Largest lakes & reservoirs in Canada 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 164 articles we have published for Canada lakes.
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Below are lakes within Canada > Compared by surface area in acres. This list does not represent all lakes in Canada, only the 164 Canada lake articles we have published on the LakeLubbers website.
Lake name | Surface area in acres | Lake description |
---|---|---|
Lake Winnipegosis, MB (Canada, Manitoba, Canada) |
1,328,000 ac | Lake Winnipegosis is located in central Manitoba Province about 375 miles (by car) northwest of the major city of Winnipeg. It is one of the best outd … |
Lake Nipigon, ON (Canada, Ontario, Canada) |
1,198,080 ac | Located in Ontario Canada’s Sunset Country, Lake Nipigon is a destination into a remote area of pristine wilderness and the largest lake entirely with … |
Lake Manitoba, MB (Canada, Manitoba, Canada) |
1,142,400 ac | Lake Manitoba is located in central Manitoba about 45 miles northwest of the city of Winnipeg. It is one of the best fishing and outdoor natural lakes … |
Caniapiscau Reservoir, QC (Canada, Quebec, Canada) |
1,067,001 ac | Also known as Lake Caniapiscau “The money is not as useful as the land was before we lost it.” -Chisasibi Cree Native About 9,000 years ago, the glaciers receded on the Laurentian P … |
Lake of the Woods, MN / Canada (Canada, Manitoba, Canada, Minnesota, Northwest Minnesota, Ontario, Canada, US Midwest Region, USA) |
950,400 ac | Spanning the border from Minnesota into the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Manitoba, Lake of the Woods is an enormous body of water over 68 miles l … |
Wollaston Lake, SK (Canada, Saskatchewan, Canada) |
662,490 ac | Wilderness adventures draw people to Wollaston Lake in northeastern Saskatchewan. Sparsely populated, Wollaston Lake is home to copious amounts of wil … |
Lake Mistassini (Canada, Quebec, Canada) |
576,991 ac | Also known as Lac Mistassini Lake Mistassini in Quebec’s James Bay region is the stuff fishing legends are made of. Located 220 miles east of James Bay and over 400 miles north of … |
Manicouagan Reservoir (Canada, Quebec, Canada) |
481,856 ac | Also known as Lake Manicouagan, Lac Manicouagan, Lac Mouchalagane Manicouagan Reservoir is one of the world’s most interesting geological features. This huge annular (circular) lake was shaped by a number of factors, … |
Lac Seul (Canada, Ontario, Canada) |
409,454 ac | Also known as Lake Seul The second-largest lake entirely within Ontario, Lac Seul has somehow escaped the notice of the casual vacationer looking for a northwoods getaway. Th … |
Gouin Reservoir (Canada, Quebec, Canada) |
390,400 ac | Also known as Reservoir Gouin When the directions say ‘turn off the paved road’, you know you’re on your way to Gouin Reservoir. Visitors can drive to the lake, but most opt to fly … |
Dubawnt Lake, NU (Canada, Nunavut, Canada) |
350,000 ac | For one of the more challenging fishing experiences of your life, head to Dubawnt Lake in Nunavut, Canada’s most northern province. At 350,000 acres, … |
Lesser Slave Lake, AB (Alberta, Canada, Canada) |
288,640 ac | Located 236 miles northwest of Edmonton in Alberta, Canada, Lesser Slave Lake’s more than 280,000 surface acres present a wonderful scenic recreationa … |