Largest lakes & reservoirs in China 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 8 articles we have published for China lakes.
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Below are lakes within China > Compared by surface area in acres. This list does not represent all lakes in China, only the 8 China lake articles we have published on the LakeLubbers website.
Lake name  |
Surface area in acres |
Lake description |
|---|---|---|
| Poyang Lake (China, East China Region) |
1,087,264 ac | Also known as Boyang, Po Yang Hu, Poyanghu Poyang Lake is China’s largest freshwater lake-also known as one of China’s five Great Lakes. This massive shallow lake is located in Jiangxi Province… |
| Pangong Tso (China, India, Jammu and Kashmir Region, North India, North India, Southwest China Region) |
172,800 ac | Also known as Pangong Lake Sprawled along the border between North India and Southwest China, Pangong Tso is one of the most spectacular sights in the Himalayan region of Ladakh… |
| Erhai Lake (China, Southwest China Region) |
62,080 ac | Also known as Er Lake, Yeyuze, Kunming Lake (historic) Known as the Pearl of the Plateau, Yunnan’s Erhai Lake has been enchanting both native and foreign visitors for thousands of years. Nestled like a shi… |
| Heavenly Lake (China, Northwest China Region) |
12,108 ac | Also known as Tian Chi, Heavenly Pond, Heavenly Pool, Pearl of Heaven One of the most beautiful spots in northwest China’s Xinjiang Province, Heavenly Lake-Tian Chi-is aptly named. A natural lake high in the Heavenly Mou… |
| Kanas Lake (China, Northwest China Region) |
11,300 ac | Also known as Hanas Lake, Kanasi Lake One of the most interesting and beautiful tourist destinations in China’s far northwest region is Kanas Lake. Located in the Altay Mountains, the glac… |
| West Lake (China, East China Region) |
1,608 ac | Also known as Qiantang Lake,Outer West Lake, West Inner Lake, North Inner Lake, Little South Lake, Yue Lake One of the most beautiful engineered environments in China is West Lake. Originally a spring-fed bay on the Qiantang River, the lake was formed about… |
| Five Flower Lake (China, Southwest China Region) |
22 ac | Also known as Wuhua Hai, Wuhua Lake China’s Jiuzhaigou National Park is a protected nature reserve with a beautiful and pristine collection of natural wonders. Among those are many placi… |