Largest lakes & reservoirs in Missouri by water volume
The estimated volume of water that a lake contains is measured at the lake’s normal elevation. By this measure, the world’s largest freshwater lake is Siberia’s Lake Baikal.Water Volume can be measured in acre-feet, in cubic miles, or in cubic kilometers. One acre-foot is the amount of water needed to cover one acre (43,560 square feet) to a depth of one foot. One cubic mile equals 3,379,200 acre-feet. One cubic kilometer equals 810,713 acre-feet. 1 acre-foot is equal to 325,851 US gallons. Siberia’s Lake Baikal contains about 6,276,367,740,000,000 gallons of freshwater – nearly 1 million gallons for every living person on earth.
The other – and more widely used – measure of a lake’s size is the lake’s surface acreage. By that measure, the world’s largest freshwater lake is North America’s Lake Superior.
Note: In the United States, an acre foot is a unit of volume used to refer to large-scale bodies of water. It is defined by the volume of water needed to cover 1 acre of surface area to a depth of 1 foot.
You can find many of the the world’s largest lakes (by water volume) on LakeLubbers. Note: For some lakes, the water volume data is unknown or does not apply, so you may see fewer lakes than the total 16 articles we have published for Missouri lakes.
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Below are lakes within USA > US Midwest Region > Missouri > Compared by water volume. This list does not represent all lakes in Missouri, only the 16 Missouri lake articles we have published on the LakeLubbers website.
Lake name | Water vol. in ac-ft | Lake description |
---|---|---|
Bull Shoals Lake, AR/MO (Arkansas, Missouri, Ozarks Region, AR, Southwest Missouri, US Midwest Region, US South Region, USA) |
3,400,000 ac-ft | Tucked in the Ozark Mountains, Bull Shoals Lake offers year round opportunities for relaxation and recreation. With over 45,000 surface acres of water… |
Table Rock Lake, AR/MO (Arkansas, Missouri, Ozarks Region, AR, Southwest Missouri, US Midwest Region, US South Region, USA) |
2,702,000 ac-ft | Branson, Missouri has the saying “Someone you love is playing here.” When you visit nearby Table Rock Lake, the person playing is sure to be you. With… |
Lake of the Ozarks, MO (Central Missouri, Missouri, US Midwest Region, USA) |
2,000,000 ac-ft | (Also known as Lake Ozark) Painting plains of central Missouri a liquid blue, Lake of the Ozarks snakes its way through the landscape. Just 180 miles from St. Louis and 170 mile… |
Norfork Lake, AR/MO (Arkansas, Missouri, Ozarks Region, AR, Southwest Missouri, US Midwest Region, US South Region, USA) |
1,900,000 ac-ft | Locals describe Norfork Lake as “unspoiled, uncrowded, and unforgettable.” It is an apt description for this beautiful lake hidden in the Ozark Region… |
Harry S. Truman Lake, MO (Central Missouri, Missouri, US Midwest Region, USA) |
1,181,640 ac-ft | (Also known as Harry S. Truman Reservoir, Truman Lake) It looks a like a reel of film perched on a bluff; it is the visitor center overlooking Truman Lake. The round wall of windows offers a panoramic view… |
Stockton Lake, MO (Missouri, Southwest Missouri, US Midwest Region, USA) |
875,000 ac-ft | Stockton Lake is a popular recreational reservoir covering 24,900 acres on the western edge of the scenic Missouri Ozarks. Though perhaps not as widel… |
Mark Twain Lake, MO (Missouri, Northeast Missouri, US Midwest Region, USA) |
543,994 ac-ft | Mark Twain Lake spreads out over 18,600 acres in Ralls and Monroe Counties of northeastern Missouri. The lake and the 2,775-acre Mark Twain State Park… |
Clearwater Lake MO (Missouri, Southeast Missouri, US Midwest Region, USA) |
413,000 ac-ft | Shining in the middle of the Ozarks in southeastern Missouri, Clearwater Lake offers visitors more than 1,600 acres of water for boating, skiing, swim… |
Pomme de Terre Lake (Central Missouri, Missouri, US Midwest Region, USA) |
243,000 ac-ft | (Also known as Pomme De Terre Reservoir) One of Missouri’s lesser-known recreational destinations is Pomme De Terre Lake. Construction of this reservoir was completed in 1961, although it had… |
Smithville Lake, MO (Missouri, Northwest Missouri, US Midwest Region, USA) |
102,200 ac-ft | Smithville Lake, located in the City of Smithville in northwest Missouri, is a recreational wonderland. With nearly 7,200 surface acres of water, Smit… |
Wappapello Lake, MO (Missouri, Southeast Missouri, US Midwest Region, USA) |
63,000 ac-ft | (Also known as Lake Wappapello) Wappapello Lake is a Missouri gem, located in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains in the southeastern region of the state. Although some larger Misso… |
Longview Lake (Missouri, Northwest Missouri, US Midwest Region, USA) |
20,600 ac-ft | (Also known as Longview Reservoir) Northwest Missouri’s Longview Lake is one of the recreational focal points of Jackson County Parks and Recreation. The 930-acre lake lies amid 4,852-a… |