Largest lakes & reservoirs in Mountains Region, NC by acres
There is no widely-accepted minimum surface area that defines a lake. What LakeLubbers describes as a lake, you might call a pond. Acreage of a lake (or sometimes square kilometers) is most often measured at the top surface area when the lake is at normal elevation. The surface area can be considerably smaller or larger when lake levels are lower or higher than normal. North America’s Lake Superior is the world’s largest freshwater lake by this measure.The other measure of a lake’s size is the lake’s water volume. By that measure, the world’s largest freshwater lake is Lake Baikal in Siberia.
You can find many of the world’s largest lakes (acres) on LakeLubbers in the comparison table below. Note: For some lakes, "Largest Lakes - Acres" data is unknown or does not apply, so you may see fewer lakes than the total 19 articles we have published for Mountains Region, NC lakes.
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Below are lakes within USA > US South Region > North Carolina > Mountains Region, NC > Compared by surface area in acres. This list does not represent all lakes in Mountains Region, NC, only the 19 Mountains Region, NC lake articles we have published on the LakeLubbers website.
Lake name  |
Surface area in acres |
Lake description |
|---|---|---|
| Fontana Lake, NC (Mountains Region, NC, North Carolina, US South Region, USA) |
10,230 ac | 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… |
| Lake Jocassee, NC/SC (Mountains Region, NC, North Carolina, South Carolina, The Upcountry, SC, US South Region, USA) |
7,500 ac | Nestled into the pristine Appalachian mountains of northwestern South Carolina and southwestern North Carolina, Lake Jocassee reaches its watery depth… |
| Lake Chatuge, GA/NC (Georgia, Mountains Region, NC, North Carolina, Northeast Georgia Mountains Region, US South Region, USA) |
7,200 ac | Also known as Chatuge Lake, Chatuge Reservoir Beautiful Lake Chatuge (pronounced “sha-toog”) spans 7200 acres and two states, stretching 13 miles from Hayesville, North Carolina, to Hiawassee, Geo… |
| Lake James, NC (Mountains Region, NC, North Carolina, US South Region, USA) |
6,510 ac | Nestled into the Blue Ridge Mountains, Lake James is a 6,510 acre lake in western North Carolina with 150 shoreline miles. Duke Power constructed thre… |
| Lake Hiwassee, NC (Mountains Region, NC, North Carolina, US South Region, USA) |
6,275 ac | 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… |
| Lake Rhodhiss, NC (Mountains Region, NC, North Carolina, US South Region, USA) |
3,060 ac | Also known as Rhodhiss Lake Lake Rhodhiss spans 3,060 acres in Burke and Caldwell Counties of west central North Carolina, lying between Lake James and Lake Hickory. A view of su… |
| Lake Santeetlah, NC (Mountains Region, NC, North Carolina, US South Region, USA) |
2,881 ac | Also known as Santeetlah Reservoir or Santeetlah Lake High up in the Appalachian Mountains in North Carolina’s largely wild, westerly Graham County is Lake Santeetlah. Owned by Brookfield Renewable Energy… |
| Finger Lakes of the South (East Tennessee, Mountains Region, NC, North Carolina, Tennessee, US South Region, USA) |
1,734 ac | Also known as Chilhowie Lake, Calderwood Lake, Cheoah Lake. Chilhowie Reservoir, Calderwood Reservoir, Cheoah Reservoir Three reservoirs on the Little Tennessee River in northwestern North Carolina and Southeastern Tennessee offer some of the most spectacular wilderness… |
| Nantahala Lake, NC (Mountains Region, NC, North Carolina, US South Region, USA) |
1,605 ac | 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,… |
| W. Kerr Scott Reservoir, NC (Mountains Region, NC, North Carolina, US South Region, USA) |
1,475 ac | Also known as W. Kerr Scott Lake W. Kerr Scott Reservoir is a 1,475-acre reservoir located near Wilkesboro, North Carolina in the Mountains tourism region. Built by the U.S. Army Corp… |
| Lake Glenville, NC (Mountains Region, NC, North Carolina, US South Region, USA) |
1,470 ac | Also known as Thorpe Reservoir, Glenville Lake Nestled among the forests and mountain peaks of southwestern North Carolina lies the highest lake east of the Mississippi, Lake Glenville (aka Thorpe… |
| Lake Lure, NC (Mountains Region, NC, North Carolina, US South Region, USA) |
720 ac | Snuggled into the emerald mountains of western North Carolina, Lake Lure’s 720 acres sparkle in the sunlight. Clean water, beautiful scenery, and rura… |