Yellowstone: elevation, size and lake depth
Yellowstone Lake sits at 7,733 ft above sea level, and the park covers 3,472 square miles, mostly in Wyoming. The deepest point of the lake is where the Park Service's own pages part ways.
Situated at 7,733 feet (2,357 m) above sea level, Yellowstone Lake is the largest high elevation lake (above 7,000 feet / 2,134 m) in North America.
Applies to: Yellowstone Lake, Wyoming
From National Park Service, Yellowstone National Park, Yellowstone Lake. Page read on 2026-09-28.
3,472 square miles (8,991 km2) 2,221,766 acres or 899,116 hectares.
96% in Wyoming, 3% in Montana, 1% in Idaho
Applies to: Whole park, which NPS says is 96% in Wyoming, 3% in Montana, 1% in Idaho
From National Park Service, Yellowstone National Park, Park Facts. Page read on 2026-09-28.
How deep is Yellowstone Lake? Two answers
The Park Facts page gives a maximum depth of 430 ft. The Yellowstone Lake page describes a canyon near Stevenson Island measured at 390 ft, and says the deepest spot was earlier thought to be 320 ft at West Thumb. We do not pick between them; both are on the park's own website.
Average depth: 138 feet (42 m) Maximum depth: 430 feet (131 m)
Applies to: Yellowstone Lake; the park's Park Facts page
From National Park Service, Yellowstone National Park, Park Facts. Page read on 2026-09-28.
the researchers found a canyon just east of Stevenson Island that was 390 feet (119 m) deep.
Prior to this finding, the deepest spot in the lake was thought to be 320 feet (97.5 m) at West Thumb.
Applies to: Yellowstone Lake; the park's lake page, which gives a different deepest figure from Park Facts
From National Park Service, Yellowstone National Park, Yellowstone Lake. Page read on 2026-09-28.