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 |
|---|---|---|
| Kachess Lake, WA (North Central Washington, US West Region, USA, Washington) |
6,535 ac | “Kachess” means “more fish,” a name that aptly describes Lake Kachess in North Central region of Washington. The lake is full of fish, and anglers can… |
| Loch Tay (Central Scotland, Perthshire Region, Scotland, Scotland, United Kingdom, United Kingdom) |
6,528 ac | Loch Tay is a long and narrow natural lake in the central Scottish Highlands that extends southwest to northeast in the country’s Central and Perthshi… |
| Lake Megantic (Canada, Quebec, Canada) |
6,524 ac | Also known as Lac Megantic Lake Megantic is little-known outside of eastern Quebec, but its recreational reputation is growing. The 6500-plus acre lake garnered little common aw… |
| Lake James, NC (Mountains Region, NC, North Carolina, US South Region, USA) |
6,510 ac | Nestled into the Blue Ridge Mountains, Lake James is a 6,510 acre lake in western North Carolina with 150 shoreline miles. Duke Power constructed thre… |
| Lake Minnewanka (Alberta, Canada, Canada) |
6,500 ac | Also known as Minnewanka Lake Lake Minnewanka holds the distinction of being the largest lake in Banff National Park. The 17-mile-long lake lies between scenic mountain ranges and… |
| Henrys Lake (Eastern Idaho, Idaho, US West Region, USA) |
6,500 ac | Also known as Henry's Lake Reservoir Hidden in the far north corner of Eastern Idaho, just over the border from both Montana and Wyoming, Henrys Lake attracts thousands of visitors every… |
| Lake Lyndon B. Johnson, TX (Hill Country Region, TX, Texas, US Southwest Region, USA) |
6,449 ac | Also known as Lake LBJ Lake Lyndon B. Johnson, also called Lake LBJ, is a 6,449 acre lake located in Llano and Burnet counties of the Texas Hill Country. The third of seven… |
| Watauga Lake, TN (East Tennessee, Tennessee, US South Region, USA) |
6,430 ac | Also known as Lake Watauga Watauga Lake exudes independence, solitude, and nature’s bounty. If these traditional American values appeal to you, then you need to visit pristine W… |
| Stillhouse Hollow Lake, TX (Prairies and Lakes Region, TX, Texas, US Southwest Region, USA) |
6,430 ac | As the sun dips below the horizon, a great blue heron surveys the waters at Stillhouse Hollow Lake. Crickets begin their twilight melody as the heron… |
| Periyar Lake (India, Kerala Region, South India, South India) |
6,425 ac | Also known as Periyar Reservoir, Thekkady Lake Periyar Lake in India’s State of Kerala is one of the few places you can view Asian elephants and tigers in their natural habitat from the water. The… |
| Lake Chivero (Zimbabwe) |
6,425 ac | Also known as Chivero Reservoir, Lake McIlwaine, McIlwaine Reservoir The Lake Chivero reservoir serves as the main water supply for Zimbabwe’s capital city, Harare. Although only half a century old, Lake Chivero has alr… |
| Lake Niegocin (Northern Poland, Poland, Warmia-Masuria Region, Northern Poland) |
6,425 ac | Also known as Niegocin Lake Located in an area dubbed “a land of a thousand lakes,” Lake Niegocin is one of more than 2,000 lakes in the Masurian Lake District of northeastern Po… |