also known as Tellico Lake About 30 minutes south of Knoxville, nestled in the mountains of eastern Tennessee, Tellico Lake is the lake that almost wasn’t. Extending 33 miles al … |
| Fort Loudoun Lake, TN (East Tennessee, Tennessee, US South Region, USA) |
14,600 ac | Also known as Fort Loudoun Reservoir Named for a nearby 18th century British fort, Fort Loudoun Lake draws millions of visitors every year for fishing, boating, and wildlife viewing. Loca … |
| Nickajack Lake, TN (East Tennessee, Tennessee, US South Region, USA) |
10,370 ac | Also known as Nickajack Reservoir Set against the spectacular scenery and steep walls of the Tennessee River Gorge, Nickajack Lake is the perfect place to relax on the water, fish, or … |
| South Holston Lake, VA (Blue Ridge Highlands, VA, East Tennessee, Tennessee, US South Region, USA, Virginia) |
7,580 ac | Also known as South Holston Reservoir An impoundment of the South Fork Holston River, South Holston Lake is an exceptional place to fish and boat. Straddling the Virginia and Tennessee sta … |
| Watauga Lake, TN (East Tennessee, Tennessee, US South Region, USA) |
6,430 ac | Also known as Lake Watauga Watauga Lake exudes independence, solitude, and nature’s bounty. If these traditional American values appeal to you, then you need to visit pristine W … |
| Melton Hill Reservoir, TN (East Tennessee, Tennessee, US South Region, USA) |
5,470 ac | 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 … |