Largest lakes & reservoirs in US Midwest Region 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 516 articles we have published for US Midwest Region lakes.
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Below are lakes within USA > US Midwest Region > Compared by surface area in acres. This list does not represent all lakes in US Midwest Region, only the 516 US Midwest Region lake articles we have published on the LakeLubbers website.
Lake name | Surface area in acres | Lake description |
---|---|---|
Lewis and Clark Lake, NE/SD (Lewis and Clark Region, NE, Nebraska, South Dakota, Southeast Region, SD, US Midwest Region, USA) |
28,000 ac | Stretching 25 miles long and straddling the Nebraska and South Dakota border, 28,000-acre Lewis and Clark Lake is the smallest of the Missouri River r … |
Carlyle Lake, IL (Illinois, Southwest Illinois, US Midwest Region, USA) |
26,000 ac | Also known as Carlyle Reservoir Carlyle Lake, located in south-central Illinois, holds dual titles as largest artificial lake and largest body of water wholly contained within the st … |
Kabetogama Lake, MN (Minnesota, Northeast Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
25,760 ac | Also known as Lake Kabetogama Located just a few miles from the Canadian border in St. Louis County, Minnesota’s Kabetogama Lake is every bit as unique as its name implies. This fr … |
Lake Pepin, MN/WI (Minnesota, Mississippi-Chippewa Rivers Region, WI, Southern Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA, Wisconsin) |
25,600 ac | Lake Pepin is the largest lake on the Mississippi River, formed about 9,500 years ago by the backup of water behind sediments where the Chippewa River … |
Stockton Lake, MO (Missouri, Southwest Missouri, US Midwest Region, USA) |
24,900 ac | Stockton Lake is a popular recreational reservoir covering 24,900 acres on the western edge of the scenic Missouri Ozarks. Though perhaps not as widel … |
Namakan Lake (Canada, Minnesota, Northeast Minnesota, Ontario, Canada, US Midwest Region, USA) |
24,066 ac | Also known as Namakan Reservoir Namakan Lake’s delights await the lucky visitor. Covering more than 24,000 acres with many small islands, about half of the lake is located in Minneso … |
Lake Petenwell, WI (Central Sands Prairie Region, WI, US Midwest Region, USA, Wisconsin) |
23,040 ac | Thirty miles north of the famous Wisconsin Dells near Monroe Center, Lake Petenwell is a hidden treasure. The largest manmade inland lake in the state … |
Norfork Lake, AR/MO (Arkansas, Missouri, Ozarks Region, AR, Southwest Missouri, US Midwest Region, US South Region, USA) |
22,000 ac | Locals describe Norfork Lake as “unspoiled, uncrowded, and unforgettable.” It is an apt description for this beautiful lake hidden in the Ozark Region … |
Houghton Lake, MI (Michigan, Northeast Michigan, US Midwest Region, USA) |
20,044 ac | Houghton Lake is a shallow, marshy lake with a sandy, gravely bottom. Warm in the summer, freezing over during the winter months, and staying cool dur … |
Rend Lake, IL (Illinois, Southern Illinois, US Midwest Region, USA) |
18,900 ac | Rend Lake, located in southern Illinois, is a fantastic place to enjoy all sorts of outdoor recreational activities. This reservoir, the second larges … |
Torch Lake, MI (Michigan, Northwest Michigan, US Midwest Region, USA) |
18,770 ac | Torch Lake holds the dual distinction as Michigan’s longest inland lake (18 miles) and its second largest inland lake (18,770 acres). The lake’s unpar … |
Mark Twain Lake, MO (Missouri, Northeast Missouri, US Midwest Region, USA) |
18,600 ac | Mark Twain Lake spreads out over 18,600 acres in Ralls and Monroe Counties of northeastern Missouri. The lake and the 2,775-acre Mark Twain State Park … |