Largest lakes & reservoirs in 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 2151 articles we have published for lakes.
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Below are lakes within Compared by longest shoreline length in miles. This list does not represent all lakes in , only the 2151 lake articles we have published on the LakeLubbers website.
Lake name  |
Shoreline length in miles |
Lake description |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Berryessa, CA (California, Central Valley Region, CA, US West Region, USA) |
165 mi | Lake Berryessa, nestled into the heart of California’s wine country, is the largest lake in Napa County. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation built the Mont … |
| Lake Hiwassee, NC (Mountains Region, NC, North Carolina, US South Region, USA) |
163 mi | Also known as Hiwassee Reservoir or Hiwassee Lake Lake Hiwassee is located in the mountainous region of North Carolina’s southwestern Cherokee County. Sitting in the Nantahala National Forest, it is a … |
| Milford Lake, KS (Kansas, Northeast Kansas, US Midwest Region, USA) |
163 mi | Also known as Milford Reservoir Milford Lake is the largest reservoir in Kansas with 163 shoreline miles and 16,000 surface acres. The lake offers abundant recreational opportunities … |
| Lake Nacimiento, CA (California, Central Coast Region, CA, US West Region, USA) |
163 mi | Also known as Dragon Lake Located in central California in northern San Luis Obispo County, Lake Nacimiento is truly a sight to see. This 18.6 mile long beauty received the nic … |
| Rend Lake, IL (Illinois, Southern Illinois, US Midwest Region, USA) |
162 mi | Rend Lake, located in southern Illinois, is a fantastic place to enjoy all sorts of outdoor recreational activities. This reservoir, the second larges … |
| Patoka Lake, IN (Indiana, South Indiana, US Midwest Region, USA) |
161 mi | Patoka Lake lies nestled within the Hoosier National Forest in southern Indiana. Authorized by the Flood Control Act of 1965, the U.S. Army Corps of E … |
| Flathead Lake, MT (Glacier Country, MT, Montana, US West Region, USA) |
161 mi | Carved out by the historic glaciers of the last ice age approximately 11,000 years ago, Flathead Lake is one of the largest natural freshwater lakes i … |
| Perry Lake (Kansas, Northeast Kansas, US Midwest Region, USA) |
160 mi | Also known as Perry Lake Reservoir Tucked neatly into the northeast region of Kansas about 40 miles west of Kansas City, Perry Lake Reservoir provides tons of fun for those lucky enough … |
| Lake Constance (Austria, Baden-Wurttemberg Region, Germany, Germany, St. Gallen Region, Switzerland, Switzerland, Thurgau Region, Switzerland, Vorarlberg, Austria) |
160 mi | Also known as Lake of Constance, Lake Bodensee Lake Constance is a 132,448-acre lake situated in the northern foothills of the Alps between Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. The third-largest lake … |
| Skiatook Lake, OK (Green Country, OK, Oklahoma, US Southwest Region, USA) |
160 mi | Also known as Skiatook Reservoir Scenic Skiatook Lake covers 10,500 acres in northern Oklahoma’s Green Country, just 30 minutes from Tulsa. The lake’s 160 miles of shoreline are surro … |
| Hyco Lake, NC (North Carolina, Piedmont Region, NC, US South Region, USA) |
160 mi | Hyco Lake is a man-made reservoir located in northern North Carolina near the Virginia state line in the Roanoke River Basin. In the early 1960s, the … |
| South Holston Lake, VA (Blue Ridge Highlands, VA, East Tennessee, Tennessee, US South Region, USA, Virginia) |
160 mi | 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 … |