Largest lakes & reservoirs in Virginia 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 30 articles we have published for Virginia lakes.
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Below are lakes within USA > US South Region > Virginia > Compared by surface area in acres. This list does not represent all lakes in Virginia, only the 30 Virginia lake articles we have published on the LakeLubbers website.
Lake name | Surface area in acres | Lake description |
---|---|---|
Western Branch Lake, VA (Tidewater & Hampton Roads Region, VA, US South Region, USA, Virginia) |
1,265 ac | Also known as Western Branch Reservoir Western Branch Lake, near Suffolk, Virginia, is one of five water supply reservoirs owned by the City of Norfolk that allows fishing. At 1,265 acres,… |
Chickahominy Lake, VA (Tidewater & Hampton Roads Region, VA, US South Region, USA, Virginia) |
1,230 ac | Also known as Chickahominy Reservoir A slick brown otter dodges playfully in amongst the clumps of wetland grasses and trees that anchor the Chickahominy River. Gradually, the forest thin… |
John W. Flannagan Reservoir, VA (Heart of Appalachia Region, VA, US South Region, USA, Virginia) |
1,145 ac | Also known as Flannagan Reservoir The John W. Flannagan Reservoir is a 1,145-acre lake located in Dickenson County in the southwest Heart of Appalachia region of Virginia. Named in hon… |
Little Creek Reservoir, VA (Tidewater & Hampton Roads Region, VA, US South Region, USA, Virginia) |
996 ac | Nestled in the center of the James City County Parks and Recreation system is the 996-acre Little Creek Reservoir. With 40 miles of shoreline and an a… |
Briery Creek Lake, VA (Central Virginia, US South Region, USA, Virginia) |
845 ac | Also known as Briery Creek Reservoir With his tackle checked and ready and a thermos of coffee to fortify him against the early spring chill, the fisherman climbs into his boat in the pre… |
Lake Manassas, VA (Northern Virginia Region, US South Region, USA, Virginia) |
800 ac | Lake Manassas is nestled in the beautiful rolling hills of Prince William County in Northern Virginia. Created in 1969 by the impoundment of Broad Run… |
Sandy River Reservoir, VA (Central Virginia, US South Region, USA, Virginia) |
745 ac | A kayaker slips into a secluded cove and ducks under the rock overhang. On the main body of the lake, a fishing boat carrying a family passes by, the… |
Carvins Cove Reservoir, VA (Shenandoah Valley Region, VA, US South Region, USA, Virginia) |
630 ac | Also known as Carvin Cove Reservoir Nestled among the Blue Ridge Mountains, Carvins Cove Reservoir is a precious natural treasure for the State of Virginia. The reservoir never ceases to… |
Lake of the Woods, VA (Central Virginia, US South Region, USA, Virginia) |
500 ac | Nestled between Fredericksburg and Culpeper, Virginia, Lake of the Woods is a private residential community consisting of two lakes. Located in Centra… |
Lake Monticello, VA (Central Virginia, US South Region, USA, Virginia) |
350 ac | Lake Monticello, located amidst the gentle rolling hills of Central Virginia, is a private community with a beautiful 350-acre lake. Within easy dista… |
Fairy Stone Lake (Southern Virginia Region, US South Region, USA, Virginia) |
168 ac | Virginia’s Fairy Stone Lake is home to “fairy stones,” unusual staurolite (iron aluminum silicate hydroxide) diamond-shaped crystals. The 168-acre lak… |
Spring Hollow Reservoir (Shenandoah Valley Region, VA, US South Region, USA, Virginia) |
158 ac | Spring Hollow Reservoir is a prime example of planned water supply storage in Virginia’s southern Shenandoah Valley region. The 158-acre reservoir was… |