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List of lakes by area

Related subjects: Geography

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This is a list of lakes with a surface area of more than 4,000 square kilometres (1,500 sq mi), ranked by area. This list does not include reservoirs and lagoons; if it did, Garabogazköl in Turkmenistan, Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela, and Lake Volta in Ghana would come in at numbers 15, 17, and 19.

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.

List of lakes

Continent colour key
Africa Asia Europe North America South America Antarctica

Oceanic lakes

The Caspian Sea is often regarded as the world's largest lake, but it contains an oceanic basin (contiguous with the world ocean until 11 million years ago) rather than being entirely over continental crust.

  Name Countries with shoreline Area Length Maximum depth Water volume Thumbnail (same scale for all lakes) Scale outline.png Notes
1 Caspian Sea*  Kazakhstan
 Russia
 Turkmenistan
 Azerbaijan
 Iran
7005371000000000000371,000 km2 (143,000 sq mi) 70031199000000000001,199 km (745 mi) 70031025000000000001,025 m (3,363 ft) 700478200000000000078,200 km3 (18,800 cu mi) Caspian outline.gif Variously considered the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. Geologically, the south Caspian is a small ocean.
*Not including Garabogazköl Aylagy.

Continental lakes

  Name Countries with shoreline Area Length Maximum depth Water volume Thumbnail (same scale for all lakes) Scale outline.png Notes
2 Superior  Canada
 United States
700482414000000000082,414 km2 (31,820 sq mi) 7002616000000000000616 km (383 mi) 7002406000000000000406 m (1,332 ft) 700412100000000000012,100 km3 (2,900 cu mi) Superior outline.gif
3 Victoria  Uganda
 Kenya
 Tanzania
700469485000000000069,485 km2 (26,828 sq mi) 7002322000000000000322 km (200 mi) 700184000000000000084 m (276 ft) 70032750000000000002,750 km3 (660 cu mi) Victoria outline.gif The largest lake in Africa
4 Huron  Canada
 United States
700459600000000000059,600 km2 (23,000 sq mi) 7002332000000000000332 km (206 mi) 7002229000000000000229 m (751 ft) 70033540000000000003,540 km3 (850 cu mi) Huron outline.gif Contains Manitoulin Island, the world's largest lake island
5 Michigan  United States 700458000000000000058,000 km2 (22,000 sq mi) 7002494000000000000494 km (307 mi) 7002281000000000000281 m (922 ft) 70034900000000000004,900 km3 (1,200 cu mi) Michigan outline.gif Largest lake entirely within one country.
6 Tanganyika  Burundi
 Tanzania
 Zambia
 Democratic Republic of the Congo
700432893000000000032,893 km2 (12,700 sq mi) 7002676000000000000676 km (420 mi) 70031470000000000001,470 m (4,820 ft) 700418900000000000018,900 km3 (4,500 cu mi) Tanganyika outline.gif Second deepest lake in the world. It is also the longest lake in the world.
7 Baikal  Russia 700431500000000000031,500 km2 (12,200 sq mi) 7002636000000000000636 km (395 mi) 70031637000000000001,637 m (5,371 ft) 700423600000000000023,600 km3 (5,700 cu mi) Baikal outline.gif Deepest lake in the world. Largest volume fresh water lake in the world.
8 Great Bear Lake  Canada 700431080000000000031,080 km2 (12,000 sq mi) 7002373000000000000373 km (232 mi) 7002446000000000000446 m (1,463 ft) 70032236000000000002,236 km3 (536 cu mi) Great bear outline.gif Largest lake entirely within Canada
9 Malawi  Tanzania
 Mozambique
 Malawi
700430044000000000030,044 km2 (11,600 sq mi) 7002579000000000000579 km (360 mi) 7002706000000000000706 m (2,316 ft) 70038400000000000008,400 km3 (2,000 cu mi) Nyasa outline.gif Second deepest lake in Africa. It has more fish species than any other lake on Earth
10 Great Slave Lake  Canada 700428930000000000028,930 km2 (11,170 sq mi) 7002480000000000000480 km (300 mi) 7002614000000000000614 m (2,014 ft) 70032090000000000002,090 km3 (500 cu mi) Great slave outline.gif Deepest lake in North America
11 Erie  Canada
 United States
700425719000000000025,719 km2 (9,930 sq mi) 7002388000000000000388 km (241 mi) 700164000000000000064 m (210 ft) 7002489000000000000489 km3 (117 cu mi) Erie outline.gif Lake Erie is the shallowest of the Great Lakes
12 Winnipeg  Canada 700423553000000000023,553 km2 (9,094 sq mi) 7002425000000000000425 km (264 mi) 700136000000000000036 m (118 ft) 7002283000000000000283 km3 (68 cu mi) Winnipeg outline.gif Located in Manitoba, it is the largest lake within a province.
13 Ontario  Canada
 United States
700419477000000000019,477 km2 (7,520 sq mi) 7002311000000000000311 km (193 mi) 7002244000000000000244 m (801 ft) 70031639000000000001,639 km3 (393 cu mi) Ontario outline.gif
14 Balkhash*  Kazakhstan 700418428000000000018,428 km2 (7,115 sq mi) 7002605000000000000605 km (376 mi) 700126000000000000026 m (85 ft) 7002106000000000000106 km3 (25 cu mi) Balkhash outline.gif Largest lake in Central Asia
15 Ladoga  Russia 700418130000000000018,130 km2 (7,000 sq mi) 7002219000000000000219 km (136 mi) 7002230000000000000230 m (750 ft) 7002908000000000000908 km3 (218 cu mi) Ladoga outline.gif Largest lake in Europe
16 Vostok Antarctica 700415690000000000015,690 km2 (6,060 sq mi) 7002250000000000000250 km (160 mi) 7002900000000000000900–1,000 m (3,000–3,300 ft) 70035400000000000005,400 ± 1,600 km3 (1,300 ± 380 cu mi) Vostok outline.gif Largest lake in Antarctica; also largest subglacial lake in the world.
17 Onega  Russia 70039891000000000009,891 km2 (3,819 sq mi) 7002248000000000000248 km (154 mi) 7002120000000000000120 m (390 ft) 7002280000000000000280 km3 (67 cu mi) Onega outline.gif Second largest lake in Europe
18 Titicaca  Peru
 Bolivia
70038135000000000008,135 km2 (3,141 sq mi) 7002177000000000000177 km (110 mi) 7002281000000000000281 m (922 ft) 7002893000000000000893 km3 (214 cu mi) Titicaca outline.gif Largest lake in South America if Lake Maracaibo is discounted; at 3811 m, one of the highest navigable lakes in the world.
19 Nicaragua  Nicaragua 70038001000000000008,001 km2 (3,089 sq mi) 7002177000000000000177 km (110 mi) 700126000000000000026 m (85 ft) 7002108000000000000108 km3 (26 cu mi) Nicaragua outline.gif Largest lake in Central America
20 Athabasca  Canada 70037920000000000007,920 km2 (3,060 sq mi) 7002335000000000000335 km (208 mi) 7002243000000000000243 m (797 ft) 7002204000000000000204 km3 (49 cu mi) Athabasca outline.gif Largest Lake in Saskatchewan/Alberta
21 Taymyr  Russia 70036990000000000006,990 km2 (2,700 sq mi) 7002250000000000000250 km (160 mi) 700126000000000000026 m (85 ft) 700112800000000000012.8 km3 (3.1 cu mi) Taymyr outline.png Largest lake north of the Arctic Circle
22 Turkana*  Ethiopia
 Kenya
70036405000000000006,405 km2 (2,473 sq mi) 7002248000000000000248 km (154 mi) 7002109000000000000109 m (358 ft) 7002204000000000000204 km3 (49 cu mi) Turkana outline.gif It is the world's largest permanent desert lake and the world's largest alkaline lake.
23 Reindeer Lake  Canada 70036330000000000006,330 km2 (2,440 sq mi) 7002245000000000000245 km (152 mi) 7002337000000000000337 m (1,106 ft) Reindeer outline.gif
24 Issyk-Kul*  Kyrgyzstan 70036200000000000006,200 km2 (2,400 sq mi) 7002182000000000000182 km (113 mi) 7002668000000000000668 m (2,192 ft) 70031738000000000001,738 km3 (417 cu mi) Issyk-kul outline.gif
25 Urmia*  Iran 70036001000000000006,001 km2 (2,317 sq mi) 7002130000000000000130 km (81 mi) 700116000000000000016 m (52 ft) Urmia outline.gif Largest lake in the Middle East
26 Vänern  Sweden 70035545000000000005,545 km2 (2,141 sq mi) 7002140000000000000140 km (87 mi) 7002106000000000000106 m (348 ft) 7002153000000000000153 km3 (37 cu mi) Vänern outline.gif The largest lake in the EU
27 Winnipegosis  Canada 70035403000000000005,403 km2 (2,086 sq mi) 7002245000000000000245 km (152 mi) 700118000000000000018 m (59 ft) Winnipegosis outline.gif
28 Albert  Uganda
 Democratic Republic of the Congo
70035299000000000005,299 km2 (2,046 sq mi) 7002161000000000000161 km (100 mi) 700158000000000000058 m (190 ft) 7002280000000000000280 km3 (67 cu mi) Albert outline.gif
29 Mweru  Zambia
 Democratic Republic of the Congo
70035120000000000005,120 km2 (1,980 sq mi) 7002131000000000000131 km (81 mi) 700127000000000000027 m (89 ft) 700138000000000000038 km3 (9.1 cu mi) Mweru outline.png
30 Nettilling  Canada 70035066000000000005,066 km2 (1,956 sq mi) 7002113000000000000113 km (70 mi) 7002132000000000000132 m (433 ft) Nettilling outline.gif On Baffin Island. Largest lake on an island.
31 Nipigon  Canada 70034843000000000004,843 km2 (1,870 sq mi) 7002116000000000000116 km (72 mi) 7002165000000000000165 m (541 ft) Nipigon outline.gif Largest lake entirely within the Canadian province of Ontario.
32 Manitoba  Canada 70034706000000000004,706 km2 (1,817 sq mi) 7002225000000000000225 km (140 mi) 70007000000000000007 m (23 ft) Manitoba outline.gif
33 Great Salt Lake*  United States 70034662000000000004,662 km2 (1,800 sq mi) 7002121000000000000121 km (75 mi) 700110000000000000010 m (33 ft) Great salt outline.gif The largest lake entirely within a single U.S. state.
34 Qinghai Lake*  China 70034489000000000004,489 km2 (1,733 sq mi) (2007) Qinghai outline.png Largest lake in East Asia
35 Saimaa  Finland ≈ 4,400 km2 (1,700 sq mi) 700182000000000000082 m (269 ft) 700136000000000000036 km3 (8.6 cu mi) Saimaa outline.gif Numerous basins; 14,000 islands, shoreline 700413700000000000013,700 km (8,500 mi)
36 Lake of the Woods  Canada
 United States
70034350000000000004,350 km2 (1,680 sq mi) 7002110000000000000110 km (68 mi) 700164000000000000064 m (210 ft) Lake of the Woods outline.gif
37 Khanka  China
 Russia
70034190000000000004,190 km2 (1,620 sq mi) 700110600000000000010.6 m (35 ft) Khanka outline.png

* denotes saline lake.

Source for the 20 largest lakes (and their areas):

Largest by continent and region

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