This question is based on my somewhat limited understanding and observation of
places I have been to so I may be falling victim to a bad sample size. If that
is the case, please alert me.

In the couple of years I have now been living in Japan and from the places I
have been to, I have noticed that rivers, lakes and mountains often include
the kanji 川、湖 or 山 in their names. However, it strikes me as odd that rivers
(宇【う】治【じ】川【がわ】、淀川【よどがわ】、鴨川【かもがわ】 and 江【え】戸【ど】川【がわ】) are typically if not
exclusively read using the Kun-reading of 川【かわ】, while it seems to me that
mountains (比【ひ】叡【えい】山【ざん】、富【ふ】士【じ】山【さん】) and especially lakes
(琵【び】琶【わ】湖【こ】、支【し】笏【こつ】湖【こ】) are typically read using the respective kanji’s
On-reading. Is this a general rule and if so, why is it so?

For clarity: I am only focussing on the pronunciation of 川、山 and 湖; not any of
the other kanji that make up the names I have quoted. There are probably
further kanji that serve similar purposes (as in the English-language examples
of Currumbin _Creek_ versus Brisbane _River_ ) whose kanji I have yet to learn
or notice. Feel free to include such ones in your answers.
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2019-06-09T13:46:50.637
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question
readings
Why are 湖 and 山 in geographical names typically read in On-reading but 川 in Kun-reading?
The likely reason for these names, at least, is because in this context
(actual names of mountains), as part of a toponym, the kanji is being used as
a standard suffix for "mountain". This suffix is read さん or ざん (i.e., using
the 音読み/ _on reading_ , as you stated).

In other instances and contexts, the kanji 山 is read with the kun reading やま,
but this is usually in family names (e.g., 山田 _Yamada_ and 山本 _Yamamoto_ ) and
other compounds. So basically it is pronounced using the on sound when used as
a suffix in a place name, similar to how English speakers often use the prefix
_Mt._ for "mountain" when it's placed before the name of a mountain.

Of course there is always someone wiser than the first answerer, so I'm hoping
someone else can shed more light on it for you, but if I understand your
question, that's the basic answer to my understanding.
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answer