Highest elevation lakes & reservoirs in Canada by altitude
While lake levels can flucuate frequently based on several circumstances, the altitude/elevation of a lake is based on its normal water level, measured by the lake’s surface distance above sea level. For a reservoir, this water level is also known as “full pond” or “full pool”.Low lake levels can occur due to deliberate seasonal draw downs for irrigation or impending snow melt, reduced water inflows, drought and evaporation, residential or commercial water demands, and hydropower generation. Some lakes’ minimum and maximum elevations are virtually the same. Lakes that generate hydropower may vary by several feet – according to power demand. Lakes whose primary purpose is to prevent flooding can seasonally vary by 100 feet or more. When some lakes reach their minimum elevation, their boat ramps may not be long enough to permit boat access – and boats docked on shallow parts of the lake may end up on dry ground. In those cases, kayakers and shore-based anglers may be among the few happy recreational users of the lake.
A lake’s highest water level, measured by the lake’s surface distance above sea level, that can occur during flooding. A lake’s highest possible maximum elevation is usually the top of the lake’s dam or spillway. At lakes that include residential development, government regulations usually forbid the construction of homes below a lake’s maximum elevation.
You can find many of the world’s highest-elevated lakes on LakeLubbers. Lakes with the lowest elevations (known by LakeLubbers) are shown on the final page of that list. Note: For some lakes, "Altitude/Elevation" data is unknown, so this table may display fewer lakes than the total 164 articles we have published for Canada lakes.
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Below are lakes within Canada > Compared by highest altitude/elevation in feet. This list does not represent all lakes in Canada, only the 164 Canada lake articles we have published on the LakeLubbers website.
Lake name  |
Elevation in feet |
Lake description |
|---|---|---|
| Gull Lake, AB (Alberta, Canada, Canada) |
2,958 ft | Surrounded by Alberta’s wide-open spaces and endless Canadian skies, Gull Lake is located in Alberta’s Central tourism region. Well situated between E… |
| Lesser Slave Lake, AB (Alberta, Canada, Canada) |
1,896 ft | Located 236 miles northwest of Edmonton in Alberta, Canada, Lesser Slave Lake’s more than 280,000 surface acres present a wonderful scenic recreationa… |
| Smallwood Reservoir, NL (Canada, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada) |
1,551 ft | Wild, diverse and always impressive, Smallwood Reservoir is not a place to be taken lightly. Smallwood Reservoir is not a place for leisurely lakeside… |
| Saganaga Lake, MN / Canada (Canada, Minnesota, Northeast Minnesota, Ontario, Canada, US Midwest Region, USA) |
1,435 ft | The 13,832 acres of Saganaga Lake straddle the border of Northeastern Minnesota and Ontario, Canada. Part of the well known Boundary Waters Canoe Area… |
| Wollaston Lake, SK (Canada, Saskatchewan, Canada) |
1,306 ft | Wilderness adventures draw people to Wollaston Lake in northeastern Saskatchewan. Sparsely populated, Wollaston Lake is home to copious amounts of wil… |
| Okanagan Lake, BC (British Columbia, Canada, Canada) |
1,125 ft | Also known as Lake Okanagan Okanagan Lake, located in British Columbia’s Napa of the North Country, is a vacationer’s paradise. Its sheer size and convenient location make this w… |
| Rainy Lake, MN / Canada (Canada, Minnesota, Northeast Minnesota, Ontario, Canada, US Midwest Region, USA) |
1,109 ft | Rainy Lake’s sprawling 221,000 acres straddle the border of the United States and Canada. Known as a water sports lover’s paradise, Rainy Lake is loca… |
| West Hawk Lake (Canada, Manitoba, Canada) |
1,092 ft | Also known as The Meteor Lake Occupying a prominent position on the southern Manitoba/Ontario border, West Hawk Lake is a favored destination within Whiteshell Provincial Park. The… |
| Lake of the Woods, MN / Canada (Canada, Manitoba, Canada, Minnesota, Northwest Minnesota, Ontario, Canada, US Midwest Region, USA) |
1,062 ft | Spanning the border from Minnesota into the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Manitoba, Lake of the Woods is an enormous body of water over 68 miles l… |
| Lake Osoyoos, WA / Canada (British Columbia, Canada, Canada, North Central Washington, US West Region, USA, Washington) |
913 ft | Also known as Osoyoos Lake Lake Osoyoos spans more than 5,700 acres and straddles the border of British Columbia, Canada and Washington state in the United States. The Okanagan… |
| Kawartha Lakes (Canada, Ontario, Canada) |
841 ft | Also known as The Kawarthas The Kawartha Lakes are a band of beautiful lakes in south-central Ontario, Canada that form the upper watershed of the Trent River. Although 14 lakes… |
| Lake Winnipegosis, MB (Canada, Manitoba, Canada) |
833 ft | Lake Winnipegosis is located in central Manitoba Province about 375 miles (by car) northwest of the major city of Winnipeg. It is one of the best outd… |