List of lakes by area
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f4/Fuller_projection_with_largest_lakes_by_area.svg/400px-Fuller_projection_with_largest_lakes_by_area.svg.png)
This is a list of terrestrial lakes with a surface area of more than approximately 2,000 square kilometres (800 sq mi), ranked by area.[1][2][3] This list does not include reservoirs or lagoons.
The area of some lakes can vary considerably over time, either seasonally or from year to year. This is especially true of salt lakes in arid climates.
This list excludes seasonal lakes such as Lake Eyre (maximum area 9,500 km2, 3,700 sq mi), Mar Chiquita Lake (Córdoba) (maximum area 6,000 km2, 2,300 sq mi), Lake Torrens (maximum area 5,745 km2, 2,218 sq mi) and Great Salt Lake (maximum area, 1988, 8,500 km2, 3,300 sq mi).
List of lakes
Thumbnail, at fixed scale ![]() |
Name | Countries with shoreline | Type | Area | Length | Max. depth |
Volume | Notes | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() |
1 | Caspian Sea[n 1] | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Saline | 371,000 km2 143,000 sq mi |
1,199 km 745 mi |
1,025 m 3,363 ft |
78,200 km3 18,800 cu mi |
Despite its name, it is often regarded as the world's largest lake, though it contains an oceanic basin (contiguous with the world ocean until 11 million years ago) rather than being entirely over continental crust.[4][5][6][7][8] | |
![]() |
2 | Superior | ![]() ![]() |
82,100 km2 31,700 sq mi[9] |
616 km 383 mi[9] |
406.3 m 1,333 ft[9] |
12,100 km3 2,900 cu mi[9] |
Largest of the Great Lakes by volume, having more water than the other four combined.[10] The largest freshwater lake in the world by area.[11] | ||
![]() |
3 | Victoria | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
68,870 km2 26,590 sq mi |
322 km 200 mi |
84 m 276 ft |
2,750 km3 660 cu mi |
The largest lake by area in Africa.[12] | ||
![]() |
4 | Huron[n 2] | ![]() ![]() |
59,600 km2 23,000 sq mi[9] |
332 km 206 mi[9] |
229 m 751 ft[9] |
3,540 km3 850 cu mi[9] |
Contains Manitoulin Island, the world's largest lake island.[18] | ||
![]() |
5 | Michigan[n 2] | ![]() |
58,000 km2 22,000 sq mi[9] |
494 km 307 mi[9] |
281 m 922 ft[9] |
4,900 km3 1,200 cu mi[9] |
The largest lake (by area) that is located entirely in one country. | ||
![]() |
6 | Tanganyika | 32,600 km2 12,600 sq mi |
676 km 420 mi |
1,470 m 4,820 ft |
18,900 km3 4,500 cu mi |
Longest freshwater lake in the world and third largest of any kind by volume.[19] | |||
![]() |
7 | Baikal | ![]() |
31,500 km2 12,200 sq mi |
636 km 395 mi |
1,637 m 5,371 ft |
23,600 km3 5,700 cu mi |
Deepest lake in the world and largest freshwater lake in the world by volume.[20] | ||
![]() |
8 | Great Bear Lake | ![]() |
31,000 km2 12,000 sq mi |
373 km 232 mi |
446 m 1,463 ft |
2,236 km3 536 cu mi |
Largest lake entirely within Canada,[21] and the largest lake partially within the Arctic Circle | ||
![]() |
9 | Malawi | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
29,500 km2 11,400 sq mi |
579 km 360 mi |
706 m 2,316 ft |
8,400 km3 2,000 cu mi |
Has more species of fish than any other lake in the world.[22] | ||
![]() |
10 | Great Slave Lake | ![]() |
27,000 km2 10,000 sq mi |
480 km 300 mi |
614 m 2,014 ft |
1,560 km3 370 cu mi |
Deepest lake in North America[23] | ||
![]() |
11 | Erie | ![]() ![]() |
25,700 km2 9,900 sq mi[9] |
388 km 241 mi[9] |
64 m 210 ft[9] |
489 km3 117 cu mi[9] |
|||
![]() |
12 | Winnipeg | ![]() |
24,514 km2 9,465 sq mi |
425 km 264 mi |
36 m 118 ft |
283 km3 68 cu mi |
|||
![]() |
13 | Ontario | ![]() ![]() |
18,960 km2 7,320 sq mi[9] |
311 km 193 mi[9] |
244 m 801 ft[9] |
1,639 km3 393 cu mi[9] |
|||
![]() |
14 | Ladoga | ![]() |
18,130 km2 7,000 sq mi |
219 km 136 mi |
230 m 750 ft |
908 km3 218 cu mi |
Largest lake in Europe.[24] | ||
![]() |
15 | Balkhash | ![]() |
Saline | 16,400 km2 6,300 sq mi |
605 km 376 mi |
26 m 85 ft |
106 km3 25 cu mi |
||
![]() |
16 | Vostok | ![]() |
12,500 km2 4,800 sq mi |
250 km 160 mi |
900–1,000 m 3,000–3,300 ft |
5,400 ± 1,600 km3 1,300 ± 380 cu mi |
Largest lake in Antarctica | ||
![]() |
17 | Onega | ![]() |
9,700 km2 3,700 sq mi |
245 km 152 mi |
127 m 417 ft |
285 km3 68 cu mi |
Second-largest lake in Europe. | ||
![]() |
18 | Titicaca | ![]() ![]() |
8,372 km2 3,232 sq mi |
177 km 110 mi |
281 m 922 ft |
893 km3 214 cu mi |
Highest navigable lake in the world and largest lake in South America. | ||
![]() |
19 | Nicaragua | ![]() |
8,264 km2 3,191 sq mi |
177 km 110 mi |
26 m 85 ft |
108 km3 26 cu mi |
Largest lake in Central America. Contains fresh water sharks . | ||
![]() |
20 | Athabasca | ![]() |
7,850 km2 3,030 sq mi |
335 km 208 mi |
243 m 797 ft |
204 km3 49 cu mi |
|||
![]() |
21 | Turkana | ![]() ![]() |
Saline | 6,405 km2 2,473 sq mi |
248 km 154 mi |
109 m 358 ft |
204 km3 49 cu mi |
Largest permanent desert lake and the world's largest alkaline lake.[25] | |
![]() |
22 | Reindeer Lake | ![]() |
6,330 km2 2,440 sq mi |
245 km 152 mi |
337 m 1,106 ft |
95.25 km3 22.85 cu mi |
|||
![]() |
23 | Issyk-Kul | ![]() |
Saline | 6,200 km2 2,400 sq mi |
182 km 113 mi |
668 m 2,192 ft |
1,738 km3 417 cu mi |
||
![]() |
24 | Vänern | ![]() |
5,545 km2 2,141 sq mi |
140 km 87 mi |
106 m 348 ft |
153 km3 37 cu mi |
Largest lake in the European Union. | ||
![]() |
25 | Winnipegosis | ![]() |
5,370 km2 2,070 sq mi |
245 km 152 mi |
12 m 39 ft |
17.2 km3 |
|||
![]() |
26 | Albert | ![]() ![]() |
5,299 km2 2,046 sq mi |
161 km 100 mi |
58 m 190 ft |
132 km3 32 cu mi |
|||
![]() |
27 | Mweru | ![]() ![]() |
5,120 km2 1,980 sq mi |
131 km 81 mi |
27 m 89 ft |
38 km3 9.1 cu mi |
|||
![]() |
28 | Nettilling | ![]() |
5,066 km2 1,956 sq mi |
113 km 70 mi |
132 m 433 ft |
114 km3 |
Largest lake on an island, namely Baffin Island.[26] | ||
![]() |
29 | Nipigon | 4,843 km2 1,870 sq mi |
116 km 72 mi |
165 m 541 ft |
248 km3 59 cu mi |
||||
![]() |
30 | Manitoba | 4,706 km2 1,817 sq mi |
225 km 140 mi |
7 m 23 ft |
14.1 km3 3.4 cu mi |
||||
![]() |
31 | Taymyr | ![]() |
4,560 km2 1,760 sq mi |
250 km 160 mi |
26 m 85 ft |
12.8 km3 3.1 cu mi |
Largest lake entirely within the Arctic Circle. | ||
![]() |
32 | Qinghai Lake | ![]() |
Saline | 4,489 km2 1,733 sq mi (2007) |
32.8 m 108 ft |
108 km3 |
|||
![]() |
33 | Saimaa | ![]() |
≈ 4,400 km2 1,700 sq mi |
82 m 269 ft |
36 km3 8.6 cu mi |
||||
![]() |
34 | Lake of the Woods | ![]() ![]() |
4,350 km2 1,680 sq mi |
110 km 68 mi |
64 m 210 ft |
19.4 km3 4.7 cu mi |
|||
![]() |
35 | Khanka | ![]() ![]() |
4,190 km2 1,620 sq mi |
90 km 56 mi |
10.6 m 35 ft |
18.3 km3 4.4 cu mi |
|||
![]() |
36 | Sarygamysh | ![]() ![]() |
Saline | 3,955 km2 1,527 sq mi |
125 km 78 mi |
40 m 130 ft |
68.56 km3 16.45 cu mi |
||
![]() |
37 | Dubawnt | ![]() |
3,833 km2 1,480 sq mi |
91 km3 |
|||||
![]() |
38 | Van | ![]() |
Saline | 3,755 km2 1,450 sq mi |
119 km 74 mi |
451 m 1,480 ft |
607 km3 146 cu mi |
||
39 | Peipus | ![]() ![]() |
3,555 km2 1,373 sq mi |
15.3 m 50 ft |
25 km3 6.0 cu mi |
Largest trans-boundary lake in Europe. | ||||
40 | Uvs | ![]() |
Saline | 3,350 km2 1,290 sq mi |
84 km 52 mi |
22 m 72 ft |
20 km3 |
|||
![]() |
41 | North Aral Sea | ![]() |
3,300 km2 1,300 sq mi |
42 m 138 ft |
28.7 km3 |
||||
42 | Poyang | ![]() |
3,210 km2 1,240 sq mi |
170 km 110 mi |
25.1 m 82 ft |
25.2 km3 6.0 cu mi |
||||
43 | Tana | ![]() |
3,200 km2 1,200 sq mi |
84 km 52 mi |
15 m 49 ft |
25.6 km3 |
||||
44 | Amadjuak | ![]() |
3,115 km2 1,203 sq mi |
74 km3 |
||||||
45 | Melville | Saline | 3,069 km2 1,185 sq mi |
140 km |
256 m |
313 km3 |
Estuary connected with the Atlantic Ocean. | |||
46 | Bangweulu | ![]() |
3,000 km2 1,200 sq mi (permanent) |
75 km 47 mi |
10 m 33 ft |
12 km3 |
Source for the 20 largest lakes (and their areas):[27]
See also
- List of lakes by volume
- List of lakes by depth
- List of largest lakes of Europe
- Recursive islands and lakes
- Aral Sea, formerly the fourth largest lake in the world, with an area of 68,000 km2 (26,300 sq mi)
- Lake Chad, formerly the eleventh largest lake in the world, with an area of 26,000 km2 (10,000 sq mi)
- Lake Michigan–Huron, the world's largest lake under a geological definition
- Lake Urmia, formerly the twenty-ninth largest lake in the world, with an area of 5,200 km2 (2,000 sq mi)
Notes and references
Note: Lake areas may slightly vary depending on the sources.
- Notes
- ^ Geologically a small ocean rather than a lake. The area indicated does not include the saltwater lagoon of Garabogazköl, which is not a separate body of water, but is partially detached from the Caspian Sea by a narrow ridge of land, and connected by a narrow inlet. If it were a separate lake, it would rank as the world's 15th largest, with an area of 18,000 km2
6,900 sq mi - ^ a b Although Lake Michigan and Lake Huron are usually considered distinct, sometimes they are regarded as a single lake known as Lake Michigan–Huron. When treated as a single entity, it is the world's largest freshwater lake by surface area, at 117,400 km2 (45,300 sq mi).[13][14][15][16][17]
- References
- ^ Likens, Gene E., ed. (2009). "Historical Estimates of Limnicity". Encyclopedia of inland waters (1st ed.). Amsterdam: Elsevier. ISBN 978-0120884629. Table 1: The world's lakes >2000 km2 in area, arranged in decreasing order of lake area. See also Lakes (Formation, Diversity, Distribution) Archived 2014-02-22 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Marsh, William M.; Martin M. Kaufman (30 April 2012). Physical geography : great systems and global environments. Table 16.2: Great lakes of the world by lake type. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 399. ISBN 978-0521764285.
- ^ van der Leeden, Frits; Troise, Fred L.; Todd, David Keith, eds. (1991). The water encyclopedia (2nd ed.). Chelsea, Mich.: Lewis. pp. 198–200. ISBN 9780873711203.
- ^ "Plume over the Caspian Sea". NASA. 16 April 2008. Retrieved 2010-11-29.
- ^ "Caspian Sea". Britannica. Retrieved 2010-11-29.
- ^ "Endorheic Lakes". United Nations. Retrieved 2010-11-29.
- ^ DuMont, H.J. "The Caspian Lake: History, biota, structure, and function" (PDF). American Society of Limnology and Oceanography. Retrieved 2010-11-29.
- ^ Planet Earth And the New Geoscience (2003:154). Victor Schmidt, William Harbert, University of Pittsburgh
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/atlas/gl-fact1.html Great Lakes Factsheet No. 1 US Environmental Protection Agency website retrieved September 9, 2012
- ^ "Great Lakes: Basic Information: Physical Facts". United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). May 25, 2011. Archived from the original on 2012-05-29. Retrieved November 9, 2011.
- ^ Superior Pursuit: facts about the Greatest Great Lake - Minnesota Sea Grant. University of Minnesota.
- ^ "WorldAtlas.com: Lake Victoria". Retrieved 18 November 2015.
- ^ David Lees in Canadian Geographic writes, "Contrary to popular belief, the largest lake in the world is not Lake Superior but mighty Lake Michigan–Huron, which is a single hydrological unit linked at the Straits of Mackinac." Lees, David. "High and Dry" Canadian Geographic (May/June 2004) pp.94-108.
- ^ "Lakes Michigan and Huron are considered to be one lake hydraulically because of their connection through the deep Straits of Mackinac." Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. "Great Lakes Sensitivity to Climatic Forcing: Hydrological Models Archived 2010-08-08 at the Wayback Machine." NOAA, 2006.
- ^ "Lakes Michigan and Huron are considered to be one lake, as they rise and fall together due to their union at the Straits of Mackinac." U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, "Hydrological Components" Record Low Water Levels Expected on Lake Superior Archived 2008-10-15 at the Wayback Machine. August 2007. p.6
- ^ "Great Lakes Map". Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. Retrieved 20 September 2012.
- ^ "Largest Lake in the World". geology.com. Retrieved 28 September 2012.
- ^ "Manitoulin Island website". Retrieved 23 November 2014.
- ^ "Lake Tanganyika at Encyclopædia Britannica". Retrieved 23 November 2014.
- ^ "Lake Baikal, World's Largest Freshwater Body". International Business Times. 9 September 2014. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
- ^ "Plate 18. Large Lakes" (PDF). Natural Resources Canada. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 November 2013. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
- ^ "Protected Areas Programme". United Nations Environment Programme, World Conservation Monitoring Centre, UNESCO. October 1995. Archived from the original on 2008-05-11. Retrieved 2008-06-26.
- ^ "WorldAtlas.com: Great Slave Lake". Retrieved 23 November 2014.
- ^ "Freshwater Ecoregions of the World: Lake Ladoga". Archived from the original on 16 January 2017. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
- ^ "Omo Valley in Ethiopia, Lake Turkana". Archived from the original on 31 October 2014. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
- ^ "Lakes on Islands". Retrieved 23 November 2014.
- ^ "Largest Lakes (Area)". LakeNet. Retrieved 3 March 2013.
Further reading
- Largest lakes of the former USSR, Water Quality Assessment of the Former Soviet Union (1998). ISBN 0419239200.
- North America: Physical features, The New York Times Guide to Essential Knowledge (2011). ISBN 0312643020.
External links
- "Large Lakes of the World". FactMonster. Pearson Education.
- "The Largest Lakes on Each Continent". I Didnt Know This. All Wondrous Things.