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List of lakes by area

January 01, 1970

"Largest lakes" redirects here. For the largest lakes by volume, see List of lakes by volume. For lakes on bodies other than Earth, see List of largest lakes and seas in the Solar System.

This is a pair of lists of terrestrial lakes with a surface area of more than approximately 3,000 square kilometres (1,200 sq mi), ranked by area,[1][2][3] excluding reservoirs and lagoons.

Dymaxion world map with the 15 largest lakes roughly to scale

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 therefore excludes seasonal lakes such as Kati Thanda–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).

The list is divided in two: all lakes as conventionally defined down to 3,000 square kilometres (1,200 sq mi), and the largest lakes under a geological definition, where the Caspian Sea is considered a small ocean rather than a lake, and Lake Michigan–Huron (or "Huron–Michigan") is recognized as a single body of water. The Caspian Sea is conventionally considered the world's largest lake, but it is centered on an oceanic basin (a fragment of the ancient Tethys Ocean) rather than lying entirely over continental crust as all other lakes do.[4][5][6][7][8] Lake Michigan and Lake Huron are conventionally counted as separate lakes, but hydrologically they are a single body of water, which is the world's largest lake by surface area.[9][10][11][12][13]

Conventional list edit

Following are conventionally identified lakes larger than 3,000 km2 (1,200 sq mi) in area.

Thumbnail,
at fixed scale  		Name Countries with shoreline Type Area Length Max.
depth 		Volume Notes
  1 Caspian Sea   Kazakhstan
  Turkmenistan
  Azerbaijan
  Russia
  Iran 		Saline 1.2% 389,000 km2
150,000 sq mi 		1,199 km
745 mi 		1,025 m
3,363 ft 		78,200 km3
18,800 cu mi 		Geologically a small ocean rather than a lake. Garabogazköl lagoon, if counted separately, would rank as the world's 15th largest, with an area of 18,000 square kilometres (6,900 sq mi).
  2 Superior   Canada
  United States 		Fresh 82,100 km2
31,700 sq mi[14] 		616 km
383 mi 		406 m
1,332 ft[14] 		12,070 km3
2,900 cu mi[14] 		Largest of the Great Lakes by volume, having more water than the other four combined.[15]
  3 Victoria   Tanzania
  Uganda
  Kenya 		Fresh 59,940 km2
23,140 sq mi 		322 km
200 mi 		81 m
266 ft 		2,420 km3
580 cu mi 		The largest lake by area in Africa.[16]
  4 Huron   Canada
  United States 		Fresh 59,590 km2
23,010 sq mi[14] 		332 km
206 mi 		229 m
751 ft[14] 		3,520 km3
840 cu mi[14] 		The larger lobe of Lake Michigan–Huron. Contains Manitoulin Island, the world's largest lake island.[17]
  5 Michigan   United States Fresh 58,030 km2
22,410 sq mi[14] 		494 km
307 mi 		282 m
925 ft[14] 		4,930 km3
1,180 cu mi[14] 		The smaller lobe of Lake Michigan–Huron. The largest lake (by area) that is located entirely in one country.
  6 Tanganyika
Fresh 32,900 km2
12,700 sq mi 		676 km
420 mi 		1,470 m
4,820 ft 		18,750 km3
4,500 cu mi 		Longest freshwater lake in the world and third largest of any kind by volume.[18]
  7 Baikal   Russia Fresh 31,722 km2
12,248 sq mi 		636 km
395 mi 		1,642 m
5,387 ft 		23,610 km3
5,660 cu mi 		Deepest lake in the world and largest freshwater lake in the world by volume.[19]
  8 Great Bear Lake   Canada Fresh 31,153 km2
12,028 sq mi 		373 km
232 mi 		446 m
1,463 ft 		2,234 km3
536 cu mi 		Largest lake entirely within Canada,[20] and the largest lake partially within the Arctic Circle
  9 Malawi   Malawi
  Mozambique
  Tanzania 		Fresh 29,600 km2
11,400 sq mi 		579 km
360 mi 		706 m
2,316 ft 		8,640 km3
2,070 cu mi 		Has more species of fish than any other lake in the world.[21]
  10 Great Slave Lake   Canada Fresh 27,200 km2
10,500 sq mi 		480 km
300 mi 		614 m
2,014 ft 		1,115 km3
268 cu mi 		Deepest lake in North America[22]
  11 Erie   Canada
  United States 		Fresh 25,667 km2
9,910 sq mi[14] 		388 km
241 mi 		64 m
210 ft[14] 		488 km3
117 cu mi[14] 		Has the smallest volume of the Great Lakes.
  12 Winnipeg   Canada Fresh 24,514 km2
9,465 sq mi 		425 km
264 mi 		36 m
118 ft 		294 km3
71 cu mi 		Very large catchment area compared to own size. No other great lake has that ratio.
  13 Ontario   Canada
  United States 		Fresh 18,970 km2
7,320 sq mi[14] 		311 km
193 mi 		244 m
801 ft[14] 		1,631 km3
391 cu mi[14] 		The lowest lying of the Great Lakes.
  14 Ladoga   Russia Fresh 17,700 km2
6,800 sq mi 		219 km
136 mi 		260 m
850 ft 		837 km3
201 cu mi 		Largest lake in Europe.[23]
  15 Balkhash   Kazakhstan Saline 0.3% (variable) 16,400 km2
6,300 sq mi 		605 km
376 mi 		26 m
85 ft 		100 km3
24 cu mi 		Fresh shallow western part. Salty deeper eastern part. Shrinking in size.
  16 Vostok   Antarctica Fresh 12,500 km2
4,800 sq mi 		250 km
160 mi 		900 m
3,000 ft 		5,400 ± 1,600 km3
1,300 ± 380 cu mi 		Largest lake in Antarctica, but subglacial.
  17 Onega   Russia Fresh 9,700 km2
3,700 sq mi 		245 km
152 mi 		127 m
417 ft 		291 km3
70 cu mi 		Second-largest lake in Europe.
  18 Titicaca   Peru
  Bolivia 		Fresh 8,372 km2
3,232 sq mi 		177 km
110 mi 		281 m
922 ft 		896 km3
215 cu mi 		Highest navigable lake in the world. Greatest mountain lake too. Largest lake in South America.
  19 Nicaragua   Nicaragua Fresh 8,264 km2
3,191 sq mi 		177 km
110 mi 		26 m
85 ft 		110 km3
26 cu mi 		Largest lake in Central America. Contains fresh water sharks .
  20 Athabasca   Canada Fresh 7,850 km2
3,030 sq mi 		335 km
208 mi 		124 m
407 ft 		204 km3
49 cu mi 		A remnant of the vast, Glacial Lake McConnell. Huge catchment area (ratio).
  21 Reindeer   Canada Fresh

6,650 km2
2,570 sq mi

245 km
152 mi

219 m
719 ft

113 km3
27 cu mi

The deepest areas are the site of a large meteorite impact, for almost 100 million years ago. Much older than the lake.
  22 Turkana   Kenya
  Ethiopia 		Saline 0.25% (approx.) 6,405 km2
2,473 sq mi 		248 km
154 mi 		109 m
358 ft 		193 km3
46 cu mi 		Largest permanent desert lake and the world's largest alkaline lake.[24]
  23 Issyk-Kul   Kyrgyzstan Saline 0.6% 6,236 km2
2,408 sq mi 		182 km
113 mi 		668 m
2,192 ft 		1,736 km3
416 cu mi 		Second largest mountain lake in the world. Second deepest saline lake as well.
  24 Vänern   Sweden Fresh 5,650 km2
2,180 sq mi 		140 km
87 mi 		106 m
348 ft 		153 km3
37 cu mi 		Largest lake in the European Union.
  25 Albert   Uganda
  Democratic Republic of the Congo 		Fresh 5,590 km2
2,160 sq mi[25] 		161 km
100 mi 		51 m
167 ft 		133 km3
32 cu mi

 

26 Nettilling   Canada Fresh

5,542 km2
2,140 sq mi

113 km
70 mi

132 m
433 ft

130 km3
31 cu mi

Largest lake on an island; Baffin Island.[26]

 

27 Winnipegosis   Canada Fresh 5,370 km2
2,070 sq mi 		245 km
152 mi 		12 m
39 ft

17.2 km3
4.1 cu mi

Second largest lake in Manitoba.
  28 Mweru   Zambia
  Democratic Republic of the Congo 		Fresh 5,120 km2
1,980 sq mi 		131 km
81 mi 		27 m
89 ft 		38 km3
9.1 cu mi 		The second largest lake in the Congo's drainage basin, Tanganyika being the largest.
  29 Nipigon   Canada Fresh 4,848 km2
1,872 sq mi 		116 km
72 mi 		165 m
541 ft 		266 km3
64 cu mi 		Largest lake entirely in Ontario. Part of the Great Lake drainage basin. Often referred to as the, "sixth" or "seventh" lake, together with St. Clair.
  30 Manitoba   Canada Saline 0.35% 4,706 km2
1,817 sq mi 		225 km
140 mi 		7 m
23 ft 		14.1 km3
3.4 cu mi 		A remnant of the prehistoric, Glacial Lake Agassiz together with: Winnipeg and Winnipegosis.
  31 Taymyr   Russia Fresh 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   China Saline 1.4% (variable) 4,489 km2
1,733 sq mi (2007) 		32.8 m
108 ft

108 km3
26 cu mi

Largest lake in China. Variable in size. Endorheic basin.
  33 Saimaa   Finland Fresh 4,380 km2
1,690 sq mi 		82 m
269 ft 		36 km3
8.6 cu mi 		Largest catchment area of the lakes within the Nordic countries.
  34 Lake of the Woods   Canada
  United States 		Fresh 4,350 km2
1,680 sq mi 		110 km
68 mi 		64 m
210 ft 		19.4 km3
4.7 cu mi 		About 15 000 islands. The shoreline measures (included these) roughly: 105 000 km.
  35 Khanka   Russia
  China 		Fresh 4,190 km2
1,620 sq mi 		90 km
56 mi 		10.6 m
35 ft 		18.3 km3
4.4 cu mi 		Has a shape like a pear. Variable size. Drains through the Amur River, that ends in the Sea of Japan.
  36 Sarygamysh   Turkmenistan
  Uzbekistan 		Saline 1.15% (approx.) 3,955 km2
1,527 sq mi 		125 km
78 mi 		40 m
130 ft 		68.56 km3
16.45 cu mi 		Located about midway between the Caspian Endorheic basin and former Aral Sea. No drainage river today. Drained centuries ago to the Caspian Sea (Uzboy River). Polluted.
  37 Dubawnt   Canada Fresh 3,833 km2
1,480 sq mi

91 km3
22 cu mi

Frozen surface 10 months each year. No permanent settlements on its shores.
  38 Van   Turkey Saline 2.3% 3,755 km2
1,450 sq mi 		119 km
74 mi 		451 m
1,480 ft 		642 km3
154 cu mi 		Largest lake in the Middle East. Third deepest saline lake.
  39 Peipus   Estonia
  Russia 		Fresh 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   Mongolia

  Russia

Saline 1.9% (approx.) 3,350 km2
1,290 sq mi 		84 km
52 mi 		22 m
72 ft

20 km3
4.8 cu mi

Greatest lake in Mongolia (by area). Very large catchment area (endorheic).
  41 North Aral Sea   Kazakhstan Fresh 3,300 km2
1,300 sq mi 		42 m
138 ft

28.7 km3
6.9 cu mi

Largest remnant of the former, Aral Sea. Once the world's fourth largest lake.
42 Poyang   China Fresh 3,210 km2
1,240 sq mi 		170 km
110 mi 		25.1 m
82 ft 		25.2 km3
6.0 cu mi 		Largest fresh water lake in China. Variable size. Important location for the birdlife.
43 Tana   Ethiopia Fresh 3,200 km2
1,200 sq mi 		84 km
52 mi 		15 m
49 ft

25.6 km3
6.1 cu mi

The source of the Blue Nile.
44 Amadjuak   Canada Fresh 3,115 km2
1,203 sq mi

74 km3
18 cu mi

In geological terms, a "young" lake (approx. 4 500 years old). Second largest on Baffin Island. Third largest in Nunavut.
45 Melville   Canada Saline 1.95% (approx. average of surface and bottom water) 3,069 km2
1,185 sq mi

140 km
87 mi

256 m
840 ft

313 km3
75 cu mi

Estuary connected with the Atlantic Ocean. Large drainage basin in the Labrador.
46 Bangweulu   Zambia Fresh 3,000 km2
1,200 sq mi (permanent) 		75 km
47 mi 		10 m
33 ft

12 km3
2.9 cu mi

One of the world's great wetland systems. The area has swamps and floodplain. Variable size on this shallow lake. Crucial importance for animals and birds, of a far larger area.

Source for the 20 largest lakes (and their areas):[27]

Geological list edit

Following are the dozen largest lakes under geological definitions, down to 17,500 km2 (6,800 sq mi) in area.

Thumbnail,
at fixed scale  		Name Countries with shoreline Type Area Length Max.
depth 		Volume Notes
  1 Michigan–Huron   Canada
  United States 		Fresh 117,620 km2
45,410 sq mi[14] 		710 km
440 mi 		282 m
925 ft[14] 		8,450 km3
2,030 cu mi[14] 		Contains Manitoulin Island, the world's largest lake island.[17]
  2 Superior   Canada
  United States 		Fresh 82,100 km2
31,700 sq mi[14] 		616 km
383 mi 		406 m
1,332 ft[14] 		12,070 km3
2,900 cu mi[14] 		Largest of the Great Lakes by volume, having more water than the other four combined.[15]
  3 Victoria   Tanzania
  Uganda
  Kenya 		Fresh 59,940 km2
23,140 sq mi 		322 km
200 mi 		81 m
266 ft 		2,420 km3
580 cu mi 		The largest lake by area in Africa.[16]
  4 Tanganyika
Fresh 32,900 km2
12,700 sq mi 		676 km
420 mi 		1,470 m
4,820 ft 		18,750 km3
4,500 cu mi 		Second-largest lake by volume and second longest.
  5 Baikal   Russia Fresh 31,722 km2
12,248 sq mi 		636 km
395 mi 		1,642 m
5,387 ft 		23,610 km3
5,660 cu mi 		Deepest lake in the world and largest by volume.[19]
  6 Great Bear Lake   Canada Fresh 31,153 km2
12,028 sq mi 		373 km
232 mi 		446 m
1,463 ft 		2,234 km3
536 cu mi 		Largest lake entirely within Canada,[28] and the largest lake partially within the Arctic Circle
  7 Malawi   Malawi
  Mozambique
  Tanzania 		Fresh 29,500 km2
11,400 sq mi 		579 km
360 mi 		706 m
2,316 ft 		8,640 km3
2,070 cu mi 		Has more species of fish than any other lake in the world.[21]
  8 Great Slave Lake   Canada Fresh 27,200 km2
10,500 sq mi 		480 km
300 mi 		614 m
2,014 ft 		1,115 km3
268 cu mi 		Deepest lake in North America[22]
  9 Erie   Canada
  United States 		Fresh 25,667 km2
9,910 sq mi[14] 		388 km
241 mi 		64 m
210 ft[14] 		488 km3
117 cu mi[14] 		Has the smallest volume of the Great Lakes.
  10 Winnipeg   Canada Fresh 24,514 km2
9,465 sq mi 		425 km
264 mi 		36 m
118 ft 		294 km3
71 cu mi 		Very large catchment area compared to own size. No other great lake has that ratio.
  11 Ontario   Canada
  United States 		Fresh 18,970 km2
7,320 sq mi[14] 		311 km
193 mi 		244 m
801 ft[14] 		1,631 km3
391 cu mi[14] 		The lowest lying of the Great Lakes.
  12 Ladoga   Russia Fresh 17,700 km2
6,800 sq mi 		219 km
136 mi 		260 m
850 ft 		837 km3
201 cu mi 		Largest lake in Europe.[23]

See also edit

 
The Aral Sea 1960 to 2014. Not to scale.

Notes and references edit

Note: Lake areas may slightly vary depending on the sources.

Notes
References
  1. ^ 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) 2014-02-22 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ "Plume over the Caspian Sea". NASA. 16 April 2008. Retrieved 2010-11-29.
  5. ^ "Caspian Sea". Britannica. Retrieved 2010-11-29.
  6. ^ "Endorheic Lakes". United Nations. Retrieved 2010-11-29.
  7. ^ DuMont, H.J. "The Caspian Lake: History, biota, structure, and function" (PDF). American Society of Limnology and Oceanography. Retrieved 2010-11-29.
  8. ^ Planet Earth And the New Geoscience (2003:154). Victor Schmidt, William Harbert, University of Pittsburgh
  9. ^ 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.
  10. ^ "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 2010-08-08 at the Wayback Machine." NOAA, 2006.
  11. ^ "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 2008-10-15 at the Wayback Machine. August 2007. p.6
  12. ^ "Great Lakes Map". Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. Retrieved 20 September 2012.
  13. ^ "Largest Lake in the World". geology.com. Retrieved 28 September 2012.
  14. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa "Physical Features of the Great Lakes". www.epa.gov. 2023-01-23. Retrieved 2023-06-02.
  15. ^ a b . United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). May 25, 2011. Archived from the original on 2012-05-29. Retrieved November 9, 2011.
  16. ^ a b "WorldAtlas.com: Lake Victoria". Retrieved 18 November 2015.
  17. ^ a b "Manitoulin Island website". Retrieved 23 November 2014.
  18. ^ "Lake Tanganyika at Encyclopædia Britannica". Retrieved 23 November 2014.
  19. ^ a b "Lake Baikal, World's Largest Freshwater Body". International Business Times. 9 September 2014. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
  20. ^ (PDF). Natural Resources Canada. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 November 2013. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
  21. ^ a b . United Nations Environment Programme, World Conservation Monitoring Centre, UNESCO. October 1995. Archived from the original on 2008-05-11. Retrieved 2008-06-26.
  22. ^ a b "WorldAtlas.com: Great Slave Lake". Retrieved 23 November 2014.
  23. ^ a b . Archived from the original on 16 January 2017. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
  24. ^ . Archived from the original on 31 October 2014. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
  25. ^ "Major Lakes". Retrieved 9 Oct 2023.
  26. ^ "Lakes on Islands". Retrieved 23 November 2014.
  27. ^ "Largest Lakes (Area)". LakeNet. Retrieved 3 March 2013.
  28. ^ (PDF). Natural Resources Canada. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 November 2013. Retrieved 12 September 2014.

Further reading edit

  • 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 edit

  • "Large Lakes of the World". FactMonster. Pearson Education.

January 01, 1970
list, lakes, area, largest, lakes, redirects, here, largest, lakes, volume, list, lakes, volume, lakes, bodies, other, than, earth, list, largest, lakes, seas, solar, system, this, pair, lists, terrestrial, lakes, with, surface, area, more, than, approximately. Largest lakes redirects here For the largest lakes by volume see List of lakes by volume For lakes on bodies other than Earth see List of largest lakes and seas in the Solar System This is a pair of lists of terrestrial lakes with a surface area of more than approximately 3 000 square kilometres 1 200 sq mi ranked by area 1 2 3 excluding reservoirs and lagoons Dymaxion world map with the 15 largest lakes roughly to scale 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 therefore excludes seasonal lakes such as Kati Thanda Lake Eyre maximum area 9 500 km2 3 700 sq mi Mar Chiquita Lake Cordoba 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 The list is divided in two all lakes as conventionally defined down to 3 000 square kilometres 1 200 sq mi and the largest lakes under a geological definition where the Caspian Sea is considered a small ocean rather than a lake and Lake Michigan Huron or Huron Michigan is recognized as a single body of water The Caspian Sea is conventionally considered the world s largest lake but it is centered on an oceanic basin a fragment of the ancient Tethys Ocean rather than lying entirely over continental crust as all other lakes do 4 5 6 7 8 Lake Michigan and Lake Huron are conventionally counted as separate lakes but hydrologically they are a single body of water which is the world s largest lake by surface area 9 10 11 12 13 Contents 1 Conventional list 2 Geological list 3 See also 4 Notes and references 5 Further reading 6 External linksConventional list editFollowing are conventionally identified lakes larger than 3 000 km2 1 200 sq mi in area Continent colour key Africa Antarctica Asia Eurasia Europe North America South America Thumbnail at fixed scale nbsp Name Countries with shoreline Type Area Length Max depth Volume Notes nbsp 1 Caspian Sea nbsp Kazakhstan nbsp Turkmenistan nbsp Azerbaijan nbsp Russia nbsp Iran Saline 1 2 389 000 km2150 000 sq mi 1 199 km745 mi 1 025 m3 363 ft 78 200 km318 800 cu mi Geologically a small ocean rather than a lake Garabogazkol lagoon if counted separately would rank as the world s 15th largest with an area of 18 000 square kilometres 6 900 sq mi nbsp 2 Superior nbsp Canada nbsp United States Fresh 82 100 km231 700 sq mi 14 616 km383 mi 406 m1 332 ft 14 12 070 km32 900 cu mi 14 Largest of the Great Lakes by volume having more water than the other four combined 15 nbsp 3 Victoria nbsp Tanzania nbsp Uganda nbsp Kenya Fresh 59 940 km223 140 sq mi 322 km200 mi 81 m266 ft 2 420 km3580 cu mi The largest lake by area in Africa 16 nbsp 4 Huron nbsp Canada nbsp United States Fresh 59 590 km223 010 sq mi 14 332 km206 mi 229 m751 ft 14 3 520 km3840 cu mi 14 The larger lobe of Lake Michigan Huron Contains Manitoulin Island the world s largest lake island 17 nbsp 5 Michigan nbsp United States Fresh 58 030 km222 410 sq mi 14 494 km307 mi 282 m925 ft 14 4 930 km31 180 cu mi 14 The smaller lobe of Lake Michigan Huron The largest lake by area that is located entirely in one country nbsp 6 Tanganyika nbsp Tanzania nbsp Democratic Republic of the Congo nbsp Burundi nbsp Zambia Fresh 32 900 km212 700 sq mi 676 km420 mi 1 470 m4 820 ft 18 750 km34 500 cu mi Longest freshwater lake in the world and third largest of any kind by volume 18 nbsp 7 Baikal nbsp Russia Fresh 31 722 km212 248 sq mi 636 km395 mi 1 642 m5 387 ft 23 610 km35 660 cu mi Deepest lake in the world and largest freshwater lake in the world by volume 19 nbsp 8 Great Bear Lake nbsp Canada Fresh 31 153 km212 028 sq mi 373 km232 mi 446 m1 463 ft 2 234 km3536 cu mi Largest lake entirely within Canada 20 and the largest lake partially within the Arctic Circle nbsp 9 Malawi nbsp Malawi nbsp Mozambique nbsp Tanzania Fresh 29 600 km211 400 sq mi 579 km360 mi 706 m2 316 ft 8 640 km32 070 cu mi Has more species of fish than any other lake in the world 21 nbsp 10 Great Slave Lake nbsp Canada Fresh 27 200 km210 500 sq mi 480 km300 mi 614 m2 014 ft 1 115 km3268 cu mi Deepest lake in North America 22 nbsp 11 Erie nbsp Canada nbsp United States Fresh 25 667 km29 910 sq mi 14 388 km241 mi 64 m210 ft 14 488 km3117 cu mi 14 Has the smallest volume of the Great Lakes nbsp 12 Winnipeg nbsp Canada Fresh 24 514 km29 465 sq mi 425 km264 mi 36 m118 ft 294 km371 cu mi Very large catchment area compared to own size No other great lake has that ratio nbsp 13 Ontario nbsp Canada nbsp United States Fresh 18 970 km27 320 sq mi 14 311 km193 mi 244 m801 ft 14 1 631 km3391 cu mi 14 The lowest lying of the Great Lakes nbsp 14 Ladoga nbsp Russia Fresh 17 700 km26 800 sq mi 219 km136 mi 260 m850 ft 837 km3201 cu mi Largest lake in Europe 23 nbsp 15 Balkhash nbsp Kazakhstan Saline 0 3 variable 16 400 km26 300 sq mi 605 km376 mi 26 m85 ft 100 km324 cu mi Fresh shallow western part Salty deeper eastern part Shrinking in size nbsp 16 Vostok nbsp Antarctica Fresh 12 500 km24 800 sq mi 250 km160 mi 900 m3 000 ft 5 400 1 600 km31 300 380 cu mi Largest lake in Antarctica but subglacial nbsp 17 Onega nbsp Russia Fresh 9 700 km23 700 sq mi 245 km152 mi 127 m417 ft 291 km370 cu mi Second largest lake in Europe nbsp 18 Titicaca nbsp Peru nbsp Bolivia Fresh 8 372 km23 232 sq mi 177 km110 mi 281 m922 ft 896 km3215 cu mi Highest navigable lake in the world Greatest mountain lake too Largest lake in South America nbsp 19 Nicaragua nbsp Nicaragua Fresh 8 264 km23 191 sq mi 177 km110 mi 26 m85 ft 110 km326 cu mi Largest lake in Central America Contains fresh water sharks nbsp 20 Athabasca nbsp Canada Fresh 7 850 km23 030 sq mi 335 km208 mi 124 m407 ft 204 km349 cu mi A remnant of the vast Glacial Lake McConnell Huge catchment area ratio nbsp 21 Reindeer nbsp Canada Fresh 6 650 km22 570 sq mi 245 km152 mi 219 m719 ft 113 km327 cu mi The deepest areas are the site of a large meteorite impact for almost 100 million years ago Much older than the lake nbsp 22 Turkana nbsp Kenya nbsp Ethiopia Saline 0 25 approx 6 405 km22 473 sq mi 248 km154 mi 109 m358 ft 193 km346 cu mi Largest permanent desert lake and the world s largest alkaline lake 24 nbsp 23 Issyk Kul nbsp Kyrgyzstan Saline 0 6 6 236 km22 408 sq mi 182 km113 mi 668 m2 192 ft 1 736 km3416 cu mi Second largest mountain lake in the world Second deepest saline lake as well nbsp 24 Vanern nbsp Sweden Fresh 5 650 km22 180 sq mi 140 km87 mi 106 m348 ft 153 km337 cu mi Largest lake in the European Union nbsp 25 Albert nbsp Uganda nbsp Democratic Republic of the Congo Fresh 5 590 km22 160 sq mi 25 161 km100 mi 51 m167 ft 133 km332 cu mi nbsp 26 Nettilling nbsp Canada Fresh 5 542 km22 140 sq mi 113 km70 mi 132 m433 ft 130 km331 cu mi Largest lake on an island Baffin Island 26 nbsp 27 Winnipegosis nbsp Canada Fresh 5 370 km22 070 sq mi 245 km152 mi 12 m39 ft 17 2 km34 1 cu mi Second largest lake in Manitoba nbsp 28 Mweru nbsp Zambia nbsp Democratic Republic of the Congo Fresh 5 120 km21 980 sq mi 131 km81 mi 27 m89 ft 38 km39 1 cu mi The second largest lake in the Congo s drainage basin Tanganyika being the largest nbsp 29 Nipigon nbsp Canada Fresh 4 848 km21 872 sq mi 116 km72 mi 165 m541 ft 266 km364 cu mi Largest lake entirely in Ontario Part of the Great Lake drainage basin Often referred to as the sixth or seventh lake together with St Clair nbsp 30 Manitoba nbsp Canada Saline 0 35 4 706 km21 817 sq mi 225 km140 mi 7 m23 ft 14 1 km33 4 cu mi A remnant of the prehistoric Glacial Lake Agassiz together with Winnipeg and Winnipegosis nbsp 31 Taymyr nbsp Russia Fresh 4 560 km21 760 sq mi 250 km160 mi 26 m85 ft 12 8 km33 1 cu mi Largest lake entirely within the Arctic Circle nbsp 32 Qinghai nbsp China Saline 1 4 variable 4 489 km21 733 sq mi 2007 32 8 m108 ft 108 km326 cu mi Largest lake in China Variable in size Endorheic basin nbsp 33 Saimaa nbsp Finland Fresh 4 380 km21 690 sq mi 82 m269 ft 36 km38 6 cu mi Largest catchment area of the lakes within the Nordic countries nbsp 34 Lake of the Woods nbsp Canada nbsp United States Fresh 4 350 km21 680 sq mi 110 km68 mi 64 m210 ft 19 4 km34 7 cu mi About 15 000 islands The shoreline measures included these roughly 105 000 km nbsp 35 Khanka nbsp Russia nbsp China Fresh 4 190 km21 620 sq mi 90 km56 mi 10 6 m35 ft 18 3 km34 4 cu mi Has a shape like a pear Variable size Drains through the Amur River that ends in the Sea of Japan nbsp 36 Sarygamysh nbsp Turkmenistan nbsp Uzbekistan Saline 1 15 approx 3 955 km21 527 sq mi 125 km78 mi 40 m130 ft 68 56 km316 45 cu mi Located about midway between the Caspian Endorheic basin and former Aral Sea No drainage river today Drained centuries ago to the Caspian Sea Uzboy River Polluted nbsp 37 Dubawnt nbsp Canada Fresh 3 833 km21 480 sq mi 91 km322 cu mi Frozen surface 10 months each year No permanent settlements on its shores nbsp 38 Van nbsp Turkey Saline 2 3 3 755 km21 450 sq mi 119 km74 mi 451 m1 480 ft 642 km3154 cu mi Largest lake in the Middle East Third deepest saline lake nbsp 39 Peipus nbsp Estonia nbsp Russia Fresh 3 555 km21 373 sq mi 15 3 m50 ft 25 km36 0 cu mi Largest trans boundary lake in Europe nbsp 40 Uvs nbsp Mongolia nbsp Russia Saline 1 9 approx 3 350 km21 290 sq mi 84 km52 mi 22 m72 ft 20 km34 8 cu mi Greatest lake in Mongolia by area Very large catchment area endorheic nbsp 41 North Aral Sea nbsp Kazakhstan Fresh 3 300 km21 300 sq mi 42 m138 ft 28 7 km36 9 cu mi Largest remnant of the former Aral Sea Once the world s fourth largest lake 42 Poyang nbsp China Fresh 3 210 km21 240 sq mi 170 km110 mi 25 1 m82 ft 25 2 km36 0 cu mi Largest fresh water lake in China Variable size Important location for the birdlife 43 Tana nbsp Ethiopia Fresh 3 200 km21 200 sq mi 84 km52 mi 15 m49 ft 25 6 km36 1 cu mi The source of the Blue Nile 44 Amadjuak nbsp Canada Fresh 3 115 km21 203 sq mi 74 km318 cu mi In geological terms a young lake approx 4 500 years old Second largest on Baffin Island Third largest in Nunavut 45 Melville nbsp Canada Saline 1 95 approx average of surface and bottom water 3 069 km21 185 sq mi 140 km87 mi 256 m840 ft 313 km375 cu mi Estuary connected with the Atlantic Ocean Large drainage basin in the Labrador 46 Bangweulu nbsp Zambia Fresh 3 000 km21 200 sq mi permanent 75 km47 mi 10 m33 ft 12 km32 9 cu mi One of the world s great wetland systems The area has swamps and floodplain Variable size on this shallow lake Crucial importance for animals and birds of a far larger area Source for the 20 largest lakes and their areas 27 Geological list editFollowing are the dozen largest lakes under geological definitions down to 17 500 km2 6 800 sq mi in area Continent colour key Africa Asia Europe North America Thumbnail at fixed scale nbsp Name Countries with shoreline Type Area Length Max depth Volume Notes nbsp 1 Michigan Huron nbsp Canada nbsp United States Fresh 117 620 km245 410 sq mi 14 710 km440 mi 282 m925 ft 14 8 450 km32 030 cu mi 14 Contains Manitoulin Island the world s largest lake island 17 nbsp 2 Superior nbsp Canada nbsp United States Fresh 82 100 km231 700 sq mi 14 616 km383 mi 406 m1 332 ft 14 12 070 km32 900 cu mi 14 Largest of the Great Lakes by volume having more water than the other four combined 15 nbsp 3 Victoria nbsp Tanzania nbsp Uganda nbsp Kenya Fresh 59 940 km223 140 sq mi 322 km200 mi 81 m266 ft 2 420 km3580 cu mi The largest lake by area in Africa 16 nbsp 4 Tanganyika nbsp Tanzania nbsp Democratic Republic of the Congo nbsp Burundi nbsp Zambia Fresh 32 900 km212 700 sq mi 676 km420 mi 1 470 m4 820 ft 18 750 km34 500 cu mi Second largest lake by volume and second longest nbsp 5 Baikal nbsp Russia Fresh 31 722 km212 248 sq mi 636 km395 mi 1 642 m5 387 ft 23 610 km35 660 cu mi Deepest lake in the world and largest by volume 19 nbsp 6 Great Bear Lake nbsp Canada Fresh 31 153 km212 028 sq mi 373 km232 mi 446 m1 463 ft 2 234 km3536 cu mi Largest lake entirely within Canada 28 and the largest lake partially within the Arctic Circle nbsp 7 Malawi nbsp Malawi nbsp Mozambique nbsp Tanzania Fresh 29 500 km211 400 sq mi 579 km360 mi 706 m2 316 ft 8 640 km32 070 cu mi Has more species of fish than any other lake in the world 21 nbsp 8 Great Slave Lake nbsp Canada Fresh 27 200 km210 500 sq mi 480 km300 mi 614 m2 014 ft 1 115 km3268 cu mi Deepest lake in North America 22 nbsp 9 Erie nbsp Canada nbsp United States Fresh 25 667 km29 910 sq mi 14 388 km241 mi 64 m210 ft 14 488 km3117 cu mi 14 Has the smallest volume of the Great Lakes nbsp 10 Winnipeg nbsp Canada Fresh 24 514 km29 465 sq mi 425 km264 mi 36 m118 ft 294 km371 cu mi Very large catchment area compared to own size No other great lake has that ratio nbsp 11 Ontario nbsp Canada nbsp United States Fresh 18 970 km27 320 sq mi 14 311 km193 mi 244 m801 ft 14 1 631 km3391 cu mi 14 The lowest lying of the Great Lakes nbsp 12 Ladoga nbsp Russia Fresh 17 700 km26 800 sq mi 219 km136 mi 260 m850 ft 837 km3201 cu mi Largest lake in Europe 23 See also edit nbsp Lakes portal nbsp The Aral Sea 1960 to 2014 Not to scale List of lakes by volume List of lakes by depth List of largest lakes of Europe Recursive islands and lakes Aral Sea formerly the third 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 Urmia formerly with an area of 5 200 km2 2 000 sq mi but down to a tenth that size in 2017 It has since increased in area under a restoration project List of largest lagoons List of largest lakes and seas in the Solar SystemNotes and references editNote Lake areas may slightly vary depending on the sources Notes 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 gt 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 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 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa Physical Features of the Great Lakes www epa gov 2023 01 23 Retrieved 2023 06 02 a b 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 a b WorldAtlas com Lake Victoria Retrieved 18 November 2015 a b Manitoulin Island website Retrieved 23 November 2014 Lake Tanganyika at Encyclopaedia Britannica Retrieved 23 November 2014 a b 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 a b 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 a b WorldAtlas com Great Slave Lake Retrieved 23 November 2014 a b 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 Major Lakes Retrieved 9 Oct 2023 Lakes on Islands Retrieved 23 November 2014 Largest Lakes Area LakeNet Retrieved 3 March 2013 Plate 18 Large Lakes PDF Natural Resources Canada Archived from the original PDF on 20 November 2013 Retrieved 12 September 2014 Further reading editLargest 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 edit Large Lakes of the World FactMonster Pearson Education Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title List of lakes by area amp oldid 1216048145, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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