Largest lakes & reservoirs in Nebraska 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 13 articles we have published for Nebraska lakes.
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Below are lakes within USA > US Midwest Region > Nebraska > Compared by water volume. This list does not represent all lakes in Nebraska, only the 13 Nebraska lake articles we have published on the LakeLubbers website.
Lake name  |
Water vol. in ac-ft |
Lake description |
|---|---|---|
| Lake McConaughy, NE (Nebraska, Prairie Lakes Region, NE, US Midwest Region, USA) |
1,756,300 ac-ft | (Also known as Big Mac) Lake McConaughy, commonly called Big Mac, is Nebraska’s largest reservoir with 30,500 acres and 76 shoreline miles. Lake McConaughy is conveniently lo… |
| Lewis and Clark Lake, NE/SD (Lewis and Clark Region, NE, Nebraska, South Dakota, Southeast Region, SD, US Midwest Region, USA) |
388,000 ac-ft | Stretching 25 miles long and straddling the Nebraska and South Dakota border, 28,000-acre Lewis and Clark Lake is the smallest of the Missouri River r… |
| Harlan County Lake, NE (Frontier Trails Region, NE, Nebraska, US Midwest Region, USA) |
327,600 ac-ft | Harlan County Lake covers an impressive 13,250 acres in south-central Nebraska’s Frontier Trails region. Just seven miles from the Nebraska / Kansas s… |
| Sutherland Reservoir, NE (Nebraska, Prairie Lakes Region, NE, US Midwest Region, USA) |
175,000 ac-ft | (Also known as Sutherland Lake) Sutherland Reservoir is 3,017-acre lake located just south of the town of Sutherland, Nebraska. Located in the Prairie Lakes tourism region, the lake… |
| Calamus Reservoir, NE (Nebraska, Sandhills Region, NE, US Midwest Region, USA) |
127,400 ac-ft | Located in central Nebraska, the Calamus Reservoir is a wonderful place to relax, appreciate the beauty of nature, and enjoy some fun on the water. Th… |
| Merritt Reservoir, NE (Nebraska, Sandhills Region, NE, US Midwest Region, USA) |
74,486 ac-ft | Deep in the heart of the Midwest, in the Sandhills region of Nebraska, lies the 2,906-acre Merritt Reservoir. This secluded lake is a paradise for tho… |
| Sherman Reservoir (Nebraska, Sandhills Region, NE, US Midwest Region, USA) |
69,000 ac-ft | (Also known as Sherman Lake) Sherman Reservoir adds great recreation value to the Sandhills region of Nebraska in addition to precious irrigation water for thousands of farm acres… |
| Lake Minatare, NE (Nebraska, Panhandle Region, NE, US Midwest Region, USA) |
62,190 ac-ft | In the western strip of Nebraska known as “the Panhandle” lies the 2,158 acre Lake Minatare. This reservoir is located in Nebraska’s North Platte Vall… |
| Branched Oak Lake, NE (Metro Region, NE, Nebraska, US Midwest Region, USA) |
25,088 ac-ft | (Also known as Dam Site #18) Branched Oak Lake, part of the Branched Oak State Recreation Area, is conveniently located northwest of Lincoln, Nebraska’s state capital. Branched Oa… |
| Lake Wanahoo (Metro Region, NE, Nebraska, US Midwest Region, USA) |
7,151 ac-ft | (Also known as Wanahoo Reservoir) The newest lake in Nebraska’s Metro Region, Lake Wanahoo will officially greet visitors on April 28, 2012. This attractive gem is eagerly anticipated… |
| Carter Lake IA (Iowa, Metro Region, NE, Nebraska, Southwest Iowa, US Midwest Region, USA) |
2,520 ac-ft | In the late 1800’s the Missouri River changed its course, altering the future of the area around Omaha, Nebraska and creating Carter Lake. Spanning pa… |
| Buckskin Hills Lake, NE (Lewis and Clark Region, NE, Nebraska, US Midwest Region, USA) |
638 ac-ft | (Also known as Buckskin Hills Reservoir and Buckskin Hills Wildlife Management Area) Buckskin Hills Lake is a small prairie lake of about 75 acres located in northeastern Nebraska’s Dixon County. Lying four miles southwest of the town… |