List of largest reservoirs in the United States explained

This is a list of largest reservoirs in the United States, including all artificial lakes with a capacity greater than or equal to 1000000acre feet. Figures given are for maximum storage capacity (flood pool) of reservoirs, not regular storage volume (conservation pool). This difference is significant in reservoirs such as Kentucky Lake, whose full capacity is nearly three times that of its conservation pool.

Due to sedimentation and other factors that affect a reservoir's storage capacity over time, some data listed might not accurately reflect actual current conditions in certain reservoirs. For example, Lake Mead – the largest reservoir in the U.S. – could store more than 32.4 million acre-feet (40.1 km³) when first filled, but sediment accumulation has reduced this to 28.9e6acre.ft.

List

Name	State(s)	Coordinates	Capacity		Surface area		Dam(s)	River	Year
			Acre-feet	km^3	Acres	Ha
Abiquiu Lake		36.2764°N -106.4753°W	11928013NaN3	12430acres	Abiquiu Dam	Rio Chama	1963
Alamo Lake		34.2964°N -113.5453°W	10430003NaN3	17000acres	Alamo Dam	Bill Williams River	1968
Allegheny Reservoir		41.96°N -78.9344°W	13000003NaN3	21180acres	Kinzua Dam	Allegheny River	1965
American Falls Reservoir^[1]		42.9081°N -112.7511°W	16726003NaN3	56000acres	American Falls Dam	Snake River	1978
Amistad Reservoir		29.4706°N -101.1017°W	56586003NaN3	64900acres	Amistad Dam	Rio Grande	1969
Arkabutla Lake		34.7428°N -90.1036°W	13838003NaN3	30000acres	Arkabutla Dam	Coldwater River	1943
Banks Lake		47.7983°N -119.2003°W	12750003NaN3	26900acres	Dry Falls Dam, North Dam	Grand Coulee	1949
Beaver Lake		36.3547°N -93.9244°W	19500003NaN3	31700acres	Beaver Dam	White River	1966
Belton Lake		31.1333°N -97.5083°W	18767003NaN3	37340acres	Belton Dam	Leon River	1954
Bighorn Lake		45.1061°N -108.1869°W	13811893NaN3	17300acres	Yellowtail Dam	Bighorn River	1967
Broken Bow Lake		34.2089°N -94.6833°W	13682303NaN3	18000acres	Broken Bow Dam	Mountain Fork	1968
Brownlee Reservoir		44.5928°N -117.1253°W	14267003NaN3	15000acres	Brownlee Dam	Snake River	1958
Bull Shoals Lake		36.4978°N -92.7661°W	57600003NaN3	71240acres	Bull Shoals Dam	White River	1951
Canyon Ferry Lake		46.5208°N -111.5728°W	19979003NaN3	35181acres	Canyon Ferry Dam	Missouri River	1954
Cedar Creek Reservoir		32.2689°N -96.1397°W	10850003NaN3	34000acres	Joe B. Hogsett Dam	Cedar Creek	1965
Center Hill Lake		36.0283°N -85.7547°W	20920003NaN3	18220acres	Center Hill Dam	Caney Fork	1948
Cherokee Lake		36.2658°N -83.3714°W	15410003NaN3	28780acres	Cherokee Dam	Holston River	1941
Dale Hollow Reservoir		36.6114°N -85.3111°W	17060003NaN3	27700acres	Dale Hollow Dam	Obey River	1943
DeGray Lake		34.2433°N -93.1914°W	13771003NaN3	18000acres	DeGray Dam	Caddo River	1972
Don Pedro Reservoir^[2]		37.7794°N -120.3619°W	20300003NaN3	12960acres	New Don Pedro Dam	Tuolumne River	1971
Douglas Lake		35.9925°N -83.3722°W	14610003NaN3	28420acres	Douglas Dam	French Broad River	1943
Dworshak Reservoir		46.6106°N -116.1075°W	34699003NaN3	16418acres	Dworshak Dam	N.F. Clearwater River	1973
Elephant Butte Lake		33.3097°N -107.1661°W	20650103NaN3	35984acres	Elephant Butte Dam	Rio Grande	1916
Enid Lake		34.1514°N -89.8089°W	12135003NaN3	28000acres	Enid Dam	Yocona River	1952
Eufaula Lake		35.2886°N -95.5425°W	37980003NaN3	105000acres	Eufaula Dam	Canadian River	1964
Falcon Lake		26.7389°N -99.23°W	26456463NaN3	87400acres	Falcon Dam	Rio Grande	1954
Falls Lake		36.0211°N -78.7128°W	10209803NaN3	12410acres	Falls Dam	Neuse River	1981
Flathead Lake		47.9014°N -114.1025°W	12170003NaN3	126000acres	SKQ Dam	Flathead River	1939
Flaming Gorge Reservoir		41.0936°N -109.5444°W	37887003NaN3	42020acres	Flaming Gorge Dam	Green River	1964
Fort Gibson Lake		35.9528°N -95.2733°W	12920003NaN3	19900acres	Fort Gibson Dam	Neosho River	1949
Fort Peck Lake^[3]		47.7564°N -106.7244°W	191000003NaN3	245000acres	Fort Peck Dam	Missouri River	1940
Fontana Lake		35.4369°N -83.6789°W	14430003NaN3	10240acres	Fontana Dam	Little Tennessee River	1944
F.D. Roosevelt Lake^[4]		48.3314°N -118.1742°W	95620003NaN3	80000acres	Grand Coulee Dam	Columbia River	1942
Grand Lake o' the Cherokees		36.6136°N -94.8483°W	16720003NaN3	46500acres	Pensacola Dam	Neosho River	1940
Greers Ferry Lake		35.5236°N -92.1225°W	28440003NaN3	40500acres	Greers Ferry Dam	Little Red River	1962
Grenada Lake		33.8317°N -89.7283°W	27221003NaN3	35820acres	Grenada Dam	Yalobusha River	1954
Guntersville Lake^[5]		34.5106°N -86.1592°W	10187003NaN3	67900acres	Guntersville Dam	Tennessee River	1939
Hugo Lake		34.0644°N -95.4156°W	12741103NaN3	35045acres	Hugo Lake Dam	Kiamichi River	1974
Hungry Horse Reservoir		48.2256°N -113.7989°W	34671793NaN3	23813acres	Hungry Horse Dam	S.F. Flathead River	1953
John H. Kerr Reservoir		36.5731°N -78.4861°W	33635003NaN3	83200acres	John H. Kerr Dam	Roanoke River	1953
Jordan Lake		35.7431°N -79.0267°W	16465603NaN3	31800acres	B. Everett Jordan Dam	Haw River	1983
Kaw Lake		36.7706°N -96.8286°W	10703103NaN3	38000acres	Kaw Dam	Arkansas River	1976
Kentucky Lake		36.5239°N -88.0369°W	61290003NaN3	160300acres	Kentucky Dam	Tennessee River	1944
Keystone Lake		36.2306°N -96.2972°W	17376003NaN3	54320acres	Keystone Dam	Arkansas River	1964
Lake Almanor		40.2558°N -121.1689°W	13080003NaN3	28160acres	Canyon Dam	N.F. Feather River	1910
Lake Barkley		36.8706°N -87.9867°W	20820003NaN3	57920acres	Barkley Dam	Cumberland River	1966
Lake Berryessa		38.5903°N -122.2256°W	16020003NaN3	20700acres	Monticello Dam	Putah Creek	1957
Lake Cumberland		36.9181°N -85.0161°W	60890003NaN3	65530acres	Wolf Creek Dam	Cumberland River	1951
Lake Elwell		48.3453°N -111.2528°W	15150003NaN3	14842acres	Tiber Dam	Marias River	1956
Lake Francis Case		43.4419°N -99.2092°W	57000003NaN3	102000acres	Fort Randall Dam	Missouri River	1956
Lake Hartwell		34.4956°N -82.8206°W	34387003NaN3	55950acres	Hartwell Dam	Savannah River	1962
Lake Jocassee		34.9811°N -82.9381°W	11850003NaN3	7565acres	Jocassee Dam	Keowee River	1975
Lake Kemp		33.7556°N -99.1478°W	10400003NaN3	16640acres	Lake Kemp Dam	Wichita River	1923
Lake Koocanusa^[6]		48.8175°N -115.2781°W	58692003NaN3	46700acres	Libby Dam	Kootenai River	1975
Lake Lanier		34.2356°N -83.9525°W	25540003NaN3	47182acres	Buford Dam	Chattahoochee River	1956
Lake Livingston		30.7442°N -95.1339°W	21353243NaN3	91000acres	Livingston Dam	Trinity River	1969
Lake Marion		33.4564°N -80.3292°W	12300003NaN3	110000acres	Santee Dam	Santee River	1942
Lake Martin		32.8614°N -85.8906°W	16220003NaN3	44000acres	Martin Dam	Tallapoosa River	1927
Lake McClure^[7]		37.6394°N -120.2806°W	10320003NaN3	7147acres	New Exchequer Dam	Merced River	1967
Lake McConaughy		41.2606°N -101.8439°W	17400003NaN3	35700acres	Kingsley Dam	N. Platte River	1941
Lake Mead^[8]		36.1411°N -114.4294°W	289450003NaN3	161000acres	Hoover Dam	Colorado River	1936
Lake Meredith		35.6372°N -101.6589°W	24342203NaN3	21640acres	Sanford Dam	Canadian River	1965
Lake Mohave		35.4103°N -114.6367°W	18183003NaN3	26500acres	Davis Dam	Colorado River	1951
Lake Moultrie		33.3064°N -80.0558°W	11100003NaN3	60000acres	Pinopolis Dam	Cooper River	1942
Lake Murray		34.0644°N -81.3686°W	22000003NaN3	50000acres	Saluda Dam	Saluda River	1930
Lake Norman		35.5311°N -80.9422°W	10936003NaN3	32510acres	Cowans Ford Dam	Catawba River	1964
Lake Oahe		45.2981°N -100.3022°W	235000003NaN3	370000acres	Oahe Dam	Missouri River	1962
Lake of the Ozarks		38.1611°N -92.7956°W	19900003NaN3	55000acres	Bagnell Dam	Osage River	1931
Lake Oroville^[9]		39.5708°N -121.4636°W	35375773NaN3	15805acres	Oroville Dam	Feather River	1968
Lake Ouachita		34.5961°N -93.3161°W	27680003NaN3	48300acres	Blakely Mountain Dam	Ouachita River	1952
Lake Pend Oreille		48.1494°N -116.3842°W	11530003NaN3	94700acres	Albeni Falls Dam	Pend Oreille River	1951
Lake Pleasant^[10]		33.8894°N -112.2811°W	11086003NaN3	12040acres	New Waddell Dam	Agua Fria River	1994
Lake Powell^[11]		37.3208°N -110.7936°W	262149003NaN3	163000acres	Glen Canyon Dam	Colorado River	1966
Lake Ray Roberts		33.4078°N -97.025°W	19319003NaN3	29350acres	Ray Roberts Dam	Elm Fork Trinity River	1986
Lake Red Rock^[12]		41.4303°N -93.1583°W	14360003NaN3	64480acres	Red Rock Dam	Des Moines River	1969
Lake Sakakawea		47.7658°N -102.2881°W	243000003NaN3	382000acres	Garrison Dam	Missouri River	1953
Lake Sharpe		44.19°N -99.6817°W	19100003NaN3	56884acres	Big Bend Dam	Missouri River	1966
Lake Shelbyville		39.4717°N -88.7139°W	11430003NaN3	11100acres	Shelbyville Dam	Kaskaskia River	1970
Lake Strom Thurmond		33.8133°N -82.3169°W	38200003NaN3	71100acres	J. Strom Thurmond Dam	Savannah River	1954
Lake Tawakoni		32.8081°N -95.9206°W	16600003NaN3	35840acres	Iron Bridge Dam	Sabine River	1960
Lake Texoma		33.9108°N -96.6517°W	49970793NaN3	89000acres	Denison Dam	Red River	1943
Lake Travis		30.4142°N -97.9911°W	11349563NaN3	19297acres	Mansfield Dam	Colorado River (Texas)	1942
Lake Umatilla		45.7903°N -120.0561°W	25300003NaN3	55000acres	John Day Dam	Columbia River	1971
Lake Wallula		46.0578°N -118.9419°W	13500003NaN3	38800acres	McNary Dam	Columbia River	1954
Lake Winnibigoshish		47.4378°N -94.1944°W	10720003NaN3	67800acres	Winnibigoshish Lake Dam	Mississippi River	1884
Leech Lake		47.1633°N -94.4103°W	10000003NaN3	102948acres	Leech Lake Dam	Leech Lake River	1885
Lewis Smith Lake		33.9567°N -87.11°W	13900003NaN3	21200acres	Smith Lake Dam	Sipsey Fork	1961
Lewisville Lake		33.1094°N -96.9714°W	20828003NaN3	23040acres	Lewisville Dam	Elm Fork Trinity River	1955
Mark Twain Lake^[13]		39.6544°N -91.7536°W	21031203NaN3	53200acres	Clarence Cannon Dam	Salt River (Missouri)	1983
Milford Lake^[14]		39.1608°N -96.92°W	11252003NaN3	33000acres	Milford Dam	Republican River	1967
Millwood Lake		33.7464°N -93.9831°W	18549303NaN3	29200acres	Millwood Dam	Little River (Red River)	1966
Navajo Lake		36.8964°N -107.4633°W	17086003NaN3	15610acres	Navajo Dam	San Juan River	1962
New Melones Lake^[15]		37.9922°N -120.5294°W	24200003NaN3	12500acres	New Melones Dam	Stanislaus River	1979
Norfork Lake		36.3592°N -92.2336°W	19830003NaN3	22000acres	Norfork Dam	North Fork River	1944
Norris Lake		36.2903°N -83.9172°W	20400003NaN3	34200acres	Norris Dam	Clinch River	1936
Oologah Lake		35.5492°N -95.6036°W	15190003NaN3	56800acres	Oologah Dam	Verdigris River	1963
Owyhee Reservoir		43.4614°N -117.3369°W	11833003NaN3	13500acres	Owyhee Dam	Owyhee River	1932
Painted Rock Reservoir		33.0269°N -112.8667°W	24917003NaN3	53200acres	Painted Rock Dam	Gila River	1960
Palisades Reservoir^[16]		43.2419°N -111.1197°W	14010003NaN3	16000acres	Palisades Dam	Snake River	1957
Pathfinder Reservoir^[17]		42.4214°N -106.9133°W	10165003NaN3	22000acres	Pathfinder Dam	N. Platte River	1909
Perry Lake^[18]		39.1789°N -95.4581°W	14176833NaN3	25389acres	Perry Dam	Delaware River (Kansas)	1966
Pine Flat Lake^[19]		36.8608°N -119.2986°W	10000003NaN3	5970acres	Pine Flat Dam	Kings River	1954
Quabbin Reservoir		42.3608°N -72.3017°W	12740003NaN3	24529acres	Winsor Dam, Goodnough Dike	Swift River	1939
Red Lake Reservoir		48.0733°N -95.0289°W	34280003NaN3	288640acres	Lower Red Lake Dam	Red Lake River	1931
Richard B. Russell Lake		34.0858°N -82.6428°W	14881703NaN3	26650acres	Richard B. Russell Dam	Savannah River	1985
Richland-Chambers Reservoir		31.9794°N -96.1914°W	17430003NaN3	44752acres	Richland Creek Dam	Richland Creek	1987
Riffe Lake		46.4789°N -122.2947°W	16850003NaN3	11830acres	Mossyrock Dam	Cowlitz River	1968
Ross Lake		48.8511°N -121.0253°W	14350003NaN3	11700acres	Ross Dam	Skagit River	1949
Sam Rayburn Reservoir		31.2103°N -94.2844°W	39976003NaN3	114500acres	Sam Rayburn Dam	Angelina River	1965
San Luis Reservoir		37.0561°N -121.12°W	20410003NaN3	12700acres	San Luis Dam	San Luis Creek	1967
Sardis Lake		34.4878°N -89.6436°W	15120003NaN3	58500acres	Sardis Dam	Little Tallahatchie River	1940
Seminoe Reservoir		42.0353°N -106.8489°W	10172793NaN3	20291acres	Seminoe Dam	N. Platte River	1939
Shasta Lake^[20]		40.7747°N -122.3003°W	45520003NaN3	29740acres	Shasta Dam	Sacramento River	1945
Smith Mountain Lake		37.08°N -79.6208°W	23000003NaN3	20600acres	Smith Mountain Dam	Roanoke River	1963
Stockton Lake^[21]		37.6119°N -93.7711°W	16740003NaN3	63200acres	Stockton Dam	Sac River	1969
Strawberry Reservoir		40.1653°N -111.1256°W	11065003NaN3	17163acres	Soldier Creek Dam	Strawberry River	1974
Table Rock Lake		36.6217°N -93.4078°W	34620003NaN3	52300acres	Table Rock Dam	White River	1958
Tenkiller Ferry Lake		35.6672°N -94.9819°W	12308003NaN3	20800acres	Tenkiller Ferry Dam	Illinois River (Arkansas)	1952
Theodore Roosevelt Lake		33.6819°N -111.1136°W	29102003NaN3	31900acres	Theodore Roosevelt Dam	Salt River	1911
Toledo Bend Reservoir		31.4883°N -93.7286°W	44729003NaN3	181600acres	Toledo Bend Dam	Sabine River	1966
Truman Reservoir^[22]		38.2572°N -93.4383°W	51870003NaN3	209300acres	Harry S. Truman Dam	Osage River	1979
Trinity Lake^[23]		40.8833°N -122.7072°W	24476503NaN3	16535acres	Trinity Dam	Trinity River (California)	1962
Tuttle Creek Lake^[24]		39.3542°N -96.6767°W	31857003NaN3	53760acres	Tuttle Creek Dam	Big Blue River	1962
Wappapello Lake		36.9472°N -90.3125°W	11346003NaN3	23200acres	Wappapello Dam	St. Francis River	1941
Watts Bar Lake		36.7722°N -84.6694°W	11750003NaN3	39000acres	Watts Bar Dam	Tennessee River	1942
Weiss Lake		34.1839°N -85.6033°W	14333003NaN3	30200acres	Weiss Dam	Coosa River	1961
Wheeler Lake		34.7122°N -87.1406°W	10500003NaN3	67100acres	Wheeler Dam	Tennessee River	1936
Lake Whitney		32.8533°N -96.5206°W	21004003NaN3	60000acres	Whitney Lake Dam	Brazos River	1951
Wright Patman Lake		33.2742°N -94.2172°W	26543003NaN3	119700acres	Wright Patman Dam	Sulphur River	1953

See also

• List of reservoirs by volume

Notes and References

1. Web site: American Falls Hydroelectric Project. Idaho Power. 2012-05-13.
2. Web site: Don Pedro Reservoir (DNP). California Department of Water Resources. California Data Exchange Center. 2012-05-13.
3. Web site: Fort Peck Dam (Fort Peck Lake). Lakes Online. 2012-05-13.
4. Web site: Grand Coulee Dam Hydraulics & Hydrology. U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Columbia Basin Project. 2009-06-29. 2012-05-13.
5. Web site: Lake Guntersville Statistics. Lakes Online. 2012-05-13.
6. Web site: USGS Gage #12301920 on Lake Koocanusa near Libby, MT. U.S. Geological Survey. National Water Information System. 1972–2007. 2012-05-13.
7. Web site: New Exchequer-Lk McClure (EXC). California Department of Water Resources. California Data Exchange Center. 2012-05-13.
8. Web site: Hydraulics & Hydrology. U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Boulder Canyon Project–Hoover Dam. 2012-01-04. 2012-05-12.
9. Web site: Oroville Dam (ORO). California Department of Water Resources. California Data Exchange Center. 2012-05-13.
10. Web site: New Waddell Dam. U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. 2009-08-07. 2012-05-13.
11. Web site: 1986 Lake Powell Survey. REC-ERC-88-6. U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. December 1988. 2012-05-13.
12. Web site: Lake Red Rock, Des Moines River. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. January 2011. 2012-05-12.
13. Web site: Final Report: Mark Twain Lake, Upper Mississippi River Basin. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. 2011-03-30. 2012-05-04.
14. Web site: Milford Lake. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. 2012-05-05. https://web.archive.org/web/20070626182216/http://www.nwk.usace.army.mil/WaterManagement/Milford_Lake.pdf. 2007-06-26. dead.
15. Web site: New Melones Reservoir (NML). California Department of Water Resources. California Data Exchange Center. 2012-05-13.
16. Web site: Palisades Dam. U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Palisades Project. 2009-03-02. 2012-05-13. 2016-03-05. https://web.archive.org/web/20160305200533/http://www.usbr.gov/projects/Facility.jsp?fac_Name=Palisades%20Dam. dead.
17. Web site: Pathfinder Dam Hydraulics & Hydrology. U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Glendo Unit. 2012-02-02. 2012-05-13.
18. Web site: Dam & River Basin. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. 2011-07-07. 2012-05-05. https://web.archive.org/web/20120422081607/http://www.nwk.usace.army.mil/pe/TheDam.cfm. 2012-04-22. dead.
19. Web site: Pine Flat Dam (PNF). California Department of Water Resources. California Data Exchange Center. 2012-05-13.
20. Web site: Shasta Dam (SHA). California Department of Water Resources. California Data Exchange Center. 2012-05-13.
21. Web site: Sac River Watershed Hydrology. Missouri Department of Conservation. 2012-05-04. https://web.archive.org/web/20130411202422/http://extra.mdc.mo.gov/fish/watershed/sac/hydro/. 2013-04-11. dead.
22. Web site: Harry S. Truman Reservoir 1999 Water Quality Report. The Lakes of Missouri Volunteer Program. 2012-05-04.
23. Web site: Trinity Lake (CLE). California Department of Water Resources. California Data Exchange Center. 2012-05-13.
24. Web site: The Occurrence and Transport of Agricultural Pesticides in the Tuttle Creek Lake-Stream System, Kansas and Nebraska. U.S. Geological Survey. Water-Supply Paper 2419. Bevans, Hugh E. . Fromm, Carla Hyde . Watkins, Sharon A. . 2012-05-05.