Largest lakes & reservoirs in California by shoreline length
The length of the exterior shoreline around a lake is measured at the lake’s normal elevation. The shoreline length can be considerably shorter or longer when lake water levels are lower or higher than normal. A lake with many coves has a much longer shoreline than a lake of similar surface area that is nearly circular in shape.When known, the shoreline miles that we report in our statistics include only the lake’s exterior shoreline, and exclude the shorelines of islands located within a lake’s boundaries. In lakes with many islands, those islands’ combined shorelines may exceed a lake’s exterior shoreline.
You can find many of the world’s longest-shoreline lakes on LakeLubbers. Note: For some lakes, "Longest Shorelines" data is unknown or does not apply, so this table may display fewer lakes than the total 75 articles we have published for California lakes.
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Below are lakes within USA > US West Region > California > Compared by longest shoreline length in miles. This list does not represent all lakes in California, only the 75 California lake articles we have published on the LakeLubbers website.
Lake name | Shoreline length in miles | Lake description |
---|---|---|
Pinecrest Lake, CA (California, High Sierra Region, CA, US West Region, USA) |
4 mi | Also known as Pinecrest Reservoir, Strawberry Reservoir, Strawberry Flat, Edna Lake, Lake Edna Surrounded by the stately pines of Stanislaus National Forest and rocky terrain of California’s High Sierras, Pinecrest Lake attracts well over 600,00 … |
Quarry Lakes (Bay Area Region, CA, California, US West Region, USA) |
4 mi | Also known as Horseshoe Lake, Rainbow Lake, Lago Los Osos In an amazing display of landscape renovation, California’s Bay Area created a much-loved recreational area featuring the Quarry Lakes. Horseshoe, Rai … |
June Lake (California, High Sierra Region, CA, US West Region, USA) |
3 mi | With Yosemite to the west, Kings Canyon to the south, Lake Tahoe to the north and Nevada to the east, there is no place to vacation like June Lake. Lo … |
Hume Lake (California, High Sierra Region, CA, US West Region, USA) |
3 mi | Also known as Hume Reservoir Fifty miles east of busy Fresno, California, Hume Lake awaits. One of the best-loved scenic lakes within the Sequoia National Forest, little Hume Lake … |
Santee Lakes (California, San Diego County, CA, US West Region, USA) |
3 mi | In arid San Diego County, seven interconnected lakes show just how attractive reclaimed water can be. The 190-acre Santee Lakes Regional Park celebrat … |
Kelly Lake, CA (Bay Area Region, CA, California, US West Region, USA) |
2 mi | Take a scenic 95-mile drive south of San Francisco and you will arrive at the exclusive Kelly Lake properties in the community of Watsonville. Kelly L … |
Mammoth Lakes (California, High Sierra Region, CA, US West Region, USA) |
2 mi | Mammoth Lakes, in California’s High Sierras Region, is something of a misnomer. There is no lake named Mammoth. Instead, a group of small lakes southw … |
Crystal Lake CA (California, Los Angeles County, CA, US West Region, USA) |
1 mi | Also known as Sycamore Lake Found in the San Gabriel Mountains of southern California, Crystal Lake is a lake in transition. Since the 1860s there are records of fires, floods an … |
Coast Trail Lakes, Point Reyes National Seashore (Bay Area Region, CA, California, US West Region, USA) |
1 mi | Also known as Bass Lake, Pelican Lake, Crystal Lake, Ocean Lake, Wildcat Lake One of the most popular day hikes in the California Bay Area is a trek beside the Coast Trail Lakes of Point Reyes National Seashore. Only 45 minutes … |
Twain Harte Lake (California, Gold Country Region, CA, US West Region, USA) |
1 mi | Set in historic California Gold Country, Twain Harte Lake sparkles like a small mountain gem. Originally home to a village of Mi-Wuc Native Americans … |
Angora Lakes (California, High Sierra Region, CA, US West Region, USA) |
1 mi | Also known as Upper Angora Lake, Lower Angora Lake Tiny Angora Lakes in California’s High Sierra region are a delight to the senses. These beautiful twin alpine lakes surrounded by rocky cliffs grace a … |