Largest lakes & reservoirs in California by shoreline length
The length of the exterior shoreline around a lake is measured at the lake’s normal elevation. The shoreline length can be considerably shorter or longer when lake water levels are lower or higher than normal. A lake with many coves has a much longer shoreline than a lake of similar surface area that is nearly circular in shape.When known, the shoreline miles that we report in our statistics include only the lake’s exterior shoreline, and exclude the shorelines of islands located within a lake’s boundaries. In lakes with many islands, those islands’ combined shorelines may exceed a lake’s exterior shoreline.
You can find many of the world’s longest-shoreline lakes on LakeLubbers. Note: For some lakes, "Longest Shorelines" data is unknown or does not apply, so this table may display fewer lakes than the total 75 articles we have published for California lakes.
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Below are lakes within USA > US West Region > California > Compared by longest shoreline length in miles. This list does not represent all lakes in California, only the 75 California lake articles we have published on the LakeLubbers website.
Lake name  |
Shoreline length in miles |
Lake description |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Havasu, AZ/CA (Arizona, California, Desert Region, CA, US Southwest Region, US West Region, USA, West Coast Region, AZ) |
450 mi | Lake Havasu’s 20,400 acres, formed behind Parker Dam on the Colorado River, is a boating paradise. Around Lake Havasu City, the most recognizable sigh… |
| Shasta Lake, CA (California, Shasta Cascade Region, CA, US West Region, USA) |
365 mi | Shasta Lake, one of the largest lakes in California, is an outdoor paradise of fresh blue water, awe-inspiring caverns, investigative trails, first cl… |
| Lake Oroville, CA (California, Shasta Cascade Region, CA, US West Region, USA) |
167 mi | Also known as Oroville Reservoir Lake Oroville, snuggled into the Sierra Nevada Foothills about 75 miles north of Sacramento, is one of northern California’s favorite playgrounds. Boa… |
| Lake Berryessa, CA (California, Central Valley Region, CA, US West Region, USA) |
165 mi | Lake Berryessa, nestled into the heart of California’s wine country, is the largest lake in Napa County. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation built the Mont… |
| Lake Nacimiento, CA (California, Central Coast Region, CA, US West Region, USA) |
163 mi | Also known as Dragon Lake Located in central California in northern San Luis Obispo County, Lake Nacimiento is truly a sight to see. This 18.6 mile long beauty received the nic… |
| Don Pedro Lake, CA (California, Gold Country Region, CA, US West Region, USA) |
160 mi | Also known as Lake Don Pedro, Don Pedro Reservoir Don Pedro Lake, also known as Don Pedro Reservoir and Lake Don Pedro, is nestled into the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. With a surface are… |
| Trinity Lake, CA (California, Shasta Cascade Region, CA, US West Region, USA) |
145 mi | Also known as Clair Engle Lake In 1976 Tim Brady from Weaverville caught the California record smallmouth bass in Trinity Lake. The quiet lake still draws anglers today, both for th… |
| Clear Lake, CA (California, North Coast Region, CA, US West Region, USA) |
127 mi | Clear Lake’s spectacular 43,785 acres earn it the superlative of largest natural freshwater lake located entirely within the state of California. This… |
| Salton Sea, CA (California, Desert Region, CA, US West Region, USA) |
110 mi | Also known as Salton Lake Salton Sea, sometimes called Salton Lake, is an inland saline lake located in southern California along the Mexican border. Though hard to believe, th… |
| New Melones Lake, CA (California, Gold Country Region, CA, US West Region, USA) |
100 mi | Also known as New Melones Reservoir Gently placed into the central Sierra Nevada Mountains near Sonora in Calaveras County, New Melones Lake holds the title of fourth largest reservoir b… |
| Eagle Lake, CA (California, Shasta Cascade Region, CA, US West Region, USA) |
100 mi | Eagle Lake, located in Lassen County about 15 miles north of Susanville, California, is one of the largest natural lakes within the state boundaries.… |
| Lake Tahoe, CA/NV (California, High Sierra Region, CA, Nevada, Renoe-Tahoe Territory, NV, US West Region, USA) |
75 mi | Tucked into the Sierra Nevada Mountains and straddling the California-Nevada state line, Lake Tahoe is one of the most famous lakes in the United Stat… |