Deepest lakes & reservoirs in Iowa by maximum depth (ft)
The estimated greatest depth of the water in a lake can be measured at the lake’s normal elevation. If the water volume and surface area of a lake are known, an estimate of the lake’s average depth can be calculated:Water volume ÷ Surface Area = Average Depth
Example: 1,000,000 acre-feet ÷ 20,000 acres = 50 feet average depth.
You can find many of the the world’s deepest lakes on LakeLubbers. If you sort the list, you will find the (maximum depth of) the shallowest lakes in our database. Note: For some lakes, lake depth data is unknown, so this table may display fewer lakes than the total 15 articles we have published for Iowa lakes.
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Below are lakes within USA > US Midwest Region > Iowa > Compared by maximum depth in feet. This list does not represent all lakes in Iowa, only the 15 Iowa lake articles we have published on the LakeLubbers website.
Lake name  |
Max depth in feet |
Lake description |
|---|---|---|
| West Okoboji Lake, IA (Iowa, Northwest Iowa, US Midwest Region, USA) |
136 ft | Also known as West Lake Okoboji West Okoboji Lake is one of Iowa’s eight Great Lakes located in Dickinson County. It was named “Minnetonka” by the Sioux Indians meaning “Great Waters… |
| Big Creek Lake, IA (Central Iowa, Iowa, US Midwest Region, USA) |
53 ft | Big Creek Lake is located about 11 miles north of Des Moines, Iowa near the town of Polk City. The lake was created in the 1970s by the Army Corps of… |
| Lake Macbride (East Central Iowa, Iowa, US Midwest Region, USA) |
47 ft | One of east central Iowa’s best recreation lakes is Lake Macbride. Construction of the lake was first recommended in 1932, with the project adopted by… |
| Saylorville Lake, IA (Central Iowa, Iowa, US Midwest Region, USA) |
37 ft | Also known as Saylorville Reservoir Saylorville Lake is a man-made reservoir located on the Des Moines River bordering the town of Polk City, about 11 miles north of Des Moines, Iowa. Th… |
| Coralville Lake (East Central Iowa, Iowa, US Midwest Region, USA) |
30 ft | Also known as Coralville Reservoir Star of east-central Iowa’s recreation opportunities, Coralville Lake has led the pack for the 60 years of its existence. Originally built to control… |
| Carter Lake IA (Iowa, Metro Region, NE, Nebraska, Southwest Iowa, US Midwest Region, USA) |
28 ft | In the late 1800’s the Missouri River changed its course, altering the future of the area around Omaha, Nebraska and creating Carter Lake. Spanning pa… |
| Spirit Lake, IA (Iowa, Northwest Iowa, US Midwest Region, USA) |
24 ft | Also known as Big Spirit Lake Spirit Lake is one of a chain of lakes known as Iowa’s Great Lakes. Also called Big Spirit Lake, this natural body of water was named by the Dakota Na… |
| East Okoboji Lake, IA (Iowa, Northwest Iowa, US Midwest Region, USA) |
22 ft | Also known as East Lake Okoboji East Okoboji Lake is one of a chain of lakes known as Iowa’s Great Lakes. East Okoboji Lake received its unique name from the Dakota Indians. They cal… |
| Storm Lake, IA (Iowa, Northwest Iowa, US Midwest Region, USA) |
20 ft | Storm Lake is located in Buena Vista County in northern Iowa. At 3,097 acres, the lake is one of the largest natural lakes in the state. On the northe… |
| Clear Lake, IA (Iowa, North Central Iowa, US Midwest Region, USA) |
19 ft | Clear Lake is located in Cerro Gordo County in northern Iowa. At 3,684 acres it is one of the largest natural lakes in the state. Clear Lake is one of… |
| Silver Lake, IA (Iowa, Northwest Iowa, US Midwest Region, USA) |
11 ft | Silver Lake, a natural glacial lake spanning 1,041 acres, is located in northwestern Iowa bordering the town of Lake Park. It is one of the chain of l… |
| Okamanpeedan Lake, IA/MN (Iowa, Minnesota, Northwest Iowa, Southern Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
7 ft | Also known as Tuttle Lake Located in Martin County, Minnesota and Emmet County, Iowa, Okamanpeedan Lake is also known as Tuttle Lake. Okamanpeedan is Native American for “nesti… |