Built for power
Duke Power poured the first concrete at Cowans Ford Dam on September 1, 1960. By June 1963 the Catawba River had become a lake.
North Carolina
Lake Norman
35.5736° N, 80.9635° W · 32,510 acres
Made for the people who live, boat and summer on Lake Norman.
The collection
The Lake Norman collection
Best sellers
Know Lake Norman
Locals call it the inland sea, and on a summer Saturday it earns the name: sunsets in the coves, fireworks in every direction, and the occasional Normie sighting.
Did you know
Who's Norman?
The lake is named for Norman A. Cocke, a former president of Duke Power.
North Carolina's biggest
The state's largest man-made lake: about 32,000 acres, 33.6 miles long and roughly 520 miles of shoreline across four counties.
What's underneath
The Long Island mill village, the old Highway 150 bridge and the site of the 1781 Battle of Cowan's Ford all sit below the water.
Sixty-some islands
Heron Island is kept as a nesting ground for great blue herons. Watch for them along the shore.
Keep an eye out for Normie
Boaters have reported a big fin and glowing eyes for years. Nobody's proven it. Nobody's ruled it out.
Local favorites
- Lake Norman State Park — Swim beach, bike trails and lakeside camping in Troutman.
- Jetton Park — Cornelius's sunset and wedding spot.
- Ramsey Creek Park and Blythe Landing — Launches, docks and golden-hour views.
- Goat Island — "Dog Island" to most boaters: rafting up and swimming.
- Cocktail Cove — Sunsets, and a front-row seat for Fourth of July fireworks.
- Queen's Landing — Mooresville home port of the Catawba Queen riverboat.
The lake year
- June
- Symphony in the Park at Bailey Road Park, Cornelius
- July 3
- Mooresville's Field of Flags and fireworks
- July 4
- Fireworks in every direction from the water
- July
- The Dog Island Jam at Goat Island
- December
- The Lighted Christmas Boat Parade, starting from Blythe Landing
Know something we missed? Tell us.
Printed to order in the USA · Free shipping on orders $55+ · Misprints replaced free
Your lake. Your look.
Lake Norman isn't just a lake. It's your place.
It's first-light coffee on the dock and the long way home by boat. We make soft, well-worn pieces so you can carry it with you all year.