Massive Lakes

[1995hoo]

And then you have Virginia, which has two, but one of them—Mountain Lake—suddenly went dry a few years back. That dismayed a lot of people because the hotel that sits at one end of the lake is where large parts of Dirty Dancing were filmed. I don't know whether the recent heavy rains have refilled the lake—apparently the scientists determined it has a natural fill–drain cycle.

Ah, Mountain Lake.  One of my favorite getaways in (vulgarity removed) land.  But it is only about 45 acres or so when filled, and therefore off-topic. . . .

Except that kurumi commented on the number of natural lakes in given states, to which I responded. That's perfectly OK to do.

[gonealookin]

At Lake Tahoe, the rim of the natural lake is at 6223.0 feet above sea level.

The dam at Tahoe City can raise the water surface to as high as 6229.1' ASL.  It could actually go higher, but as a result of a legal case many decades ago, the water master has to manage the outflow to keep the surface below 6229.1'.  This is to protect improvements around the edge of the lake (docks etc.).

The water between 6223.0' ASL and 6229.1' ASL is the "reservoir" portion of the lake.  The reservoir's percentage of capacity is therefore ([current altitude of water surface]-6223.0)/6.1.  After a couple of dry years, the lake's surface can drop below 6223.0', and in those cases when you look at a reservoir table you will see that Lake Tahoe is at 0% of capacity.

Another complication is defining the limit of private property.  In California, that is at the high water mark which is 6229.1.  All exposed shoreline is open to the public, up to that level.  In Nevada, private property extends to the present water surface, but not below the natural rim of 6223.0'.  So, if the water level is at 6226.0, in California the public can enter on the part of the shoreline that's no more than 3.1 feet above the lake's surface, but at the same time in Nevada the public can only enter shoreline that abuts public property (USFS or state park), because all private property extends all the way to the water.

[Scott5114]

Lake Tahoe is deeper than all five Great Lakes.

A sign at Lake Tahoe says that the bottom of the lake is below the elevation of Carson City, which is not even in the mountains.

[Rothman]

Lake Tahoe is deeper than all five Great Lakes.

A sign at Lake Tahoe says that the bottom of the lake is below the elevation of Carson City, which is not even in the mountains.

What's weird is that I remember being able to walk out quite a ways in the water from the beach when I went swimming there years ago.  Deceptively shallow.

[SEWIGuy]

Lake Tahoe is deeper than all five Great Lakes.

A sign at Lake Tahoe says that the bottom of the lake is below the elevation of Carson City, which is not even in the mountains.

Man that's pretty incredible. And Fredo is down there somewhere...

[PNWRoadgeek]

Lake Tahoe is deeper than all five Great Lakes.

A sign at Lake Tahoe says that the bottom of the lake is below the elevation of Carson City, which is not even in the mountains.

Man that's pretty incredible. And Fredo is down there somewhere...

Who knows where Fredo is.

Alright, so far in this thread we've talked about big lakes, but what about deep lakes? Like the famous Crater Lake that we all know and love? But what makes it so deep?

Short answer: Massive mountain erupted creating the lake, and the crater was deep.

Long answer: Just ask Wikipedia, I'm not an expert on topography, but I do know how it was formed! Just look at the short answer!

Simple as that! EVERYBODY CLAP THEIR HANDS FOR THE GREATEST TOPOGRAPHY EXPERT OF. ALL. TIME!!! 

[CNGL-Leudimin]

I see this topic and I have to introduce the Caspian Sea, by far the largest lake (as in, not subject to the global eustatic sea level) in the world .

[kalvado]

I see this topic and I have to introduce the Caspian Sea, by far the largest lake (as in, not subject to the global eustatic sea level) in the world .

Disqualified for salinity. Nextn

[SEWIGuy]

I see this topic and I have to introduce the Caspian Sea, by far the largest lake (as in, not subject to the global eustatic sea level) in the world .

Disqualified for salinity. Nextn

It's by definition a lake.

[kalvado]

I see this topic and I have to introduce the Caspian Sea, by far the largest lake (as in, not subject to the global eustatic sea level) in the world .

Disqualified for salinity. Nextn

It's by definition a lake.

Not following established lake filling protocols is considered cheating!

[SEWIGuy]

I see this topic and I have to introduce the Caspian Sea, by far the largest lake (as in, not subject to the global eustatic sea level) in the world .

Disqualified for salinity. Nextn

It's by definition a lake.

Not following established lake filling protocols is considered cheating!

It's filled by multiple rivers.

[kalvado]

I see this topic and I have to introduce the Caspian Sea, by far the largest lake (as in, not subject to the global eustatic sea level) in the world .

Disqualified for salinity. Nextn

It's by definition a lake.

Not following established lake filling protocols is considered cheating!

It's filled by multiple rivers.

Initial fill was a cheat by separation from the sea, unlike honest glacial or river formed lakes!
Makes me go and read on geological history of the great salt lake.. I wonder if any other body of water shares formation mechanism with aral and Caspian...

[1995hoo]

I see this topic and I have to introduce the Caspian Sea, by far the largest lake (as in, not subject to the global eustatic sea level) in the world .

As we all know from the special Jeopardy episode between James Holzhauer, Ken Jennings, and Brad Rutter that aired on January 8, 2020, its proper name is the Caspian Body with Special Legal Status.

(A Double Jeopardy 1200-point clue that night read, "By a 2018 treaty this large body into which the Volga flows was deemed neither a lake nor a sea, but a body with special legal status." Holzhauer rang in and said, "What is Caspian Body with Special Legal Status?" The judges allowed that.)

[Molandfreak]

Purely in the interest of keeping my Great Lake Superior to the rest, I'm gonna have to side with Kalvado.