Highest elevation lakes & reservoirs in 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 2151 articles we have published for lakes.
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Below are lakes within Compared by highest altitude/elevation in feet. This list does not represent all lakes in , only the 2151 lake articles we have published on the LakeLubbers website.
Lake name  |
Elevation in feet |
Lake description |
|---|---|---|
| Eagle River Chain of Lakes, WI (Lake Superior Northwoods Region, WI, US Midwest Region, USA, Wisconsin) |
1,625 ft | Also known as Cranberry Lake, Catfish Lake, Voyageur Lake, Eagle Lake, Scattering Rice Lake, Otter Lake, Lynx Lake, Duck Lake, Yellow Birch Lake, Watersmeet Lake. The Eagle River Chain of Lakes in far northeastern Wisconsin is known to fishermen as prime Musky water, but the lakes are also a prime vacation desti… |
| Lake Oahe, ND/SD (Great Lakes Region, SD, North Dakota, South Central Region, ND, South Dakota, Southwest Region, ND, US Midwest Region, USA) |
1,620 ft | Lake Oahe, named after an Oahe Indian Mission, roughly translates “a foundation” or “a place to stand on.” Spanning 231 miles from Pierre, South Dakot… |
| Lake Moomaw, VA (Shenandoah Valley Region, VA, US South Region, USA, Virginia) |
1,610 ft | Lake Moomaw is located in western Virginia, just north of Covington in the Shenandoah Valley region. It is nearly surrounded by George Washington Nati… |
| Dworshak Reservoir, ID (Idaho, North Central Idaho, US West Region, USA) |
1,600 ft | Dworshak Reservoir is an excellent outdoor recreation site with a great water playground of over 19,000 acres. Located in northern Idaho near the town… |
| Pelican Lake, WI (Lake Superior Northwoods Region, WI, US Midwest Region, USA, Wisconsin) |
1,592 ft | Oneida County in Wisconsin’s Northwoods has over a thousand lakes and over 68,000 acres of water making it one of the largest concentrations of water… |
| Detroit Lake, OR (Oregon, US West Region, USA, Willamette Valley Region, OR) |
1,569 ft | Conveniently located just 46 miles south of Salem in Oregon’s Willamette Valley tourism region lies Detroit Lake, a 3,580-acre artificial freshwater r… |
| Lake Altus-Lugert, OK (Great Plains Country, OK, Oklahoma, US Southwest Region, USA) |
1,562 ft | Also known as Lugert-Altus Reservoir Lake Altus-Lugert is a 6,260-acre reservoir nestled in the Great Plains region of Southwest Oklahoma. The lake is located 17 miles north of the town o… |
| 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… |
| Saguaro Lake, AZ (Arizona, North Central Arizona, US Southwest Region, USA) |
1,533 ft | Also known as Saguaro Reservoir Saguaro Lake is located in the Tonto National Forest within Maricopa County, about 40 miles east of Phoenix. It is a true desert oasis for Valley resi… |
| Bluestone Lake, WV (New River-Greenbrier Valley Region, WV, US South Region, USA, West Virginia) |
1,520 ft | Amidst the beautiful scenery of southern West Virginia lies the long, narrow Bluestone Lake. This reservoir, the third largest lake in West Virginia,… |
| Kanopolis Lake, KS (Kansas, North Central Kansas, US Midwest Region, USA) |
1,508 ft | Kanopolis Lake is a man-made reservoir located near Ellsworth, Kansas. The lake is the result of a dam constructed from 1940-1948 on the Smoke Hill Ri… |
| Glen Elder Reservoir, KS (Kansas, North Central Kansas, US Midwest Region, USA) |
1,500 ft | Also known as Waconda Lake Glen Elder Reservoir, also known as Waconda Lake, is one of the most scenic and popular outdoor attractions in Kansas. Located in north central Kansas… |