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 |
|---|---|---|
| Suchitlan Lake (El Salvador) |
33,359 ac | Also known as Cerron Grande, Embalse Cerron Grande The largest lake in El Salvador, Suchitlan Lake is one of the main attractions visitors want to see. Located about an hour north of San Salvador, the… |
| Lake Chelan, WA (North Central Washington, US West Region, USA, Washington) |
33,335 ac | From the Salish Indian word for “deep notch”, Lake Chelan is the third deepest lake in the United States with a maximum depth of almost 1500 feet. Lak… |
| Ross Barnett Reservoir (Capital-River Region, MS, Mississippi, US South Region, USA) |
33,280 ac | Also known as The Rez Ross Barnett Reservoir, known locally as The Rez, has found its way into the hearts of the Capital River region of Mississippi. The 33,000-acre reserv… |
| Cedar Creek Lake, TX (Prairies and Lakes Region, TX, Texas, US Southwest Region, USA) |
32,623 ac | Also known as Cedar Creek Reservoir Cedar Creek Lake (also known as Cedar Creek Reservoir) is located an hour southeast of Dallas in the Prairie and Lakes region of Texas. Created in 196… |
| Lake Naivasha (Kenya, Rift Valley Region, Kenya) |
32,620 ac | Rare in Kenya’s east Rift Valley, Lake Naivasha is the country’s second largest freshwater lake. Long the traditional territory of the Maasai people,… |
| Lake Norman, NC (North Carolina, Piedmont Region, NC, US South Region, USA) |
32,510 ac | Lake Norman’s 32,510 acres garner it the superlative of being North Carolina’s largest manmade lake. An impressive 34 miles in length with 520 miles o… |
| Sardis Lake, MS (Hills Region, MS, Mississippi, US South Region, USA) |
32,500 ac | Sardis Lake is a popular visitor destination with over 5 million people flocking to the water each year. Located in the counties of Panola, Lafayette… |
| Walker Lake, NV (Nevada, Nevada Silver Trails, NV, US West Region, USA) |
32,192 ac | Walker Lake is a natural lake located in rural Mineral County, Nevada about 75 miles southeast of Reno, Nevada. It is one of several freshwater termin… |
| Lake Atitlan, Guatemala (Guatemala) |
32,124 ac | Lake Atitlan, in the Guatemalan Highlands, is reputed by its visitors and residents to be one of the most beautiful lakes in the world. Lake Atitlan g… |
| Lake Patzcuaro, Mexico (Central Mexico, Mexico) |
32,123 ac | Also known as Lago de Patzcuaro Lake Patzcuaro, in the State of Michoacan in Central Mexico plays a key role in the history of Michoacan and indeed all of Mexico. The large volcanic… |
| Greers Ferry Lake, AR (Arkansas, Ozarks Region, AR, US South Region, USA) |
31,500 ac | People who love the outdoors will love Greers Ferry Lake. The lake offers ample opportunities for hiking, biking, boating, hunting, and world class fi… |
| Lake Apopka, FL (East Central Florida, Florida, US South Region, USA) |
30,671 ac | Sixty years ago Lake Apopka was a world class bass fishery. Fishing camps dotted the shore of the spring-fed central Florida lake in Orange and Lake C… |