Lakes / Virginia / Newport News County / Big Bethel Reservoir
Big Bethel Reservoir, Virginia
227.76 acres
Surface Area
Where It Sits, and How Deep It Goes
Locator - Virginia
37.10 degrees N, 76.44 degrees W - Newport News County. State and county outlines drawn from Census boundary data; the lake marker is placed by its USGS National Hydrography Dataset coordinates, not by eye. Schematic - not a survey map.
How Big Bethel Reservoir Stacks Up
- Larger than 86% of the 329 lakes counted in Virginia.
- The largest lake in Newport News County among those counted.
- About 19 miles from Norfolk, as the crow flies.
Lakes Nearby
| Lake | County | Distance | Surface Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Maury | Newport News | 3.9 mi | 121.7 acres |
| Harwoods Mill Reservoir | York | 3.9 mi | 257.73 acres |
| City Reservoir | Newport News | 8.8 mi | 49.92 acres |
| Eustis Lake | Newport News | 10.0 mi | 51.65 acres |
| Lake Tormentor | Isle of Wight | 11 mi | 95.71 acres |
| Skiffs Creek Reservoir | James City | 11 mi | 75.79 acres |
Straight-line distance between lake centers.
Facts and Figures
Questions About Big Bethel Reservoir
How Big Is Big Bethel Reservoir?
Big Bethel Reservoir covers 227.76 acres in Newport News County, Virginia.
What Is the Largest Lake in Newport News County?
Big Bethel Reservoir is the largest lake in Newport News County, at 227.76 acres.
Largest Lakes in Virginia
| # | Lake | County | Surface Area | Max Depth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | John H. Kerr Reservoir | Mecklenburg | 44,895.08 acres | - |
| 2 | Smith Mountain Lake | Franklin | 19,676.26 acres | - |
| 3 | Lake Anna | Louisa | 12,672.74 acres | - |
| 4 | Claytor Lake | Pulaski | 4,073.29 acres | - |
| 5 | Lake Drummond | Chesapeake | 3,240.79 acres | - |
All 329 Virginia lakes ranked by surface area
Sources: USGS National Hydrography Dataset (The National Map) lake data (ID {40B226DD-3FB5-4222-B9E9-1B6E091CD37C}). Verified October 30, 2026.