Largest lakes & reservoirs in 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 2151 articles we have published for lakes.
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Below are lakes within Compared by surface area in acres. This list does not represent all lakes in , only the 2151 lake articles we have published on the LakeLubbers website.
Lake name  |
Surface area in acres |
Lake description |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Marion, SC (Santee Cooper Country, SC, South Carolina, US South Region, USA) |
110,600 ac | The largest lake in South Carolina at 172 square miles, Lake Marion straddles five counties: Berkeley, Calhoun, Clarendon, Orangeburg, and Sumter. It… |
| Lake Diefenbaker (Canada, Saskatchewan, Canada) |
106,255 ac | Also known as Diefenbaker Lake Lake Diefenbaker, the largest reservoir in southern Saskatchewan, is developing a reputation as a favorite vacationland for visitors from all over Can… |
| Eufaula Lake, OK (Green Country, OK, Kiamichi Country, OK, Oklahoma, US Southwest Region, USA) |
105,000 ac | Also known as Lake Eufaula Spanning 105,000 acres, Eufaula Lake covers much of McIntosh and Pittsburg Counties in eastern Oklahoma. This “Gentle Giant” is the largest lake in su… |
| Gatun Lake, Panama (Colon Province Region, Panama, Panama) |
104,320 ac | Also known as Lake Gatun, Lago Gatun Gatun Lake, in the Colon Province of the Republic of Panama, constitutes nearly half of the Panama Canal waterway. Created by damming the Chagres Rive… |
| Leech Lake, MN (Minnesota, Northwest Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
102,948 ac | With over 120,000 acres of water and 316 miles of shoreline, Leech Lake is the third largest lake located entirely in Minnesota, the “Land of 10,000 L… |
| Manasarovar (Tibet) |
102,400 ac | Also known as Mapam Yumco, Manasa Sarovar, Lake Manas, Manasarovar Lake One of the most revered lakes on the Tibetan Plateau is Manasarovar Lake. Also called Mapam Yumco (in Tibetan) or Manasa Sarovar, this remote lake is… |
| Utah Lake, UT (Mountainland Region, UT, US West Region, USA, Utah) |
96,900 ac | Utah Lake is located in north-central Utah’s Mountainland region with the major cities of Provo and Orem on the eastern shore. It is the largest fresh… |
| Lough Neagh (Antrim Region, Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland Region, United Kingdom, United Kingdom) |
96,865 ac | Also known as Lake Neagh, The Lough Nestled in the heart of Northern Ireland, Lough (Lake) Neagh is the largest freshwater lake in the British Isles. Covering over 96,800 acres with beau… |
| Kootenay Lake, BC (British Columbia, Canada, Canada) |
96,124 ac | Also known as Lake Kootenay Kootenay Lake’s deep, clear waters stretch over 60 miles and 96,000 acres, reflecting the icy peaks of Kokanee Glacier. The lake is beautiful, ringed… |
| Lake Francis Case, SD (Great Lakes Region, SD, South Dakota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
95,000 ac | Lake Francis Case, one of the most popular recreation spots in the Great Plains, is located along the Missouri River in south-central South Dakota. La… |
| Karakul Lake (Tajikistan) |
93,900 ac | Also known as Lake Karakul, Qarakul Mysterious, remote and beautiful describes Lake Karakul in the Pamir Region of Tajikistan. The highest lake in the country and the highest saltwater l… |
| Cold Lake (Alberta, Canada, Canada, Saskatchewan, Canada) |
92,160 ac | Also known as Big Fish Lake (historical) It’s hard to believe that a water body named Cold Lake would be a summer water sports paradise, but this large lake on the Alberta-Saskatchewan border… |