List of lakes by area

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lakes with a surface area of more than 4,000 km², listed by area.

Note: The area of some lakes can vary considerably over time, either seasonally or from year to year. This is especially true of salt lakes in arid climates. This list does not include reservoirs.

Contents

[edit] The list

Continent colour key
Africa Asia Europe North America Oceania South America Antarctica
  Name and location Area Length Maximum depth Water volume Thumbnail (same scale for all lakes) Image:Scale outline.png Notes
1 Caspian Sea*
Russia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Iran
371,000 km² (143,000 sq mi) 1,199 km (745 mi) 1,025 m (3,360 ft) 78,200 km³ (18,800 cu mi) Image:Caspian outline.gif variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea
2 Michigan-Huron
Canada - U.S
117,702 km² (45,445 sq mi) 710 km (440 mi) 282 m (930 ft) 8,458 km³ (2,029 cu mi) Image:Michigan-huron outline.gif Lake Michigan and Lake Huron form one hydrological unit; their surfaces are at the same elevation, and the water flows in either direction in the channel separating them.
3 Superior
Canada - U.S
82,414 km² (31,820 sq mi) 616 km (383 mi) 406 m (1,330 ft) 12,100 km³ (2,900 cu mi) Image:Superior outline.gif
4 Victoria
Kenya-Tanzania-Uganda
69,485 km² (26,828 sq mi) 322 km (200 mi) 84 m (280 ft) 2,750 km³ (660 cu mi) Image:Victoria outline.gif
5 Tanganyika
Tanzania-DRC-Burundi-Zambia
32,893 km² (12,700 sq mi) 676 km (420 mi) 1,470 m (4,800 ft) 18,900 km³ (4,500 cu mi) Image:Tanganyika outline.gif Second deepest lake in the world.
6 Baikal
Russia
31,500 km² (12,200 sq mi) 636 km (395 mi) 1,637 m (5,370 ft) 23,600 km³ (5,700 cu mi) Image:Baikal outline.gif Deepest lake in the world. Largest volume fresh water lake in the world.
7 Great Bear Lake
Canada
31,080 km² (12,000 sq mi) 373 km (232 mi) 446 m (1,460 ft) 2,236 km³ (536 cu mi) Image:Great bear outline.gif
8 Malawi
Malawi-Mozambique-Tanzania
30,044 km² (11,600 sq mi) 579 km (360 mi) 706 m (2,320 ft) 8,400 km³ (2,000 cu mi) Image:Nyasa outline.gif
9 Great Slave Lake
Canada
28,930 km² (11,170 sq mi) 480 km (300 mi) 614 m (2,010 ft) 2,090 km³ (500 cu mi) Image:Great slave outline.gif
10 Erie
Canada - U.S
25,719 km² (9,930 sq mi) 388 km (241 mi) 64 m (210 ft) 489 km³ (117 cu mi) Image:Erie outline.gif
11 Winnipeg
Canada
23,553 km² (9,094 sq mi) 425 km (264 mi) 36 m (120 ft) 283 km³ (68 cu mi) Image:Winnipeg outline.gif
12 Ontario
Canada - U.S
19,477 km² (7,520 sq mi) 311 km (193 mi) 244 m (800 ft) 1,639 km³ (393 cu mi) Image:Ontario outline.gif
13 Balkhash*, Kazakhstan 18,428 km² (7,115 sq mi) 605 km (376 mi) 26 m (85 ft) 106 km³ (25 cu mi) Image:Balkhash outline.gif
14 Ladoga
Russia
18,130 km² (7,000 sq mi) 219 km (136 mi) 230 m (750 ft) 908 km³ (218 cu mi) Image:Ladoga outline.gif
15 Aral Sea*
Kazakhstan-Uzbekistan
17,160 km² (6,630 sq mi)(need date) 428 km (266 mi) Image:Aral outline.gif In 1960, the Aral Sea was the world's fourth-largest lake at 68,000 km².
16 Vostok
Antarctica
15,690 km² (6,060 sq mi) 250 km (160 mi) ~ 900-1000 m (~ 3000 ft) 5400 ± 1600 km³ (2100 ± 600 cu mi) Largest Subglacial lake in the world.
17 Maracaibo
Venezuela
13,300 km² (5,100 sq mi)
18 Tonlé Sap
Cambodia
~ 10,000 km² (3,900 sq mi) The area of Tonlé Sap varies anywhere from ~ 3,000 to ~ 30,000 km².
19 Onega
Russia
9,891 km² (3,819 sq mi) 248 km (154 mi) 120 m (390 ft) 280 km³ (67 cu mi) Image:Onega outline.gif
20 Titicaca
Bolivia-Peru
8,135 km² (3,141 sq mi) 177 km (110 mi) 281 m (920 ft) 893 km³ (214 cu mi) Image:Titicaca outline.gif
21 Nicaragua
Nicaragua
8,001 km² (3,089 sq mi) 177 km (110 mi) 26 m (85 ft) Image:Nicaragua outline.gif
22 Athabasca
Canada
7,920 km² (3,060 sq mi) 335 km (208 mi) 243 m (800 ft) 204 km³ (49 cu mi) Image:Athabasca outline.gif
23 Smallwood Reservoir
Canada
6,527 km² (2,520 sq mi) 142 km (88 mi) 151 m (500 ft)
24 Turkana*, Kenya 6,405 km² (2,473 sq mi) 248 km (154 mi) 109 m (360 ft) 204 km³ (49 cu mi) Image:Turkana outline.gif
25 Reindeer Lake
Canada
6,330 km² (2,440 sq mi) 245 km (152 mi) 337 m (1,110 ft) Image:Reindeer outline.gif
26 Eyre*, South Australia ~ 6,216 km² (2,400 sq mi) 209 km (130 mi) Image:Eyre outline.gif Varies with the rainfall. It dries up almost completely on occasion.
27 Issyk-Kul*, Kyrgyzstan 6,200 km² (2,400 sq mi) 182 km (113 mi) 668 m (2,190 ft) 1,738 km³ (417 cu mi) Image:Issyk-kul outline.gif
28 Urmia*, Iran 6,001 km² (2,317 sq mi) 130 km (81 mi) 16 m (52 ft) Image:Urmia outline.gif
29 Dongting
China
~ 6,000 km² (2,300 sq mi) Varies seasonally from ~ 4,000 km² to ~ 12,000 km².
30 Torrens*, South Australia 5,698 km² (2,200 sq mi) 209 km (130 mi) Image:Torrens outline.gif
31 Vänern
Sweden
5,545 km² (2,141 sq mi) 140 km (87 mi) 106 m (350 ft) 153 km³ (37 cu mi) Image:Vänern outline.gif
32 Winnipegosis
Canada
5,403 km² (2,086 sq mi) 245 km (152 mi) 254 m (830 ft) Image:Winnipegosis outline.gif
33 Albert
Uganda, Zaire
5,299 km² (2,046 sq mi) 161 km (100 mi) 58 m (190 ft) 280 km³ (67 cu mi) Image:Albert outline.gif
34 Mweru
DR Congo, Zambia
5,120 km² (1,980 sq mi) 131 km (81 mi) 27 m (89 ft) 38 km³ (9.1 cu mi)
35 Nettilling
Baffin Island, Canada
5,066 km² (1,956 sq mi) 113 km (70 mi) Image:Nettilling outline.gif Largest lake on an island.
36 Nipigon
Canada
4,843 km² (1,870 sq mi) 116 km (72 mi) 165 m (540 ft) Image:Nipigon outline.gif
37 Manitoba
Canada
4,706 km² (1,817 sq mi) 225 km (140 mi) 248 m (810 ft) Image:Manitoba outline.gif
38 Great Salt Lake*, U.S. 4,662 km² (1,800 sq mi) 121 km (75 mi) 10 m (33 ft) Image:Great salt outline.gif
39 Khanka
Russia, China
4,190 km² (1,620 sq mi) 10.6 m (35 ft)

* denotes saline lake

[edit] Largest by continent

[edit] Notes

Note: Lake areas may slightly vary depending on the sources.

[edit] See also

[edit] Sources

  • Factmonster.com
  • van der Leeden, Troise, and Todd, eds., The Water Encyclopedia. Second Edition. Chelsea, MI: Lewis Publishers, 1990. pp. 198-200.