List of lakes by area
2008/9 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Geography
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.
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)  |
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) |  |
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) |  |
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) |  |
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| 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) |  |
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| 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) |  |
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) |  |
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) |  |
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| 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) |  |
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| 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) |  |
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| 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) |  |
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| 11 | Winnipeg Canada |
23,553 km² (9,094 sq mi) | 425 km (264 mi) | 36 m (120 ft) | 283 km³ (68 cu mi) |  |
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| 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) |  |
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| 13 | Balkhash*, Kazakhstan | 18,428 km² (7,115 sq mi) | 605 km (376 mi) | 26 m (85 ft) | 106 km³ (25 cu mi) |  |
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| 14 | Ladoga Russia |
18,130 km² (7,000 sq mi) | 219 km (136 mi) | 230 m (750 ft) | 908 km³ (218 cu mi) |  |
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| 15 | Aral Sea* Kazakhstan-Uzbekistan |
17,160 km² (6,630 sq mi)(2004) | 428 km (266 mi) |  |
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) |  |
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| 20 | Titicaca Bolivia-Peru |
8,135 km² (3,141 sq mi) | 177 km (110 mi) | 281 m (920 ft) | 893 km³ (214 cu mi) |  |
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| 21 | Nicaragua Nicaragua |
8,001 km² (3,089 sq mi) | 177 km (110 mi) | 26 m (85 ft) |  |
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| 22 | Athabasca Canada |
7,920 km² (3,060 sq mi) | 335 km (208 mi) | 243 m (800 ft) | 204 km³ (49 cu mi) |  |
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| 23 | Turkana*, Kenya | 6,405 km² (2,473 sq mi) | 248 km (154 mi) | 109 m (360 ft) | 204 km³ (49 cu mi) |  |
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| 24 | Reindeer Lake Canada |
6,330 km² (2,440 sq mi) | 245 km (152 mi) | 337 m (1,110 ft) |  |
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| 25 | Eyre*, South Australia | ~ 6,216 km² (2,400 sq mi) | 209 km (130 mi) |  |
Varies with the rainfall. It dries up almost completely on occasion. | |||
| 26 | 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) |  |
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| 27 | Urmia*, Iran | 6,001 km² (2,317 sq mi) | 130 km (81 mi) | 16 m (52 ft) |  |
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| 28 | Dongting China |
~ 6,000 km² (2,300 sq mi) | Varies seasonally from ~ 4,000 km² to ~ 12,000 km². | |||||
| 29 | Torrens*, South Australia | 5,698 km² (2,200 sq mi) | 209 km (130 mi) |  |
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| 30 | Vänern Sweden |
5,545 km² (2,141 sq mi) | 140 km (87 mi) | 106 m (350 ft) | 153 km³ (37 cu mi) |  |
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| 31 | Winnipegosis Canada |
5,403 km² (2,086 sq mi) | 245 km (152 mi) | 254 m (830 ft) |  |
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| 32 | Albert Uganda, Zaire |
5,299 km² (2,046 sq mi) | 161 km (100 mi) | 58 m (190 ft) | 280 km³ (67 cu mi) |  |
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| 33 | 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) | |||
| 34 | Nettilling Baffin Island, Canada |
5,066 km² (1,956 sq mi) | 113 km (70 mi) |  |
Largest lake on an island. | |||
| 35 | Nipigon Canada |
4,843 km² (1,870 sq mi) | 116 km (72 mi) | 165 m (540 ft) |  |
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| 36 | Manitoba Canada |
4,706 km² (1,817 sq mi) | 225 km (140 mi) | 248 m (810 ft) |  |
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| 37 | Great Salt Lake*, U.S. | 4,662 km² (1,800 sq mi) | 121 km (75 mi) | 10 m (33 ft) |  |
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| 38 | Khanka Russia, China |
4,190 km² (1,620 sq mi) | 10.6 m (35 ft) |
* denotes saline lake
Largest by continent
- Africa - Lake Victoria
- Antarctica - Lake Vostok ( Subglacial lake)
- Asia - Salt: Caspian Sea - Fresh: Lake Baikal
- Australia - Lake Eyre
- Central America - Lake Nicaragua (second largest in Latin America, first in Central America)
- Europe - Lake Ladoga
- North America - Lake Michigan-Huron
- South America - Brackish: Lake Maracaibo - Fresh: Lake Titicaca