Largest lakes & reservoirs in Central Minnesota by acres
There is no widely-accepted minimum surface area that defines a lake. What LakeLubbers describes as a lake, you might call a pond. Acreage of a lake (or sometimes square kilometers) is most often measured at the top surface area when the lake is at normal elevation. The surface area can be considerably smaller or larger when lake levels are lower or higher than normal. North America’s Lake Superior is the world’s largest freshwater lake by this measure.The other measure of a lake’s size is the lake’s water volume. By that measure, the world’s largest freshwater lake is Lake Baikal in Siberia.
You can find many of the world’s largest lakes (acres) on LakeLubbers in the comparison table below. Note: For some lakes, "Largest Lakes - Acres" data is unknown or does not apply, so you may see fewer lakes than the total 44 articles we have published for Central Minnesota lakes.
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Below are lakes within USA > US Midwest Region > Minnesota > Central Minnesota > Compared by surface area in acres. This list does not represent all lakes in Central Minnesota, only the 44 Central Minnesota lake articles we have published on the LakeLubbers website.
Lake name  |
Surface area in acres |
Lake description |
|---|---|---|
| Mille Lacs Lake, MN (Central Minnesota, Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
132,516 ac | Also known as Lake Mille Lacs August 2015 Update: The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources issued an order August 2, 2015 banning walleye fishing for the rest of the season. T… |
| Otter Tail Lake, MN (Central Minnesota, Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
13,725 ac | With over 13,000 acres of water and 22 miles of shoreline, Otter Tail Lake is the largest lake in Otter Tail County and is located in the Central tour… |
| Whitefish Chain of Lakes (Central Minnesota, Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
13,660 ac | Also known as Pine River Reservoir Whitefish Chain of Lakes, also known as the Pine River Reservoir, is one of six Mississippi River Headwater Reservoirs in central Minnesota. Located i… |
| Big Stone Lake, MN/SD (Central Minnesota, Glacial Lakes & Prairies Region, SD, Minnesota, South Dakota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
12,360 ac | Big Stone Lake’s sparkling blue water covers 12,360 acres and forms the border between western Minnesota and northeastern South Dakota. This picturesq… |
| Lake Traverse, MN/SD (Central Minnesota, Glacial Lakes & Prairies Region, SD, Minnesota, South Dakota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
11,200 ac | Lake Traverse straddles the border of Minnesota’s Central tourism region and South Dakota’s northeastern Great Lakes and Prairie region. Covering more… |
| Gull Lake, MN (Central Minnesota, Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
9,418 ac | Also known as Brainerd Lakes Gull Lake, located in the Central Region of Minnesota’s “Land of 10,000 Lakes”, boasts 9,418 surface acres and 38 miles of pristine shoreline. The dee… |
| Pelican Lake-Crow Wing County (Central Minnesota, Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
8,253 ac | Long a traditional vacation lake in Minnesota’s Central region, Pelican Lake is the second-largest lake in the Brainerd Lakes area. Over 8,000 acres o… |
| Battle Lake (Central Minnesota, Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
7,588 ac | Also known as East Battle Lake, West Battle Lake Connected by Battle Creek, West Battle Lake and East Battle Lake sprawl across over 7,500 acres of central Minnesota in Ottertail County. With more th… |
| Whitefish Lake, MN (Central Minnesota, Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
7,370 ac | Also known as Upper Whitefish Lake and Lower Whitefish Lake, Whitefish Chain of Lakes The natural beauty of Whitefish Lake will leave visitors spellbound and ready to leave the cares of the world behind. Nestled in the Central Region of… |
| Lake Minnewaska MN (Central Minnesota, Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
7,110 ac | Also known as Minnewaska Lake Perfectly positioned in Minnesota’s Central region for easy access, Lake Minnewaska offers the best of everything in lake-based recreation. Over 7,000… |
| Lake Osakis, MN (Central Minnesota, Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
6,361 ac | Also known as Osakis Lake Lake Osakis, stretched across the prairie in the Central Region of Minnesota, has been a vacation destination for several generations of ‘lake lubbers… |
| North Long Lake, MN (Central Minnesota, Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
5,998 ac | Also known as Brainerd Lakes Covering almost 6,000 acres, North Long Lake is one of the largest and most popular of the Brainerd Lakes. North Long Lake is located in the Central R… |