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.
Thinking about booking a lake vacation home rental, cabin or hotel?
Use our free interactive vacation rental map to search and compare multiple vacation properties at a glance. Enter a lake name, a state or city and then simply click on a listing to compare all similar properties, best rates and availability for your dates.Search results: Sort lakes by miles of shoreline
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 Minnewaska MN (Central Minnesota, Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
18 mi | Also known as Minnewaska Lake Perfectly positioned in Minnesota’s Central region for easy access, Lake Minnewaska offers the best of everything in lake-based recreation. Over 7,000 … |
| Shawano Lake, WI (Central Sands Prairie Region, WI, US Midwest Region, USA, Wisconsin) |
18 mi | Tucked in the beautiful country of eastern Wisconsin, Shawano Lake is a hidden gem of beauty and splendor. This lake has an area of 6,178 acres, and h … |
| Waterton Lakes (Alberta, Canada, Canada, Glacier Country, MT, Montana, US West Region, USA) |
18 mi | Also known as Chief Mountain Lake, Knights Lake, Kootenay Lakes “Where the mountains meet the prairies” is the motto of Waterton Lakes National Park, the home of three Waterton Lakes that straddle the Montana-Alber … |
| Lady Bird Lake (Hill Country Region, TX, Texas, US Southwest Region, USA) |
18 mi | Also known as Town Lake Lady Bird Lake is a beautiful 468-acre reservoir in the capital city of Austin, Texas. The lake is the easternmost lake in a chain of reservoirs on th … |
| Greenleaf Lake, OK (Green Country, OK, Oklahoma, US Southwest Region, USA) |
18 mi | Greenleaf Lake is nestled in Oklahoma’s Green Country tourism region, an area that is home to over half of Oklahoma’s state parks. This artificial fre … |
| Applegate Lake, OR (Oregon, Southern Oregon, US West Region, USA) |
18 mi | Also known as Applegate Reservoir Reflecting the peaks of the Siskiyou Mountains, Applegate Lake is surrounded by Rogue River National Forest in southwestern Oregon’s Jackson County. L … |
| Forbes Lake, IL (Illinois, Southern Illinois, US Midwest Region, USA) |
18 mi | What started as a humble two acre lake in a twenty acre park has grown into one of southern Illinois’ best fishing lakes and a great family destinatio … |
| Lake Sammamish, WA (Seattle & Puget Sound Region, WA, US West Region, USA, Washington) |
18 mi | At just under 5,000 acres, Lake Sammamish is one of the major recreational lakes in the state. The lake provides activities for fishermen, boaters, je … |
| Gun Lake, MI (Michigan, Southwest Michigan, US Midwest Region, USA) |
18 mi | 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 … |
| J. Edward Roush Lake, IN (East Indiana, Indiana, US Midwest Region, USA) |
18 mi | 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 … |
| Lake Hefner, OK (Frontier Country, OK, Oklahoma, US Southwest Region, USA) |
18 mi | The Hefner Dam was completed in 1947, creating a lake with a surface area of 2,500 acres and an 18 mile long shoreline. Located in northwest Oklahoma … |
| Lake Saint Helen, MI (Michigan, Northeast Michigan, US Midwest Region, USA) |
18 mi | Also known as Lake St. Helen Lake Saint Helen is located in Roscommon County of northern Michigan near Interstate 75 and right next to the town of St. Helen – Charlton Heston’s ch … |