Highest elevation lakes & reservoirs in US West Region by altitude
While lake levels can flucuate frequently based on several circumstances, the altitude/elevation of a lake is based on its normal water level, measured by the lake’s surface distance above sea level. For a reservoir, this water level is also known as “full pond” or “full pool”.Low lake levels can occur due to deliberate seasonal draw downs for irrigation or impending snow melt, reduced water inflows, drought and evaporation, residential or commercial water demands, and hydropower generation. Some lakes’ minimum and maximum elevations are virtually the same. Lakes that generate hydropower may vary by several feet – according to power demand. Lakes whose primary purpose is to prevent flooding can seasonally vary by 100 feet or more. When some lakes reach their minimum elevation, their boat ramps may not be long enough to permit boat access – and boats docked on shallow parts of the lake may end up on dry ground. In those cases, kayakers and shore-based anglers may be among the few happy recreational users of the lake.
A lake’s highest water level, measured by the lake’s surface distance above sea level, that can occur during flooding. A lake’s highest possible maximum elevation is usually the top of the lake’s dam or spillway. At lakes that include residential development, government regulations usually forbid the construction of homes below a lake’s maximum elevation.
You can find many of the world’s highest-elevated lakes on LakeLubbers. Lakes with the lowest elevations (known by LakeLubbers) are shown on the final page of that list. Note: For some lakes, "Altitude/Elevation" data is unknown, so this table may display fewer lakes than the total 329 articles we have published for US West Region lakes.
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Below are lakes within USA > US West Region > Compared by highest altitude/elevation in feet. This list does not represent all lakes in US West Region, only the 329 US West Region lake articles we have published on the LakeLubbers website.
Lake name | Elevation in feet | Lake description |
---|---|---|
Palisades Reservoir, ID/WY (Eastern Idaho, Idaho, Southwest Wyoming, US West Region, USA, Wyoming) |
5,620 ft | Palisades Reservoir is set in southeast Idaho, east of Idaho Falls in a beautiful river valley. The southern end of the reservoir extends into Wyoming … |
Cherry Creek Reservoir, CO (Colorado, Denver Area, CO, US West Region, USA) |
5,598 ft | Also known as Cherry Creek Lake Affectionately called “Denver’s Backyard,” Cherry Creek Lake and State Park provide recreation opportunities for families from all over. Located in Au … |
Echo Reservoir, UT (Mountainland Region, UT, US West Region, USA, Utah) |
5,570 ft | Echo Reservoir sits almost smack in the middle of the countryside between Salt Lake City and the Utah/Wyoming border. It’s hard to miss, as Interstate … |
Chatfield Reservoir, CO (Colorado, Denver Area, CO, US West Region, USA) |
5,500 ft | Also known as Chatfield Lake Standing in fields of prairie clover looking at blue herons on beautiful Chatfield Reservoir, it’s hard to imagine that this spot is just outside the … |
Horsetooth Reservoir, CO (Colorado, Front Range Region, CO, US West Region, USA) |
5,429 ft | Also known as Horsetooth Lake On the high, arid ridges and plains of Colorado’s Front Range, Horsetooth Reservoir delights the visitor and refreshes the senses. Developed as a stor … |
Deer Creek Reservoir, UT (Mountainland Region, UT, US West Region, USA, Utah) |
5,425 ft | Deer Creek Reservoir is located near Heber, Utah, the home of the historic “Heber Creeper,” a train with a steam engine that takes tourists on trips f … |
Shaver Lake, CA (California, High Sierra Region, CA, US West Region, USA) |
5,370 ft | Also known as Shaver Reservoir Sixty miles east of Fresno, hidden in the High Sierra Region, Shaver Lake is one of California’s favorite recreation destinations. There have been man … |
Bucks Lake, CA (California, Shasta Cascade Region, CA, US West Region, USA) |
5,157 ft | A peregrine falcon, perched in the top of a silvery, windswept pine, watches a sailboat tack back and forth across the clear cool water of Bucks Lake. … |
Topaz Lake, CA/NV (California, High Sierra Region, CA, Nevada, Renoe-Tahoe Territory, NV, US West Region, USA) |
5,005 ft | Also known as Topaz Reservoir Topaz Lake is a man-made reservoir located on the border of Nevada and California, about 75 miles south of Reno, Nevada. The reservoir was built on th … |
Donnells Reservoir (California, High Sierra Region, CA, US West Region, USA) |
4,915 ft | Also known as Donnells Lake, Donnell Lake Donnells Reservoir is one of the Central Sierra’s most picturesque lakes. Sometimes called Donnell Lake, it has its own dedicated viewing location and … |
Lake Cascade, ID (Idaho, Southwestern Idaho, US West Region, USA) |
4,828 ft | Also known as Cascade Reservoir Lake Cascade (Cascade Reservoir) is the fourth largest lake in Idaho, creating an extensive and diverse recreation site for visitors. Its nearly 30,00 … |
Boysen Reservoir (Central Wyoming, US West Region, USA, Wyoming) |
4,732 ft | Also known as Boysen Lake Its gleaming expanse framed by the barren high desert hills of Central Wyoming, Boysen Reservoir offers a welcome respite from the summer heat. Nearly … |