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 Saint Clair, MI / Canada (Canada, Michigan, Ontario, Canada, Southeast Michigan, US Midwest Region, USA) |
275,200 ac | Also known as Lake St. Clair Heart-shaped Lake Saint Clair is the smallest body of water in the Great Lakes system. Tucked between Lake Huron to the north and Lake Erie to the sou … |
Bras d’Or Lake, NS (Canada, Nova Scotia, Canada) |
271,569 ac | Also known as Bras d'Or Lakes Bras d’Or Lake, translated as Arm of Gold, is a very large somewhat unique water body in central Cape Breton Island, part of Nova Scotia Province in C … |
Lake Champlain (Adirondacks Region, NY, Canada, Lake Champlain Valley Region, VT, New York, Quebec, Canada, US Mid-Atlantic Region, US New England Region, USA, Vermont) |
271,000 ac | Lake Champlain, straddling New York and Vermont in the USA, and Quebec in Canada, is a natural freshwater lake seated 96 feet above sea level. Briefly … |
Lac Saint-Jean, QC (Canada, Quebec, Canada) |
247,680 ac | Also known as Lake Saint-John, Piekouagami Follow Quebec’s Saguenay River to Lake Saint John and you will follow a path carved by time and the impressive power of nature. The two waterways are … |
Lake Abitibi (Canada, Ontario, Canada, Quebec, Canada) |
229,760 ac | Nearly 250,000 acres of water delight visitors to Lake Abitibi on the Ontario/Quebec border. This huge lake is actually two lake basins connected by a … |
Rainy Lake, MN / Canada (Canada, Minnesota, Northeast Minnesota, Ontario, Canada, US Midwest Region, USA) |
221,000 ac | Rainy Lake’s sprawling 221,000 acres straddle the border of the United States and Canada. Known as a water sports lover’s paradise, Rainy Lake is loca … |
Lake Nipissing, ON (Canada, Ontario, Canada) |
211,201 ac | Located in the Near North region of Ontario, Lake Nipissing is the fifth largest lake in Ontario excluding the Great Lakes. This relatively shallow 21 … |
Pipmuacan Reservoir (Canada, Quebec, Canada) |
198,400 ac | Also known as Reservoir Pipmuacan Far to the north in Quebec’s vast evergreen forests, Pipmuacan Reservoir performs unseen yet vital service to the customers of Hydro-Quebec. About 90% … |
Lake Simcoe, ON (Canada, Ontario, Canada) |
183,846 ac | Spectacular Lake Simcoe is one of the most visited vacation spots in Ontario’s south-central region. Just over an hour north of Toronto, Lake Simcoe p … |
Grand Lake NL (Canada, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada) |
132,696 ac | Grand Lake is one of those often-overlooked gems that has much to offer. Located in the province of Newfoundland, Grand Lake is a natural lake dammed … |
Lake St. Joseph (Canada, Ontario, Canada) |
121,822 ac | Lake St. Joseph in northwestern Ontario is the kind of lake a fisherman’s dreams are made of. Famous all over North America as a prime fishery for nor … |
Reservoir Cabonga (Canada, Quebec, Canada) |
119,680 ac | Also known as Cabonga Reservoir, Cabonga Lake A trip to Cabonga Reservoir in Quebec is the true definition of ‘getting away from it all’. The massive reservoir covers 261 square miles, but only 18 … |