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 |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Koshkonong, WI (Southern Savanna Region, WI, US Midwest Region, USA, Wisconsin) |
10,460 ac | Sprawled across southern Wisconsin, just a few miles down the Rock River from Fort Atkinson, Lake Koshkonong is a fantastic place to boat and fish. Th… |
| Reelfoot Lake, KY/TN (Kentucky, Tennessee, US South Region, USA, West Tennessee, Western Waterlands Region, KY) |
10,427 ac | Reelfoot Lake makes its home in northwestern Tennessee and extends into southern Kentucky. The lake is young: popular history says that after the New… |
| Nickajack Lake, TN (East Tennessee, Tennessee, US South Region, USA) |
10,370 ac | Also known as Nickajack Reservoir Set against the spectacular scenery and steep walls of the Tennessee River Gorge, Nickajack Lake is the perfect place to relax on the water, fish, or… |
| Fontana Lake, NC (Mountains Region, NC, North Carolina, US South Region, USA) |
10,230 ac | Also known as Fontana Reservoir Fontana Lake, nestled in western North Carolina’s Smoky Mountains, was built by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to provide hydroelectric power to… |
| Higgins Lake, MI (Michigan, Northeast Michigan, US Midwest Region, USA) |
10,186 ac | With depths that average 52 feet and range as deep as 141 feet, the azure waters of Higgins Lake assure a remarkable transparency. Such crystalline wa… |
| Lake Brunner, New Zealand (New Zealand, South Island, NZ, West Coast Region, South Island, NZ) |
10,151 ac | Moana Kotuku is what the Maori call Lake Brunner, naming it after the beautiful and rare white herons (kotuku) sometimes seen on the lake’s shores. Th… |
| Lake Tarawera, New Zealand (New Zealand, North Island, NZ, Rotorua Region, North Island, NZ) |
10,131 ac | Lake Tarawera in the Rotorua District of the Bay of Plenty Region is a highly prized vacation lake. This deep and clear volcanic lake lies in the Okat… |
| Manistique Lakes (Michigan, US Midwest Region, USA, Upper Peninsula Region, MI) |
10,130 ac | Also known as Big Manistique Lake, North Manistique Lake, South Manistique Lake, Millecoquins Lake, Milakokia Lake, Lake Ann Louise Manistique Lakes! Just the name is enough to evoke bouts of nostalgia in millions of past visitors. The lakes – North Manistique Lake at 1,722 acres,… |
| Black Lake MI (Michigan, Northeast Michigan, US Midwest Region, USA) |
10,130 ac | Black Lake is a popular sporting lake located in Cheboygan and Presque Isle counties in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. Surrounded by acres of water and s… |
| Waurika Lake, OK (Great Plains Country, OK, Oklahoma, US Southwest Region, USA) |
10,100 ac | Also known as Waurika Reservoir, Lake Waurika Located on Beaver Creek, a tributary of the Red River, Waurika Lake was created to provide flood damage reduction, irrigation, water supply, water qua… |
| Barren River Lake, KY (Caves, Lakes & Corvettes Region, KY, Kentucky, US South Region, USA) |
10,100 ac | Barren River Lake, located in south-central Kentucky, is one of the state’s hidden jewels, covering over 10,100 acres. The lake was created by the Lou… |
| Little Limestone Lake (Canada, Manitoba, Canada) |
10,000 ac | One of Manitoba’s newest provincial parks is the home of Little Limestone Lake. The approximately 10,000-acre lake is unusual in that it is considered… |