Largest lakes & reservoirs in Kansas 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 13 articles we have published for Kansas lakes.
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Below are lakes within USA > US Midwest Region > Kansas > Compared by surface area in acres. This list does not represent all lakes in Kansas, only the 13 Kansas lake articles we have published on the LakeLubbers website.
Lake name  |
Surface area in acres |
Lake description |
|---|---|---|
| Kaw Lake, KS/OK (Kansas, Oklahoma, Red Carpet Country, OK, South Central Kansas, US Midwest Region, US Southwest Region, USA) |
17,000 ac | Also known as Kaw Reservoir Kaw Lake is a large lake covering an area of 17,000 acres. Its three fingerlike “arms” lie in two midwestern states, Oklahoma and Kansas. Kaw Lake is… |
| Milford Lake, KS (Kansas, Northeast Kansas, US Midwest Region, USA) |
15,709 ac | Also known as Milford Reservoir Milford Lake is the largest reservoir in Kansas with 163 shoreline miles and 16,000 surface acres. The lake offers abundant recreational opportunities… |
| Glen Elder Reservoir, KS (Kansas, North Central Kansas, US Midwest Region, USA) |
12,586 ac | Also known as Waconda Lake Glen Elder Reservoir, also known as Waconda Lake, is one of the most scenic and popular outdoor attractions in Kansas. Located in north central Kansas… |
| Tuttle Creek Lake, KS (Kansas, Northeast Kansas, US Midwest Region, USA) |
12,500 ac | Also known as Tuttle Creek Reservoir When construction of Tuttle Creek Dam began in 1952, the premise was that Tuttle Creek Lake would be a “dry dam” passing water on through to the river… |
| Perry Lake (Kansas, Northeast Kansas, US Midwest Region, USA) |
11,150 ac | Also known as Perry Lake Reservoir Tucked neatly into the northeast region of Kansas about 40 miles west of Kansas City, Perry Lake Reservoir provides tons of fun for those lucky enough… |
| Cheney Reservoir, KS (Kansas, South Central Kansas, US Midwest Region, USA) |
9,537 ac | Also known as Cheney Lake Cheney Reservoir is the premier recreation spot for outdoor activity in south central Kansas. Constructed by the Bureau of Reclamation, it was complet… |
| Wilson Lake, KS (Kansas, North Central Kansas, US Midwest Region, USA) |
9,020 ac | Also known as Wilson Reservoir Nicknamed the “Clearest Lake in Kansas”, Wilson Lake is located in the heart of the Smoky Hills of central Kansas. This reservoir is an unexpected jew… |
| El Dorado Lake, KS (Kansas, South Central Kansas, US Midwest Region, USA) |
8,000 ac | Completed in 1981, South Central Kansas’ El Dorado Lake is an 8,000-acre reservoir bordering the stunning tall grass prairies and rolling mounds of th… |
| Clinton Lake, KS (Kansas, Northeast Kansas, US Midwest Region, USA) |
7,000 ac | Also known as Clinton Reservoir Clinton Lake is a 7,000-acre reservoir located in northeastern Kansas, just south of Interstate 70 near Lawrence (between Topeka and Kansas City). Con… |
| Melvern Lake (Kansas, Southeast Kansas, US Midwest Region, USA) |
6,930 ac | Also known as Melvern Resevoir Melvern Lake is the perfect spot in dry southeast Kansas to enjoy a week at the lake. Built in 1972 as a flood control reservoir, Melvern Lake now off… |
| Hillsdale Lake, KS (Kansas, Northeast Kansas, US Midwest Region, USA) |
4,575 ac | Also known as Hillsdale Reservoir The boat glides slowly over the tops of the submerged trees. Carefully he stalks them, intent as any predator. It’s early summer on Hillsdale Lake, an… |
| Kanopolis Lake, KS (Kansas, North Central Kansas, US Midwest Region, USA) |
3,406 ac | Kanopolis Lake is a man-made reservoir located near Ellsworth, Kansas. The lake is the result of a dam constructed from 1940-1948 on the Smoke Hill Ri… |