Largest lakes & reservoirs in Iowa 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 15 articles we have published for Iowa lakes.
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Below are lakes within USA > US Midwest Region > Iowa > Compared by longest shoreline length in miles. This list does not represent all lakes in Iowa, only the 15 Iowa lake articles we have published on the LakeLubbers website.
Lake name  |
Shoreline length in miles |
Lake description |
|---|---|---|
| Rathbun Lake, IA (Iowa, South Central Iowa, US Midwest Region, USA) |
155 mi | Also known as Lake Rathbun One of the largest lakes in the state of Iowa, Rathbun Lake is located in Appanoose County and is a perfect place to enjoy water sports, fishing, and… |
| Iowa Great Lakes (Iowa, Northwest Iowa, US Midwest Region, USA) |
86 mi | Also known as Big Spirit Lake, Little Spirit Lake, West Okoboji Lake, East Okoboji Lake, Gar Lakes, Center Lake, Silver Lake Most of the world equates Iowa with corn fields and election-year Straw Polls and has never heard of Iowa’s Great Lakes. Nestled in the Northwest Regi… |
| Coralville Lake (East Central Iowa, Iowa, US Midwest Region, USA) |
50 mi | Also known as Coralville Reservoir Star of east-central Iowa’s recreation opportunities, Coralville Lake has led the pack for the 60 years of its existence. Originally built to control… |
| Saylorville Lake, IA (Central Iowa, Iowa, US Midwest Region, USA) |
39 mi | Also known as Saylorville Reservoir Saylorville Lake is a man-made reservoir located on the Des Moines River bordering the town of Polk City, about 11 miles north of Des Moines, Iowa. Th… |
| Big Creek Lake, IA (Central Iowa, Iowa, US Midwest Region, USA) |
21 mi | Big Creek Lake is located about 11 miles north of Des Moines, Iowa near the town of Polk City. The lake was created in the 1970s by the Army Corps of… |
| West Okoboji Lake, IA (Iowa, Northwest Iowa, US Midwest Region, USA) |
20 mi | Also known as West Lake Okoboji West Okoboji Lake is one of Iowa’s eight Great Lakes located in Dickinson County. It was named “Minnetonka” by the Sioux Indians meaning “Great Waters… |
| Lake Macbride (East Central Iowa, Iowa, US Midwest Region, USA) |
20 mi | One of east central Iowa’s best recreation lakes is Lake Macbride. Construction of the lake was first recommended in 1932, with the project adopted by… |
| East Okoboji Lake, IA (Iowa, Northwest Iowa, US Midwest Region, USA) |
17 mi | Also known as East Lake Okoboji East Okoboji Lake is one of a chain of lakes known as Iowa’s Great Lakes. East Okoboji Lake received its unique name from the Dakota Indians. They cal… |
| Spirit Lake, IA (Iowa, Northwest Iowa, US Midwest Region, USA) |
15 mi | Also known as Big Spirit Lake Spirit Lake is one of a chain of lakes known as Iowa’s Great Lakes. Also called Big Spirit Lake, this natural body of water was named by the Dakota Na… |
| Clear Lake, IA (Iowa, North Central Iowa, US Midwest Region, USA) |
14 mi | Clear Lake is located in Cerro Gordo County in northern Iowa. At 3,684 acres it is one of the largest natural lakes in the state. Clear Lake is one of… |
| Silver Lake, IA (Iowa, Northwest Iowa, US Midwest Region, USA) |
10 mi | Silver Lake, a natural glacial lake spanning 1,041 acres, is located in northwestern Iowa bordering the town of Lake Park. It is one of the chain of l… |
| Carter Lake IA (Iowa, Metro Region, NE, Nebraska, Southwest Iowa, US Midwest Region, USA) |
7 mi | In the late 1800’s the Missouri River changed its course, altering the future of the area around Omaha, Nebraska and creating Carter Lake. Spanning pa… |