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Local Information

Lake Norman Facts

  • Year Built: 1959-1964

  • Area: 32,510 acres at full pond

  • Length:  33.6 miles

  • Width:  9 miles

  • Shore line length:  520 miles

  • Maximum Depth: 110 feet

  • Average Depth: 33.5 feet

  • Maximum Drawdown: 15 feet

  • Capacity: 3.4 trillion gallons of water

  • Volume: 1,093,600 acre-feet

  • Elevation at full pond:  760 feet above MSL

  • Retention Time: 207 days (average)

  • Drainage Area: 1,790 square miles

  • Average River Flow @ Cowans Ford Dam: 1,726 MGD

  • Named for:  Norman Atwater Cocke (former president of Duke Power)

  • Source of the Catawba River: McDowell County near Mount Mitchell

  • Lake level: Call 1-800-829-5253

  • Location:  Lat: 35.5177689 Lon: -80.9557724

Hazards to Navigation

This area has some special hazards to navigation such as Sholes and small islands surrounded  by shallow water. Some bridges may not be high enough for larger house boats and fishing boats to pass under safely. Use extra caution when navigating around these areas. Lake levels rise and fall throughout the year. Always know your boats limitations.

 

Where to go when weather comes up

If you find yourself in declining weather find safe harbor immediately. There are many Marinas located on the lake with docking accommodations. PLEASE DO NOT TRY TO RIDE OUT A STORM.                                                                                  To find up-coming weather forecasts go to the web-site page and follow the link.