Lake Norman, created between 1959 and 1964 as part of the construction of the Cowans Ford Dam by Duke Energy, is the largest manmade body of fresh water located in North Carolina.

It is fed by the Catawba River and drains water into Mountain Island Lake in the south. It was named after former Duke Power president Norman Cocke. Lake Norman is sometimes referred to as the "inland sea" of North Carolina; it offers 520 miles (840 km) of shoreline and a surface area of more than 50 square miles (130 km²). Full pond elevation at Lake Norman is 760 feet (230 m). Interstate 77 and North Carolina Highway 150 cross Lake Norman at different points.

Lake Norman provides electricity to the Piedmont region of the Carolinas. It powers the generators at the hydroelectric station at Cowans Ford and is used by Marshall Steam Station and McGuire Nuclear Station to cool the steam that drives their turbines. The lake supplies water to Lincoln County, Iredell Co., Mooresville, Charlotte, and other towns in Mecklenburg County, particularly Davidson and Huntersville.