Largest lakes & reservoirs in California by acres
There is no widely-accepted minimum surface area that defines a lake. What LakeLubbers describes as a lake, you might call a pond. Acreage of a lake (or sometimes square kilometers) is most often measured at the top surface area when the lake is at normal elevation. The surface area can be considerably smaller or larger when lake levels are lower or higher than normal. North America’s Lake Superior is the world’s largest freshwater lake by this measure.The other measure of a lake’s size is the lake’s water volume. By that measure, the world’s largest freshwater lake is Lake Baikal in Siberia.
You can find many of the world’s largest lakes (acres) on LakeLubbers in the comparison table below. Note: For some lakes, "Largest Lakes - Acres" data is unknown or does not apply, so you may see fewer lakes than the total 75 articles we have published for California lakes.
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Below are lakes within USA > US West Region > California > Compared by surface area in acres. This list does not represent all lakes in California, only the 75 California lake articles we have published on the LakeLubbers website.
Lake name  |
Surface area in acres |
Lake description |
|---|---|---|
| Tule Lake, CA (California, Shasta Cascade Region, CA, US West Region, USA) |
13,240 ac | Tule Lake, located near the California/Oregon border, comprises about 13,240 acres of the Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge. The Tule Lake Basin has … |
| Don Pedro Lake, CA (California, Gold Country Region, CA, US West Region, USA) |
12,900 ac | Also known as Lake Don Pedro, Don Pedro Reservoir Don Pedro Lake, also known as Don Pedro Reservoir and Lake Don Pedro, is nestled into the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. With a surface are … |
| San Luis Reservoir, CA (California, Central Valley Region, CA, US West Region, USA) |
12,700 ac | A sparkling sapphire gem carved into the eastern edge of the San Joaquin Valley, the San Luis Reservoir enjoys a scenic location in Merced County. Thi … |
| New Melones Lake, CA (California, Gold Country Region, CA, US West Region, USA) |
12,500 ac | Also known as New Melones Reservoir Gently placed into the central Sierra Nevada Mountains near Sonora in Calaveras County, New Melones Lake holds the title of fourth largest reservoir b … |
| Folsom Lake, CA (California, Gold Country Region, CA, US West Region, USA) |
11,450 ac | Folsom Lake lays magnificently nestled along the American River at the base of the Sierra foothills. It is surrounded by an abundance of striking scen … |
| Lake Isabella, CA (California, High Sierra Region, CA, US West Region, USA) |
11,200 ac | Also known as Isabella Reservoir Lake Isabella is an 11,200 acre reservoir in Kern County, California, about 35 miles northeast of Bakersfield. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers create … |
| Lake Camanche, CA (California, Gold Country Region, CA, US West Region, USA) |
7,770 ac | Also known as Camanche Reservoir Lake Camanche is situated on the border of Calaveras and Amador Counties in California’s Gold Country tourism region. These two counties played influe … |
| Lake Nacimiento, CA (California, Central Coast Region, CA, US West Region, USA) |
5,727 ac | Also known as Dragon Lake Located in central California in northern San Luis Obispo County, Lake Nacimiento is truly a sight to see. This 18.6 mile long beauty received the nic … |
| Crowley Lake (California, High Sierra Region, CA, US West Region, USA) |
5,280 ac | Also known as Long Valley Reservoir, Lake Crowley Crowley Lake is known for excellent trout fishing in California’s High Sierras region. Before construction of the Long Valley Dam in 1941, few trout e … |
| New Bullards Bar Reservoir, CA (California, Gold Country Region, CA, US West Region, USA) |
4,700 ac | Also known as Bullards Bar Reservoir New Bullards Bar Reservoir is located on the west side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in Yuba County, California, surrounded by the Tahoe and Plumas N … |
| Diamond Valley Lake, CA (California, Inland Empire Region, CA, US West Region, USA) |
4,500 ac | Also known as Diamond Valley Reservoir Diamond Valley Lake lies between two mountains in California’s Inland Empire tourism region. The 4,500-acre lake is Southern California’s newest and l … |
| Lake Elsinore, CA (California, Inland Empire Region, CA, US West Region, USA) |
3,300 ac | Cradled at the foot of the Ortega Mountains and at the entrance to the Cleveland National Forest, Lake Elsinore enjoys an ideal location. At about 3,3 … |
