Largest lakes & reservoirs in USA 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 1644 articles we have published for USA lakes.
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Below are lakes within USA > Compared by longest shoreline length in miles. This list does not represent all lakes in USA, only the 1644 USA lake articles we have published on the LakeLubbers website.
Lake name | Shoreline length in miles | Lake description |
---|---|---|
Toledo Bend Reservoir, LA/TX (Crossroads Region, LA, Louisiana, Piney Woods Region, TX, Texas, US South Region, US Southwest Region, USA) |
1,264 mi | Also known as Toledo Bend Lake A grand experience is assured in visiting Toledo Bend Reservoir, renowned as the largest man-made aquatic body in the southern United States. Cradled… |
Lake Cumberland, KY (Kentucky, Southern Lakes Region, KY, US South Region, USA) |
1,255 mi | Lake Cumberland boasts an impressive 50,250 acres and 1,255 miles of winding shoreline at its normal full pool level of 723 feet above sea level. The… |
J. Strom Thurmond Lake, GA/SC (Classic South Region, GA, Georgia, Old 96 District, SC, South Carolina, US South Region, USA) |
1,200 mi | Also known as Lake Strom Thurmond, J. Strom Thurmond Reservoir, Clarks Hill Lake, Thurmond Lake J. Strom Thurmond Lake, aka Clarks Hill Lake, holds the title of second largest artificial lake east of the Mississippi River. Straddling the Georgia-… |
Lake of the Ozarks, MO (Central Missouri, Missouri, US Midwest Region, USA) |
1,150 mi | Also known as Lake Ozark Painting plains of central Missouri a liquid blue, Lake of the Ozarks snakes its way through the landscape. Just 180 miles from St. Louis and 170 mile… |
Wheeler Lake, AL (Alabama, Mountains Region, AL, US South Region, USA) |
1,027 mi | Also known as Wheeler Reservoir Wheeler Lake in northern Alabama’s Mountain Region is the state’s second-largest lake at 67,100 acres. The Tennessee Valley Authority created Wheeler… |
Lake Barkley, KY/TN (Kentucky, Middle Tennessee, Tennessee, US South Region, USA, Western Waterlands Region, KY) |
1,004 mi | Lake Barkley is one of the premier recreational destinations in Western Kentucky. The reservoir was created by the Army Corps of Engineers in 1966 for… |
Devil’s Lake, ND (North Central Region, ND, North Dakota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
1,000 mi | Also known as Devils Lake Spring 2011: Water levels continue to rise with melting snow and spring rains, reaching 1,453 feet above sea level and about 177,000 acres in April. A… |
Lake Ouachita, AR (Arkansas, Ouachitas Region, AR, US South Region, USA) |
975 mi | Also known as Blakely Mountain Dam Reservoir Lake Ouachita is completely surrounded by the Ouachita National Forest. It’s the largest lake located entirely within the state of Arkansas. More than… |
Hartwell Lake, GA/SC (Georgia, Northeast Georgia Mountains Region, South Carolina, The Upcountry, SC, US South Region, USA) |
962 mi | Also known as Lake Hartwell So large it covers parts of six counties in two states, Lake Hartwell draws millions of visitors a year to play on its 56,000 acres of water. With ple… |
Harry S. Truman Lake, MO (Central Missouri, Missouri, US Midwest Region, USA) |
958 mi | Also known as Harry S. Truman Reservoir, Truman Lake It looks a like a reel of film perched on a bluff; it is the visitor center overlooking Truman Lake. The round wall of windows offers a panoramic view… |
Lake Guntersville, AL (Alabama, East Tennessee, Mountains Region, AL, Tennessee, US South Region, USA) |
949 mi | Also known as Guntersville Lake, Guntersville Reservoir Alabama’s Mountain Region contains the state’s largest lake: Lake Guntersville. Cradled in the Appalachian foothills of northern Alabama, it’s located… |
Rainy Lake, MN / Canada (Canada, Minnesota, Northeast Minnesota, Ontario, Canada, US Midwest Region, USA) |
929 mi | Rainy Lake’s sprawling 221,000 acres straddle the border of the United States and Canada. Known as a water sports lover’s paradise, Rainy Lake is loca… |