Largest lakes & reservoirs in US South Region 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 343 articles we have published for US South Region lakes.
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Below are lakes within USA > US South Region > Compared by water volume. This list does not represent all lakes in US South Region, only the 343 US South Region lake articles we have published on the LakeLubbers website.
Lake name  |
Water vol. in ac-ft |
Lake description |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Pontchartrain, LA (Greater New Orleans Region, LA, Louisiana, US South Region, USA) |
4,838,400 ac-ft | Lake Pontchartrain technically isn’t a lake at all. In scientific circles, it’s referred to as an estuary. That’s really just a fancy way to say that… |
| Toledo Bend Reservoir, LA/TX (Crossroads Region, LA, Louisiana, Piney Woods Region, TX, Texas, US South Region, US Southwest Region, USA) |
4,477,000 ac-ft | (Also known as Toledo Bend Lake) A grand experience is assured in visiting Toledo Bend Reservoir, renowned as the largest man-made aquatic body in the southern United States. Cradled… |
| Kentucky Lake, KY/TN (Kentucky, Tennessee, US South Region, USA, West Tennessee, Western Waterlands Region, KY) |
4,008,000 ac-ft | Kentucky Lake is the largest man-made lake east of the Mississippi when measured by surface acres at “full pond,” the normal water level: 184 miles lo… |
| Lake Cumberland, KY (Kentucky, Southern Lakes Region, KY, US South Region, USA) |
3,995,000 ac-ft | Lake Cumberland boasts an impressive 50,250 acres and 1,255 miles of winding shoreline at its normal full pool level of 723 feet above sea level. The… |
| 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… |
| Kerr Lake, NC/VA (North Carolina, Piedmont Region, NC, Southern Virginia Region, US South Region, USA, Virginia) |
3,364,500 ac-ft | (Also known as Kerr Reservoir, John H Kerr Reservoir, Buggs Island Lake, Buggs Island Reservoir) The 48,900-acre John H. Kerr Reservoir straddles the Virginia-North Carolina border. This impoundment of the Roanoke and Dan Rivers, completed by the… |
| Lake Ouachita, AR (Arkansas, Ouachitas Region, AR, US South Region, USA) |
2,768,000 ac-ft | (Also known as Blakely Mountain Dam Reservoir) Lake Ouachita is completely surrounded by the Ouachita National Forest. It’s the largest lake located entirely within the state of Arkansas. More than… |
| 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… |
| Hartwell Lake, GA/SC (Georgia, Northeast Georgia Mountains Region, South Carolina, The Upcountry, SC, US South Region, USA) |
2,550,000 ac-ft | (Also known as Lake Hartwell) So large it covers parts of six counties in two states, Lake Hartwell draws millions of visitors a year to play on its 56,000 acres of water. With ple… |
| Lake Lanier, GA (Georgia, Northeast Georgia Mountains Region, US South Region, USA) |
1,957,000 ac-ft | (Also known as Lake Sidney Lanier) Lake Sidney Lanier, better known as Lake Lanier, stretches out over 38,000 acres and 692 miles of shoreline along the foothills of the Blue Ridge Moun… |
| Greers Ferry Lake, AR (Arkansas, Ozarks Region, AR, US South Region, USA) |
1,910,000 ac-ft | People who love the outdoors will love Greers Ferry Lake. The lake offers ample opportunities for hiking, biking, boating, hunting, and world class fi… |
| 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… |