The upper part of the lake, below nearby Powersite Dam, is known as the "Pothole". The dam is designed for a maximum elevation of 695 feet (top of the flood pool). Bull Shoals Lake covers 45,000 acres (182 km²) with a 700-mile (1,120-km) shoreline at powerpool. It expands to more than 70,000 acres (284 km²)with a 1,000-mile (1,600-km) shoreline at 690 feet. The bottom of the lake consists of bedrock with very little vegetation. The shoreline of the lake is protected by a buffer zone (locally called the 'take line'). This area is owned, managed, and controlled by the Army Corps of Engineers. There is very little development around Bull Shoals. Most of the shoreline is heavily forested.