Kerr Lake

Not to be confused with Lake Kerr, a small lake in Marion County, Florida, or the Robert S. Kerr Reservoir in Oklahoma.

Kerr Lake
John H. Kerr Dam and Lake in Mecklenburg County, Virginia
Kerr Lake Location within North Carolina Kerr Lake Location within Virginia Kerr Lake Location within the United States
Location	North Carolina–Virginia border, United States
Coordinates	36°34′16.13″N 78°19′33.59″W
Type	Reservoir
Primary inflows	Roanoke River, Dan River
Primary outflows	Roanoke River
Basin countries	United States
Surface area	50,000 acres (200 km2)
Average depth	30 ft (9.1 m)
Max. depth	100 ft (30 m) (at John H. Kerr Dam)
Surface elevation	300 ft (91 m) (dead storage) 310 ft (94 m) (power storage) 320 ft (98 m) (flood storage)

The John H. Kerr Reservoir (often called Kerr Lake in North Carolina and Bugg's Island Lake in Virginia) is a reservoir along the border of the U.S. states of North Carolina and Virginia. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers constructed the John H. Kerr Dam across the Roanoke River between 1947 and 1952 to produce hydroelectricity as well as for flood control. Kerr Lake is the largest lake in Virginia, with 850 miles (1,370 km) of shoreline located in Vance, Granville, and Warren counties in North Carolina, as well as Mecklenburg, Charlotte, and Halifax counties in Virginia. At its maximum capacity, it covers approximately 50,000 acres (200 km²) and is one of the largest reservoirs in the Southeastern United States. The name honors its Congressional sponsor, John H. Kerr, a North Carolina Democrat who supported creation of the lake. The lake supports recreational tourism in North Carolina and Virginia as described below.