Largest lakes & reservoirs in 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 2151 articles we have published for lakes.
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Below are lakes within Compared by water volume. This list does not represent all lakes in , only the 2151 lake articles we have published on the LakeLubbers website.
Lake name  |
Water vol. in ac-ft |
Lake description |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Bemidji, MN (Minnesota, Northwest Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
2,500 ac-ft | (Also known as Bemidji Lake) A cornucopia of soothing sound, rejuvenating sights and the invigorating scents of nature at work, Lake Bemidji is one of Minnesota’s natural gems. A… |
| Lake Elmore (Stowe-Smugglers' Notch Region, VT, US New England Region, USA, Vermont) |
2,409 ac-ft | (Also known as Elmore Pond, Meades Pond) The local slogan, “Beauty Spot of Vermont,” suits Lake Elmore to a ‘T’. This lovely lake nestles beneath Mt. Elmore in the Stowe/Smugglers’ Notch regi… |
| Lovell Lake, NH (Lakes Region, NH, New Hampshire, US New England Region, USA) |
2,400 ac-ft | Surrounded by a plenitude of forest pine, fir, elm, beech, and oak trees, this clear water lake is located in beautiful New Hampshire. Occupying the L… |
| Fairview Lakes (Panoramaland Region, UT, US West Region, USA, Utah) |
2,200 ac-ft | (Also known as Fairview Lake #1, Fairview Lake #2) Surrounded by the unspoiled wilderness of the Manti-La Sal National Forest, Fairview Lakes provides a pleasant opportunity for lakefront living in Uta… |
| Wildcat Lake, WA (Seattle & Puget Sound Region, WA, US West Region, USA, Washington) |
2,160 ac-ft | Wildcat Lake can be found in the state of Washington’s Seattle and Puget Sound tourism region. It has a surface area of 120 acres and an average depth… |
| Lake Carlinville, IL (Central Illinois, Illinois, US Midwest Region, USA) |
2,110 ac-ft | (Also known as Carlinville Lake, Lake 1 and Lake 2) Located in the Central region of Illinois, Lake Carlinville (also known as Carlinville Lake) is a 355-acre lake used for drinking water and recreation… |
| Ashmere Lake (Massachusetts, US New England Region, USA, Western Massachusetts) |
2,076 ac-ft | Ashmere Lake is a small, quiet lake tucked away in western Massachusetts. The 217-acre lake is surrounded by beautiful rural countryside in the towns… |
| Spectacle Lake (Lake Superior Northwoods Region, WI, US Midwest Region, USA, Wisconsin) |
2,065 ac-ft | Those dreaming of the quiet beauty of a northern Wisconsin lake will want to check out Vilas County’s Spectacle Lake. Chequamegon-Nicolet National For… |
| Lake Wicwas (Lakes Region, NH, New Hampshire, US New England Region, USA) |
2,065 ac-ft | (Also known as Wickwas Lake) With dozens of beautiful vistas to photograph, Lake Wicwas is nestled among three protected wildlife areas in central New Hampshire. The lake’s surfac… |
| San Ruffino Lake (Italy, Marche Region, Italy) |
2,027 ac-ft | (Also known as Lago di San Ruffino) Every year San Ruffino Lake disappears, shrinking back to the river it originally was. Wildlife returns to explore the river’s shore and forage in the… |
| Big Boulder Lake, PA (Northeastern Mountains Region, PA, Pennsylvania, US Mid-Atlantic Region, USA) |
1,971 ac-ft | In winter visitors to Big Boulder Lake can look across the frozen water to the ski slopes beyond. In spring and summer mountain laurel dots the shore,… |
| Forest Lake (Great North Woods Region, NH, New Hampshire, US New England Region, USA) |
1,960 ac-ft | A clear summer day finds many visitors and locals enjoying the weather at Forest Lake, where a 200-foot white beach is covered with sunning families a… |