Sailing & big water

Every sailing & big water lake in America

524 lakes light up the map — hover for the conditions, click a pin to open it or plan a trip. Switch to satellite and you can see the water.

The national records

Real superlatives — every number below is a sourced field on that lake's page.

The best in the country

Ranked by sourced signals only — agency ramps, marinas, programs, measured water. The reason each lake ranks is printed on its card.

#1

Lake Sakakawea

Mountrail County, ND

314,243 acres of open water

#2

Kentucky Lake

Decatur County, TN

22,907 acres of open water

#3

Toledo Bend Reservoir

Sabine County, TX

165,599 acres of open water

#4

Lake Sidney Lanier

Forsyth County, GA

38,293 acres of open water

#5

Lake Hartwell

Anderson County, SC

56,000 acres of open water

#6

Watts Bar Lake

Roane County, TN

33,441 acres of open water

#7

Old Hickory Lake

Sumner County, TN

22,500 acres of open water

#8

Lake O' the Pines

Marion County, TX

18,152 acres of open water

#9

Dallas Lake

Meigs County, TN

27,237 acres of open water

#10

Sam Rayburn Reservoir

San Augustine County, TX

111,758 acres of open water

#11

Norris Lake

Union County, TN

23,595 acres of open water

#12

Allatoona Lake

Cherokee County, GA

11,254 acres of open water

Make the day count

Strongest states for sailing & big water