how big is lake powell

Lake Powell is very big: about 186 miles long , with up to 25–40 miles of width at its widest, and roughly 250–266 square miles of surface area when full. It also has an extremely long shoreline, around 1,900–1,960 miles.

Size at a glance

• Length: about 186 miles.

• Width: up to about 25–40 miles at its widest points.

• Surface area: about 250–266 square miles when full.

• Shoreline: about 1,900–1,960 miles.

• Depth: maximum about 560 feet, with average depth around 130 feet.

What that means

Lake Powell is one of the largest reservoirs in the United States and stretches across the Colorado River between Arizona and Utah. Its shape is unusually irregular because it fills many side canyons, which is why the shoreline is so long compared with its surface area.

Quick feel for it

If you picture a long, winding waterway with dozens of narrow arms reaching into canyon walls, that is Lake Powell’s scale: not just wide, but vastly spread out in twists and branches.

TL;DR: Lake Powell is roughly 186 miles long, up to 40 miles wide in places, about 250–266 square miles when full, and has nearly 2,000 miles of shoreline.