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 Waco, TX (Prairies and Lakes Region, TX, Texas, US Southwest Region, USA) |
7,270 ac | Also known as Waco Lake Lake Waco, also known as Waco Lake, is located in the Prairies and Lakes region of Central Texas. Its boundary lies within the city limits of Waco in… |
| Lake Greeson, AR (Arkansas, Ouachitas Region, AR, US South Region, USA) |
7,260 ac | Southwest of Little Rock, Arkansas in the foothills of the Ouachita Mountains, lies a hidden mountain treasure. Lake Greeson is one of the oldest rese… |
| Lake Granby, CO (Colorado, Front Range Region, CO, US West Region, USA) |
7,256 ac | Also known as Granby Lake Nestled in the shadows of the majestic Rocky Mountains near the headwaters of the Colorado River, Lake Granby is a great place for a mountain getaway.… |
| Steinhuder Meer (Germany, Lower Saxony Region, Germany) |
7,216 ac | Also known as Lake Steinhude The largest lake in Lower Saxony, Lake Steinhude, or Steinhuder Meer as it is usually called, is a favored recreational spot just 25 miles from Hanove… |
| Lake Chatuge, GA/NC (Georgia, Mountains Region, NC, North Carolina, Northeast Georgia Mountains Region, US South Region, USA) |
7,200 ac | Also known as Chatuge Lake, Chatuge Reservoir Beautiful Lake Chatuge (pronounced “sha-toog”) spans 7200 acres and two states, stretching 13 miles from Hayesville, North Carolina, to Hiawassee, Geo… |
| Lake Hamilton, AR (Arkansas, Ouachitas Region, AR, US South Region, USA) |
7,200 ac | Located on the southern edge of Hot Springs, Lake Hamilton is a premier vacation destination. This beautiful lake was formed in 1932 with the construc… |
| Lake Wisconsin, WI (Southern Savanna Region, WI, US Midwest Region, USA, Wisconsin) |
7,197 ac | The bald eagle soars overhead its flight following the path of the Wisconsin River below. The river winds across the bottom of the state swelling grad… |
| Smithville Lake, MO (Missouri, Northwest Missouri, US Midwest Region, USA) |
7,190 ac | Smithville Lake, located in the City of Smithville in northwest Missouri, is a recreational wonderland. With nearly 7,200 surface acres of water, Smit… |
| Lake Avandaro, Mexico (Central Mexico, Mexico) |
7,166 ac | Also known as Valle de Bravo Reservoir He had traveled a long way to reach Lake Avandaro in Mexico, flapping tissue paper wings and riding gentle air currents following the summer south. He… |
| Lake Minnewaska MN (Central Minnesota, Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
7,110 ac | Also known as Minnewaska Lake Perfectly positioned in Minnesota’s Central region for easy access, Lake Minnewaska offers the best of everything in lake-based recreation. Over 7,000… |
| Fox Chain O’Lakes, IL (Chicagoland Region, IL, Illinois, Northern Illinois, US Midwest Region, USA) |
7,110 ac | Also known as Fox Chain of Lakes, Channel Lake, Lake Catherine, Lake Marie, Bluff Lake, Petite Lake, Grass Lake, Fox Lake, Nippersink Lake, Pistakee Lake The Fox Chain O’Lakes is a collection of 15 navigable lakes on the Fox River, each with its own flavor. Called the “Key West of the Midwest,” the Chai… |
| Loch Maree (Highlands & Moray Region, Scotland, Scotland, United Kingdom, United Kingdom) |
7,067 ac | Remote, desolate, historic, beautiful: all of these describe Loch Maree. Located in the Highlands and Morey Region of Northwestern Scotland, Loch Mare… |