Largest lakes & reservoirs in North Carolina 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 45 articles we have published for North Carolina lakes.
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Below are lakes within USA > US South Region > North Carolina > Compared by surface area in acres. This list does not represent all lakes in North Carolina, only the 45 North Carolina lake articles we have published on the LakeLubbers website.
Lake name  |
Surface area in acres |
Lake description |
|---|---|---|
| Kerr Lake, NC/VA (North Carolina, Piedmont Region, NC, Southern Virginia Region, US South Region, USA, Virginia) |
48,900 ac | Also known as Kerr Reservoir, John H Kerr Reservoir, Buggs Island Lake, Buggs Island Reservoir The 48,900-acre John H. Kerr Reservoir straddles the Virginia-North Carolina border. This impoundment of the Roanoke and Dan Rivers, completed by the… |
| Lake Mattamuskeet, NC (Coast Region, NC, North Carolina, US South Region, USA) |
40,000 ac | 40,000-acre Lake Mattamuskeet is located in North Carolina’s Coastal tourism region. Although the lake averages only 2-3 feet deep, it is one of the m… |
| Lake Norman, NC (North Carolina, Piedmont Region, NC, US South Region, USA) |
32,510 ac | Lake Norman’s 32,510 acres garner it the superlative of being North Carolina’s largest manmade lake. An impressive 34 miles in length with 520 miles o… |
| Lake Gaston, NC/VA (North Carolina, Piedmont Region, NC, Southern Virginia Region, US South Region, USA, Virginia) |
20,300 ac | Lake Gaston covers 20,300 acres along 34 miles of Virginia and North Carolina real estate. The lake was created in 1963 by the Virginia Electric and P… |
| High Rock Lake, NC (North Carolina, Piedmont Region, NC, US South Region, USA) |
15,180 ac | The northernmost of the Uwharrie Lakes, High Rock Lake enjoys its spot as North Carolina’s second largest reservoir entirely within the state: its wat… |
| Jordan Lake, NC (North Carolina, Piedmont Region, NC, US South Region, USA) |
13,940 ac | Also known as B. Everett Jordan Reservoir, New Hope Lake Jordan Lake, initially called New Hope Lake, is a 13,940-acre reservoir in central North Carolina’s Piedmont region, part of the Upper Cape Fear River… |
| Lake Wylie (North Carolina, Olde English District, SC, Piedmont Region, NC, South Carolina, US South Region, USA) |
13,443 ac | Also known as Lake Wylie Reservoir Spanning the North Carolina-South Carolina border, Lake Wylie is the oldest reservoir on the Catawba River. First dammed in 1904, the dam was rebuilt… |
| Falls Lake, NC (North Carolina, Piedmont Region, NC, US South Region, USA) |
12,410 ac | In 1978, the United States Army Corps of Engineers began construction on what would become Falls Lake. Formed at the base of the Eno, Flat, and Little… |
| 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 Waccamaw, NC (Coast Region, NC, North Carolina, US South Region, USA) |
8,936 ac | Lake Waccamaw in southeastern North Carolina is estimated to have formed around 250,000 years ago, although the exact origin of its formation is uncer… |
| 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… |