Largest lakes & reservoirs in Southern Virginia Region 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 6 articles we have published for Southern Virginia Region lakes.
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Below are lakes within USA > US South Region > Virginia > Southern Virginia Region > Compared by longest shoreline length in miles. This list does not represent all lakes in Southern Virginia Region, only the 6 Southern Virginia Region lake articles we have published on the LakeLubbers website.
Lake name  |
Shoreline length in miles |
Lake description |
|---|---|---|
| Kerr Lake, NC/VA (North Carolina, Piedmont Region, NC, Southern Virginia Region, US South Region, USA, Virginia) |
800 mi | 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… |
| Smith Mountain Lake, VA (Blue Ridge Highlands, VA, Central Virginia, Southern Virginia Region, US South Region, USA, Virginia) |
580 mi | Also known as Jewel of the Blue Ridge With emerald green shores, sapphire blue skies, topaz blue waters, and soaring surrounding mountains, it’s clear why Smith Mountain Lake is nicknamed… |
| Lake Gaston, NC/VA (North Carolina, Piedmont Region, NC, Southern Virginia Region, US South Region, USA, Virginia) |
350 mi | 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… |
| Philpott Lake, VA (Blue Ridge Highlands, VA, Southern Virginia Region, US South Region, USA, Virginia) |
100 mi | Also known as Philpott Reservoir Snuggled into the Blue Ridge Mountains, the 2,880-acre Philpott Lake resides in southwestern Virginia’s Franklin, Henry, and Patrick Counties. The irr… |
| Leesville Lake, VA (Central Virginia, Southern Virginia Region, US South Region, USA, Virginia) |
100 mi | Also known as Leesville Reservoir The 3000+ acre Leesville Lake is another of Virginia’s prolific fishing and outdoor recreation reservoirs. It is part of the Smith Mountain Lake hydro… |
| Fairy Stone Lake (Southern Virginia Region, US South Region, USA, Virginia) |
2 mi | Virginia’s Fairy Stone Lake is home to “fairy stones,” unusual staurolite (iron aluminum silicate hydroxide) diamond-shaped crystals. The 168-acre lak… |