Deepest lakes & reservoirs in US South Region 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 343 articles we have published for US South Region lakes.
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Below are lakes within USA > US South Region > Compared by maximum depth in feet. This list does not represent all lakes in US South Region, only the 343 US South Region lake articles we have published on the LakeLubbers website.
Lake name  |
Max depth in feet |
Lake description |
|---|---|---|
| Carters Lake, GA (Georgia, Historic High Country Region, GA, US South Region, USA) |
450 ft | Positioned at the south end of the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains in North Georgia, Carters Lake is a small, deep lake with a little over 60 miles of s… |
| Fontana Lake, NC (Mountains Region, NC, North Carolina, US South Region, USA) |
440 ft | Also known as Fontana Reservoir Fontana Lake, nestled in western North Carolina’s Smoky Mountains, was built by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to provide hydroelectric power to… |
| Summersville Lake, WV (Mountain Lakes Region, WV, US South Region, USA, West Virginia) |
327 ft | Also known as Summersville Reservoir Scenic Summersville Lake is the largest lake in West Virginia. The reservoir was built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for flood control on the Ga… |
| Lake Jocassee, NC/SC (Mountains Region, NC, North Carolina, South Carolina, The Upcountry, SC, US South Region, USA) |
326 ft | Nestled into the pristine Appalachian mountains of northwestern South Carolina and southwestern North Carolina, Lake Jocassee reaches its watery depth… |
| Lake Hiwassee, NC (Mountains Region, NC, North Carolina, US South Region, USA) |
308 ft | 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… |
| Watauga Lake, TN (East Tennessee, Tennessee, US South Region, USA) |
305 ft | 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… |
| Lake Keowee, SC (South Carolina, The Upcountry, SC, US South Region, USA) |
297 ft | Lake Keowee is a freshwater lake located in northwestern South Carolina at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The lake supplies water to the n… |
| Laurel River Lake, KY (Daniel Boone Country, KY, Kentucky, US South Region, USA) |
280 ft | Laurel River Lake was created by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1974 to provide flood control and hydroelectric power to its neighboring areas, b… |
| Lewis Smith Lake, AL (Alabama, Mountains Region, AL, US South Region, USA) |
264 ft | Also known as Smith Lake Lewis Smith Lake is a perfect place for an outdoor adventure. Tucked into a corner of the Bankhead National Forest in northern Alabama’s Mountain Regi… |
| Smith Mountain Lake, VA (Blue Ridge Highlands, VA, Central Virginia, Southern Virginia Region, US South Region, USA, Virginia) |
250 ft | Also known as Jewel of the Blue Ridge With emerald green shores, sapphire blue skies, topaz blue waters, and soaring surrounding mountains, it’s clear why Smith Mountain Lake is nicknamed… |
| Herrington Lake, KY (Bluegrass Region, KY, Kentucky, US South Region, USA) |
249 ft | Meandering 32 miles across the Bluegrass Region of Kentucky is Herrington Lake. The first large impoundment in Kentucky, Herrington Lake was created i… |
| Nantahala Lake, NC (Mountains Region, NC, North Carolina, US South Region, USA) |
249 ft | Also known as Lake Nantahala Nantahala Lake is one of the most pristine lakes in North Carolina. Located within the Nantahala National Forest at an elevation of 3,012 feet, the 1,… |