Largest lakes & reservoirs in Minnesota 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 116 articles we have published for Minnesota lakes.
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Below are lakes within USA > US Midwest Region > Minnesota > Compared by surface area in acres. This list does not represent all lakes in Minnesota, only the 116 Minnesota lake articles we have published on the LakeLubbers website.
Lake name | Surface area in acres | Lake description |
---|---|---|
Lake Minnetonka, MN (Minneapolis-St. Paul Metro Region, MN, Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
14,043 ac | Lake Minnetonka’s 14,000 acres contain many bays and coves, resembling a collection of smaller lakes. “Minnetonka” comes from the Sioux language meani … |
Saganaga Lake, MN / Canada (Canada, Minnesota, Northeast Minnesota, Ontario, Canada, US Midwest Region, USA) |
13,832 ac | The 13,832 acres of Saganaga Lake straddle the border of Northeastern Minnesota and Ontario, Canada. Part of the well known Boundary Waters Canoe Area … |
Otter Tail Lake, MN (Central Minnesota, Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
13,725 ac | With over 13,000 acres of water and 22 miles of shoreline, Otter Tail Lake is the largest lake in Otter Tail County and is located in the Central tour … |
Whitefish Chain of Lakes (Central Minnesota, Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
13,660 ac | Also known as Pine River Reservoir Whitefish Chain of Lakes, also known as the Pine River Reservoir, is one of six Mississippi River Headwater Reservoirs in central Minnesota. Located i … |
Big Stone Lake, MN/SD (Central Minnesota, Glacial Lakes & Prairies Region, SD, Minnesota, South Dakota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
12,360 ac | Big Stone Lake’s sparkling blue water covers 12,360 acres and forms the border between western Minnesota and northeastern South Dakota. This picturesq … |
Lake Traverse, MN/SD (Central Minnesota, Glacial Lakes & Prairies Region, SD, Minnesota, South Dakota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
11,200 ac | Lake Traverse straddles the border of Minnesota’s Central tourism region and South Dakota’s northeastern Great Lakes and Prairie region. Covering more … |
Pelican Lake-St. Louis County, MN (Minnesota, Northeast Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
10,945 ac | Pelican Lake lies adjacent to the small town of Orr in St. Louis County, Minnesota. Pelican Lake has 54 miles of shoreline and is peppered with 53 isl … |
Bowstring Lake (Minnesota, Northeast Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
9,528 ac | Be it fishing, wakeboarding, canoeing or just simply wildlife watching, Bowstring Lake fulfills its visitors every vacation need. Set in Itasca County … |
Gull Lake, MN (Central Minnesota, Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
9,418 ac | Also known as Brainerd Lakes Gull Lake, located in the Central Region of Minnesota’s “Land of 10,000 Lakes”, boasts 9,418 surface acres and 38 miles of pristine shoreline. The dee … |
Pelican Lake-Crow Wing County (Central Minnesota, Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
8,253 ac | Long a traditional vacation lake in Minnesota’s Central region, Pelican Lake is the second-largest lake in the Brainerd Lakes area. Over 8,000 acres o … |
Lake Onalaska, MN/WI (Minnesota, Mississippi-Chippewa Rivers Region, WI, Southern Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA, Wisconsin) |
7,688 ac | Lake Onalaska is a popular year-round recreation destination on the upper Mississippi River, located between La Crosse, Wisconsin and La Crescent, Min … |
Battle Lake (Central Minnesota, Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
7,588 ac | Also known as East Battle Lake, West Battle Lake Connected by Battle Creek, West Battle Lake and East Battle Lake sprawl across over 7,500 acres of central Minnesota in Ottertail County. With more th … |