LAKE NORMAN IS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 15 MILES NORTH OF CHARLOTTE, NC. IT IS BORDERED ON THE EAST BY INTERSTATE 77 AND ON THE WEST BY HIGHWAY 16. CREATED IN 1963 BY DUKE POWER , LAKE NORMAN HAS 541 MILES OF SHORELINE, 32,500 ACRES OF WATER SURFACE, AND 560 BILLION GALLONS OF WATER. IT ENCOMPASSES 4 COUNTIES: MECKLENBURG, LINCOLN,  IREDELL, AND CATAWBA. THE AVERAGE SUMMERTIME WATER TEMPERATURE IS 78F. WATER DEPTHS CAN BE AS DEEP AS 110 FEET, BUT AVERAGE DEPTHS RUN BETWEEN 30 AND 40 FEET. THE LAKE IS A VERY POPULAR LOCATION FOR BOATING; BOTH POWER AND SAIL, SKIING, WINDSURFING, AND FISHING. THERE ARE 3 COUNTY PARKS LOCATED ON THE SHORES OF LAKE NORMAN; BLYTHE LANDING, RAMSEY CREEK, AND JETTON ROAD PARK. TWO OF THE PARKS HAVE PUBLIC BOAT LAUNCHING SITES. DUKE POWER STATE PARK IS LOCATED NORTH OF HIGHWAY 150 AND HAS CAMPSITES, NATURE TRAILS, BOAT RAMP, AND THE ONLY PUBLIC SWIMMING AREA ON THE LAKE.