How Wide Is North Carolina's Lake Norman?

Lake Norman is the largest man-made freshwater source in all of North Carolina. Located 40 miles north of Charlotte, the state’s most populous city, Lake Norman was created between 1959 and 1964 as a part of Duke Energy’s Cowans Ford Dam. Its source is the Catawba River, which deposits into Mountain Island Lake. However, how wide is Lake Norman?

Locals often refer to this lake as the “Inland Sea.” This is because of the sheer size of this man-made lake, which proves to be greater than that of the Sea of Galilee. This massive North Carolina lake is 33.3 miles in length and 9 miles in width. It has a depth averaging at around 33.5 feet, but overall, the deepest parts of the lake can measure to be as much as 112 feet deep.

Lake Norman is the largest man-made freshwater source in North Carolina.

How Long Does It Take to Cross Lake Norman?

The average swimming speed of adults in the United States is around 2 miles per hour. Of course, this varies depending on the individual and based on factors such as their skill and general fitness. As a result, to swim from one side of Lake Norman to the other side, it would take the average adult around 4.5 hours to swim across Lake Norman.

How Clean Is the Water?

For the most part, all Catawaba River lakes are safe to swim in. This includes Lake Norman as well as Lake Wylie and Mountain Island Lake. On average, levels of E. coli in Lake Norman are low. However, this can vary based on weather.

In August 2023, a power outage caused by severe thunderstorms in the area resulted in a no-swim advisory being issued for a portion of the lake. These have occurred in the past, with local services often working quickly to correct any issues.

What Lives Around Lake Norman?

Lake Norman is home to a wide variety of different animal species. Black bears are common and usually are attracted to human homes and campsites by the allure of unsecured food. Alligators have been spotted in the waters in recent decades, but they are not known to live in the lake as a regular species. Raccoons, foxes, and deer are other common species found around Lake Norman.

Black Bear Population by State — The American black bear is a common species of animal found around Lake Norman.
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The photo featured at the top of this post is © James St. John / Flickr – License / Original

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About the Author

Megan Martin

Megan is a writer at A-Z Animals where her primary focus is birds, felines, and sharks. She has been researching and writing about animals for four years, and she holds a Bachelor of Arts in English with minors in biology and professional and technical writing from Wingate University, which she earned in 2022. A resident of North Carolina, Megan is an avid birdwatcher that enjoys spending time with her cats and exploring local zoological parks with her husband.

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How Wide Is North Carolina’s Lake Norman?