Largest lakes & reservoirs in North Carolina by acres
There is no widely-accepted minimum surface area that defines a lake. What LakeLubbers describes as a lake, you might call a pond. Acreage of a lake (or sometimes square kilometers) is most often measured at the top surface area when the lake is at normal elevation. The surface area can be considerably smaller or larger when lake levels are lower or higher than normal. North America’s Lake Superior is the world’s largest freshwater lake by this measure.The other measure of a lake’s size is the lake’s water volume. By that measure, the world’s largest freshwater lake is Lake Baikal in Siberia.
You can find many of the world’s largest lakes (acres) on LakeLubbers in the comparison table below. Note: For some lakes, "Largest Lakes - Acres" data is unknown or does not apply, so you may see fewer lakes than the total 45 articles we have published for North Carolina lakes.
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Below are lakes within USA > US South Region > North Carolina > Compared by surface area in acres. This list does not represent all lakes in North Carolina, only the 45 North Carolina lake articles we have published on the LakeLubbers website.
Lake name | Surface area in acres | Lake description |
---|---|---|
Lake James, NC (Mountains Region, NC, North Carolina, US South Region, USA) |
6,510 ac | Nestled into the Blue Ridge Mountains, Lake James is a 6,510 acre lake in western North Carolina with 150 shoreline miles. Duke Power constructed thre … |
Lake Hiwassee, NC (Mountains Region, NC, North Carolina, US South Region, USA) |
6,275 ac | Also known as Hiwassee Reservoir or Hiwassee Lake Lake Hiwassee is located in the mountainous region of North Carolina’s southwestern Cherokee County. Sitting in the Nantahala National Forest, it is a … |
Badin Lake, NC (North Carolina, Piedmont Region, NC, US South Region, USA) |
5,350 ac | Badin Lake, a reservoir built in 1917 for hydroelectric power by the Aluminum Company of America, covers 5,350 North Carolina acres with its sparkling … |
Lake Tillery, NC (North Carolina, Piedmont Region, NC, US South Region, USA) |
5,263 ac | Also known as Tillery Reservoir Less than an hour’s drive from Charlotte, Lake Tillery is one of the best-kept secrets of the Piedmont Region of North Carolina. One of the reservoirs … |
Roanoke Rapids Lake (North Carolina, Piedmont Region, NC, US South Region, USA) |
4,600 ac | Often overshadowed by its better-known neighbor Lake Gaston, Roanoke Rapids Lake offers a quieter and less crowded spot for recreation. The third rese … |
Lake Hickory, NC (North Carolina, Piedmont Region, NC, US South Region, USA) |
4,223 ac | Lake Hickory, situated in west central North Carolina near the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains, is one of several man-made reservoirs in North Carolina’ … |
Belews Lake, NC (North Carolina, Piedmont Region, NC, US South Region, USA) |
3,864 ac | Belews Lake is nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in beautiful north central North Carolina. The lake straddles Stokes, Forsyth and … |
Hyco Lake, NC (North Carolina, Piedmont Region, NC, US South Region, USA) |
3,750 ac | Hyco Lake is a man-made reservoir located in northern North Carolina near the Virginia state line in the Roanoke River Basin. In the early 1960s, the … |
Mountain Island Lake (North Carolina, Piedmont Region, NC, US South Region, USA) |
3,281 ac | Also known as Mountain Island Reservoir Mountain Island Lake is an great location not to miss for anyone looking for lakefront property in the Charlotte, North Carolina area. Lakes in the Pi … |
Lake Rhodhiss, NC (Mountains Region, NC, North Carolina, US South Region, USA) |
3,060 ac | Also known as Rhodhiss Lake Lake Rhodhiss spans 3,060 acres in Burke and Caldwell Counties of west central North Carolina, lying between Lake James and Lake Hickory. A view of su … |
Randleman Lake (North Carolina, Piedmont Region, NC, US South Region, USA) |
3,007 ac | Also known as Randleman Regional Reservoir Randleman Lake is the Piedmont Region of North Carolina’s newest lake and recreational hotspot. Although originally proposed by the US Army Corps of E … |
Lake Santeetlah, NC (Mountains Region, NC, North Carolina, US South Region, USA) |
2,881 ac | Also known as Santeetlah Reservoir or Santeetlah Lake High up in the Appalachian Mountains in North Carolina’s largely wild, westerly Graham County is Lake Santeetlah. Owned by Brookfield Renewable Energy … |