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 Tawakoni, TX (Prairies and Lakes Region, TX, Texas, US Southwest Region, USA) |
36,700 ac | Built for function but known for fun, Lake Tawakoni, Texas was formed after construction of the Iron Bridge Dam. Van Zandt County, Rains County, and H… |
| Elephant Butte Lake, NM (New Mexico, Southwest New Mexico, NM, US Southwest Region, USA) |
36,500 ac | Also known as The Butte, Elephant Butte Reservoir With limited lake options in New Mexico, Elephant Butte Lake is a popular destination for water enthusiasts and nature lovers alike in the Land of Enc… |
| Chickamauga Lake, TN (East Tennessee, Tennessee, US South Region, USA) |
36,240 ac | Also known as Chickamauga Reservoir Chickamauga Lake is a fabulous recreational reservoir. It is located in southeast Tennessee, 20 miles from Chattanooga, and includes 810 miles of shor… |
| Lake Como, Italy (Italy, Lombardy Region, Italy) |
36,077 ac | One of the most recognizable and visited European lakes, Lake Como — also known as the Lago di Como — snuggles into the mountains and valleys of the… |
| Lake Lappajarvi, Finland (Finland, Western & Inner Finland Region) |
35,954 ac | Lake Lappajarvi is different from most other lakes in Finland. The depression the lake lies in is actually a meteorite crater! An estimated 73 million… |
| Grenada Lake, MS (Hills Region, MS, Mississippi, US South Region, USA) |
35,820 ac | Grenada Lake, located northeast of Grenada in Mississippi’s Hill Region, is the largest body of water lying completely within the state. With 35,820 a… |
| Lake Kissimmee, FL (East Central Florida, Florida, US South Region, USA, West Central Florida) |
34,948 ac | Lake Kissimmee’s massive 34,948 acre area earns the lake a spot as Florida’s third largest lake, finishing just behind Lake George and Lake Okeechobee… |
| Lake Hawea, New Zealand (Central Otago Region, South Island, NZ, New Zealand, South Island, NZ) |
34,842 ac | Surrounded by towering mountains in Central Otago of New Zealand’s South Island, Lake Hawea is a lake that was formed by glaciers thousands of years a… |
| Lake Dardanelle, AR (Arkansas, River Valley Region, AR, US South Region, USA) |
34,300 ac | Also known as Dardanelle Lake Lake Dardanelle stretches out over more than 34,000 acres in the River Valley region of northwest Arkansas, sandwiched between the Ozark Mountains to… |
| Adams Lake (British Columbia, Canada, Canada) |
34,001 ac | Located in southern British Columbia amid the Columbia Mountains, Adams Lake is a more remote and less developed neighbor to nearby Shuswap Lake. Cove… |
| Norris Lake, TN (East Tennessee, Tennessee, US South Region, USA) |
33,840 ac | Also known as Norris Reservoir Just 25 miles north of Knoxville, Tennessee, Norris Lake is the first reservoir created by the Tennessee Valley Authority. Named for Senator George No… |
| Canyon Ferry Lake, MT (Gold West Country, MT, Montana, US West Region, USA) |
33,500 ac | For lake lovers who relish the beauty of nature and the wonder of wildlife, there’s no better place to relax and have fun than at Canyon Ferry Lake. A… |