Largest lakes & reservoirs in Michigan 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 90 articles we have published for Michigan lakes.
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Below are lakes within USA > US Midwest Region > Michigan > Compared by surface area in acres. This list does not represent all lakes in Michigan, only the 90 Michigan lake articles we have published on the LakeLubbers website.
Lake name | Surface area in acres | Lake description |
---|---|---|
Lac Vieux Desert, MI/WI (Lake Superior Northwoods Region, WI, Michigan, US Midwest Region, USA, Upper Peninsula Region, MI, Wisconsin) |
4,260 ac | Also known as Lac Vieux Lake Lac Vieux Desert is the French name for this 4,260-acre lake of Michigan and Wisconsin. The name was given by French fur trappers who were among the f … |
Muskegon Lake (Michigan, US Midwest Region, USA, West Central Michigan) |
4,232 ac | Also known as Lake Muskegon One of Michigan’s little-known vacation hotspots is Muskegon Lake. Lake Muskegon, as it is sometimes called, has been a major port on the eastern Lake … |
Long Lake Grand Traverse County, MI (Michigan, Northwest Michigan, US Midwest Region, USA) |
2,860 ac | Long Lake, near Traverse City in Grand Traverse County, is a popular vacation destination with activities and vistas that lighten the soul. Whether yo … |
Gun Lake, MI (Michigan, Southwest Michigan, US Midwest Region, USA) |
2,680 ac | Beautiful Gun Lake, located off US 131 north of Kalamazoo, Michigan, has been a vacation and boating destination for well over a hundred years. Origin … |
White Lake MI (Michigan, US Midwest Region, USA, West Central Michigan) |
2,536 ac | Will White Lake again become the economic driver for the cities of Whitehall and Montague in Michigan’s West Central Region? That’s entirely possible … |
Lake Saint Helen, MI (Michigan, Northeast Michigan, US Midwest Region, USA) |
2,400 ac | Also known as Lake St. Helen Lake Saint Helen is located in Roscommon County of northern Michigan near Interstate 75 and right next to the town of St. Helen – Charlton Heston’s ch … |
Portage Lake (Manistee County), MI (Michigan, Northwest Michigan, US Midwest Region, USA) |
2,110 ac | Portage Lake is a fantastic stop for Lake Michigan travelers. The lake is connected to Lake Michigan by a channel. Boating and sailing visitors often … |
Gull Lake, MI (Michigan, Southwest Michigan, US Midwest Region, USA) |
2,030 ac | Gull Lake is a picturesque 2,030-acre natural lake in southwestern Michigan. The lake most likely got its name from the large number of seagulls that … |
Otsego Lake MI (Michigan, Northwest Michigan, US Midwest Region, USA) |
1,972 ac | A plane’s deep droning in the distance becomes louder and louder as visitors at Otsego Lake look up towards the sky. Those new to the scene quickly re … |
Paradise Lake (Michigan, Northwest Michigan, US Midwest Region, USA) |
1,900 ac | Also known as Carp Lake, Lake Paradise Paradise Lake is truly a lakelubber’s paradise. This 1900-acre lake in Michigan’s Northwest region has been a paradise for countless numbers of cottag … |
Lake Independence (Michigan, US Midwest Region, USA, Upper Peninsula Region, MI) |
1,860 ac | Tucked up against Lake Superior, 1,860-acre Lake Independence is an exceptional recreation destination on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Fed primarily by … |
Lake Bellaire (Michigan, Northwest Michigan, US Midwest Region, USA) |
1,793 ac | Also known as Grass Lake Michigan has a bounty of beautiful lakes, and those found in Antrim County are no exception. Lake Bellaire is situated to the east of Lake Michigan; t … |