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.
Thinking about booking a lake vacation home rental, cabin or hotel?
Use our free interactive vacation rental map to search and compare multiple vacation properties at a glance. Enter a lake name, a state or city and then simply click on a listing to compare all similar properties, best rates and availability for your dates.Search results: Sort lakes by surface acreage
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Crag Lough (England, North East England Region, United Kingdom) |
18 ac | Also known as Roman Wall Loughs Set within the southern end of England’s Northumberland National Park, Crag Lough is one of three lakes known as the Roman Wall Loughs. The cliffs tha… |
| Loughrigg Tarn (England, England's Northwest Region, United Kingdom) |
17 ac | Also known as Diana's Looking Glass Loughrigg Tarn is a charming country lake set in northwest England’s Lake District National Park. The calm water of this peaceful lake mirrors wooded… |
| Lake Purgatory, CO (Colorado, Southwest Colorado, US West Region, USA) |
17 ac | Also known as Columbine Lake, Purgatory Lake Set in the middle of a winter wonderland, Lake Purgatory is a private, alpine lake found in beautiful southwestern Colorado. Property owners and their… |
| Spring Lake, NJ (New Jersey, Shore Region, NJ, US Mid-Atlantic Region, USA) |
16 ac | The mute swans glide across the surface of Spring Lake, their heads tipped demurely toward the clean, spring water. Their graceful presence is an eleg… |
| Little Echo Lake (Colorado, Front Range Region, CO, US West Region, USA) |
15 ac | Also known as Lake Luena One of the prettiest hidden sights on Colorado’s Front Range, Little Echo Lake makes visitors work a bit to get there. Accessible by a mile=long trail… |
| Nottingham Lake, CO (Colorado, Northwest Colorado, US West Region, USA) |
15 ac | Also known as Benchmark Lake, Benchmark Lake Reservoir Nottingham Lake sits at the heart of Avon, Colorado. A source of water, recreation and pride, Nottingham Lake is surrounded by the beauty of west cent… |
| Katherine Lake, BC (British Columbia, Canada, Canada) |
15 ac | Also known as Lake Katherine Calling a place “The Venice of the North on the Sunshine Coast” sets expectations very high. Fortunately, Pender Harbour in British Columbia more than… |
| Brainard Lakes (Colorado, Front Range Region, CO, US West Region, USA) |
14 ac | Also known as Brainard Lake, Blue Lake, Mitchell Lake, Long Lake, Lake Isabelle The Brainard Lakes are some of the most heavily visited lakes along Colorado’s Front Range. Five small lakes lie within the Brainard Lakes Recreation… |
| Jellyfish Lake (Palau) |
14 ac | Also known as Ongeim'l Tketau , Fifth Lake Small but spectacular, Jellyfish Lake on Eil Malk Island in the tiny nation of Palau draws thousands of visitors each year. There are no resorts at Je… |
| Wildcat Lake, NC (Mountains Region, NC, North Carolina, US South Region, USA) |
13 ac | In 1932 construction of a dam on Wildcat Creek impounded 13-acre Wildcat Lake. Originally created as a reservoir for the hydroelectric plant and an em… |
| Fishercap Lake (Glacier Country, MT, Montana, US West Region, USA) |
13 ac | Fishercap Lake is a secluded, almost secret spot in Montana’s remote Glacier National Park wilderness. Spectacular jagged mountains surround this tiny… |
| Spring Lake OR (Oregon, The Coast Region, OR, US West Region, USA) |
13 ac | Hidden away behind Oregon’s famous Rockaway Beach, Spring Lake shares its serenity with only a chosen few. Oregon’s North Coast Region is well-known a… |