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 |
|---|---|---|
| New Melones Lake, CA (California, Gold Country Region, CA, US West Region, USA) |
12,500 ac | Also known as New Melones Reservoir Gently placed into the central Sierra Nevada Mountains near Sonora in Calaveras County, New Melones Lake holds the title of fourth largest reservoir b… |
| Falls Lake, NC (North Carolina, Piedmont Region, NC, US South Region, USA) |
12,410 ac | In 1978, the United States Army Corps of Engineers began construction on what would become Falls Lake. Formed at the base of the Eno, Flat, and Little… |
| Belton Lake, TX (Prairies and Lakes Region, TX, Texas, US Southwest Region, USA) |
12,385 ac | Imposing bluffs stand tall in the Texas wind, as if serenely surveying Belton Lake’s calm, clear waters. An osprey spreads its wings from atop the blu… |
| Big Stone Lake, MN/SD (Central Minnesota, Glacial Lakes & Prairies Region, SD, Minnesota, South Dakota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
12,360 ac | Big Stone Lake’s sparkling blue water covers 12,360 acres and forms the border between western Minnesota and northeastern South Dakota. This picturesq… |
| Lake Houston, TX (Gulf Coast Region, TX, Piney Woods Region, TX, Texas, US Southwest Region, USA) |
12,240 ac | Lake Houston is located about 20 miles northeast of Houston and serves as the city’s primary water supply. The lake’s proximity to the big-city attrac… |
| Heavenly Lake (China, Northwest China Region) |
12,108 ac | Also known as Tian Chi, Heavenly Pond, Heavenly Pool, Pearl of Heaven One of the most beautiful spots in northwest China’s Xinjiang Province, Heavenly Lake-Tian Chi-is aptly named. A natural lake high in the Heavenly Mou… |
| Lake Lugano (Italy, Lombardy Region, Italy, Switzerland, Ticino Region, Switzerland) |
12,083 ac | Also known as Lago di Lugano, Ceresio Lake Lugano, which curls through southeastern Switzerland just south of the Swiss Alps and borders northern Italy, features the best of both of these… |
| Allegheny Reservoir, NY/PA (Chautauqua-Allegheny Region, NY, New York, Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Wilds Region, US Mid-Atlantic Region, USA) |
12,080 ac | Also known as Kinzua Dam Lake, Kinzua Lake, Lake Kinzua Flowing across tree-covered hills in northwestern Pennsylvania and southwestern New York, the Allegheny Reservoir’s 12,080 acres provide an open invit… |
| Lake Allatoona, GA (Georgia, Historic High Country Region, GA, US South Region, USA) |
12,010 ac | Also known as Allatoona Lake Lake Allatoona, located northwest of Atlanta, is one of the most visited Army Corps of Engineers lakes in the United States. With a shoreline of 270 m… |
| Lay Lake, AL (Alabama, Metropolitan Region, AL, US South Region, USA) |
12,000 ac | Lay Lake is an impressive 12,000-acre reservoir stretching for 48 miles through the counties of Talladega, Shelby, Coosa, and Chilton in east-central… |
| Lac Des Allemands, LA (Greater New Orleans Region, LA, Louisiana, US South Region, USA) |
12,000 ac | Lac Des Allemands is a natural 12,000-acre lake located about 25 miles west of New Orleans. The lake name is French for Lake of the Germans, referring… |
| East Lake Tohopekaliga, FL (East Central Florida, Florida, US South Region, USA) |
11,968 ac | Also known as East Lake Toho East Lake Tohopekaliga, often called East Lake Toho for short, is located in central Florida south of Orlando. Covering a staggering 11,968 Florida ac… |