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 |
---|---|---|
Woman Lake Chain (Minnesota, Northwest Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
5,502 ac | Also known as Child Lake, Girl Lake, Little Woman Lake, Woman Lake, Squaw Lake The Woman Lake Chain in northwest Minnesota includes four lakes and covers 5,502 acres. Sprawling across Cass County slightly south of the Chippewa Na … |
Chisago Lakes (Minneapolis-St. Paul Metro Region, MN, Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
5,357 ac | About 130 years ago, the Chisago Lakes Chain of Lakes was undivided, linked together as one big lake. The Swedish settlers called the 5,400-acre body … |
Rush Lake, MN (Central Minnesota, Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
5,338 ac | Rush Lake is a 5,338-acre natural lake located in central Otter Tail County in the Central Region of Minnesota. Rush Lake is part of the Otter Tail Ri … |
Ten Mile Lake, MN (Minnesota, Northwest Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
5,046 ac | Also known as Tenmile Lake Ten Mile Lake is a 5,046-acre spring-fed lake located near Hackensack, in the northwest region of Minnesota. With 25 miles of shoreline and a maximum … |
Star Lake, MN (Central Minnesota, Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
4,721 ac | Star Lake is a 4,721-acre lake located in north-central Otter Tail County approximately four miles west of Dent, Minnesota. The lake’s name was derive … |
Snowbank Lake (Minnesota, Northeast Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
4,655 ac | Remote Snowbank Lake in northeast Minnesota borders the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and serves as a gateway to this popular outdoor adventur … |
Lake Lizzie, MN (Central Minnesota, Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
4,035 ac | Located six miles northeast of Pelican Rapids in Otter Tail County, Lake Lizzie is a 4,035-acre lake connected to Pelican Lake and Prairie Lake via th … |
Deer Lake, MN (Minnesota, Northeast Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
4,032 ac | Also known as Lake of Changing Colors Often called the “Lake of Changing Colors,” Deer Lake is a jewel in Minnesota’s northwoods country. Located northwest of Grand Rapids in south-central … |
Gunflint Lake (Minnesota, Northeast Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
4,009 ac | Gunflint Lake holds a special spot in the hearts of outdoors fans in Minnesota’s Northeastern Region. Almost 30 miles northwest of Grand Marais ‘as th … |
Sea Gull Lake (Minnesota, Northeast Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
3,958 ac | Sea Gull Lake is at the end of Gunflint Trail, one of Northeast Minnesota’s best known and most loved Scenic Byways. The trail provides 57 miles of ne … |
Pelican Lake-Otter Tail County, MN (Central Minnesota, Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
3,925 ac | Pelican Lake is a 3,925-acre lake located in northwestern Otter Tail County approximately 7 miles north of Pelican Rapids, Minnesota. Pelican Lake is … |
Lake Shetek, MN (Minnesota, Southern Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
3,598 ac | Located near the southwestern corner of the state, Lake Shetek is one of the best known of Minnesota Southern Region Lakes. Shetek means pelican in th … |