Highest elevation lakes & reservoirs in Northeast Minnesota 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 24 articles we have published for Northeast Minnesota lakes.
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Below are lakes within USA > US Midwest Region > Minnesota > Northeast Minnesota > Compared by highest altitude/elevation in feet. This list does not represent all lakes in Northeast Minnesota, only the 24 Northeast Minnesota lake articles we have published on the LakeLubbers website.
Lake name  |
Elevation in feet |
Lake description |
|---|---|---|
| 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… |
| Birch Lake, MN (Minnesota, Northeast Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
1,422 ft | Located in St. Louis County Minnesota and the Superior National Forest, Birch Lake is an escape from the hustle and bustle of the concrete civilizatio… |
| White Iron Lake (Minnesota, Northeast Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
1,393 ft | White Iron Lake is part of a chain of lakes in St. Louis County, Minnesota that also includes Garden Lake, Farm Lake, and South Farm Lake. Part of the… |
| Burntside Lake, MN (Minnesota, Northeast Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
1,375 ft | Burntside Lake is an impressive nine-mile long lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota. With a surface area of 7,314 acres and no motor restrictions, Burn… |
| Lake Vermilion, MN (Minnesota, Northeast Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
1,360 ft | Known as “Lake of the Sunset Glow” by its ancient Ojibwe inhabitants, northeastern Minnesota’s sunny Lake Vermilion is a positively ideal getaway. Thi… |
| Siseebakwet Lake (Minnesota, Northeast Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
1,330 ft | Also known as Sugar Sitting atop a brightly-colored towel and looking across Siseebakwet Lake’s crystalline, vividly blue waters might bring up images of the Caribbean or… |
| Bowstring Lake (Minnesota, Northeast Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
1,322 ft | Be it fishing, wakeboarding, canoeing or just simply wildlife watching, Bowstring Lake fulfills its visitors every vacation need. Set in Itasca County… |
| Deer Lake, MN (Minnesota, Northeast Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
1,309 ft | Also known as Lake of Changing Colors Often called the “Lake of Changing Colors,” Deer Lake is a jewel in Minnesota’s northwoods country. Located northwest of Grand Rapids in south-central… |
| Lake Winnibigoshish, MN (Minnesota, Northeast Minnesota, Northwest Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
1,300 ft | Also known as Lake Winnie Lake Winnibigoshish is a legend among Minnesota lakes. The lake’s impressive size, covering more than 58,500 acres, reaches into both the Northwest an… |
| Pelican Lake-St. Louis County, MN (Minnesota, Northeast Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
1,290 ft | Pelican Lake lies adjacent to the small town of Orr in St. Louis County, Minnesota. Pelican Lake has 54 miles of shoreline and is peppered with 53 isl… |
| Pokegama Lake (Minnesota, Northeast Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
1,276 ft | Also known as Lake Pokegama Pokegama Lake has been a premier vacation destination for over 100 years. Located on the southwestern side of Grand Rapids, Minnesota in Itasca County… |
| Big Sandy Lake, MN (Minnesota, Northeast Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
1,225 ft | Big Sandy Lake is located in Minnesota’s northeast Aitkin County, home to over one million acres of hardwood forest and 365 lakes. With the majority o… |