Largest lakes & reservoirs in New York 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 72 articles we have published for New York lakes.
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Below are lakes within USA > US Mid-Atlantic Region > New York > Compared by surface area in acres. This list does not represent all lakes in New York, only the 72 New York lake articles we have published on the LakeLubbers website.
Lake name | Surface area in acres | Lake description |
---|---|---|
Saratoga Lake, NY (Capital-Saratoga Region, NY, New York, US Mid-Atlantic Region, USA) |
4,028 ac | Saratoga Lake, in upstate New York, is a 4,028-acre natural lake just north of the resort town of Saratoga Springs. The lake begins at the northern en … |
Tupper Lake (Adirondacks Region, NY, New York, US Mid-Atlantic Region, USA) |
3,853 ac | Also known as Big Tupper Lake Big Tupper Lake is a perfect specimen of the natural lakes found in the Adirondack region of upstate New York. The 3,850-acre lake formed from a glaci … |
Conesus Lake, NY (Finger Lakes Region, NY, New York, US Mid-Atlantic Region, USA) |
3,420 ac | Livingston County, New York considers Conesus Lake to be its pride and joy, the jewel of the county. Indeed, this Finger Lake’s original Seneca name m … |
Chateaugay Lakes (Adirondacks Region, NY, New York, US Mid-Atlantic Region, USA) |
3,163 ac | Also known as Upper Chateaugay Lake, Lower Chateaugay Lake Sprawling across nearly 3,200 acres near the Canadian border, the Chateaugay Lakes are held dear in the hearts of many northern New Yorkers. Located e … |
Onondaga Lake (Finger Lakes Region, NY, New York, US Mid-Atlantic Region, USA) |
2,965 ac | Long before its discovery by French explorers, Onondaga Lake was the location of the Iroquois Confederacy of tribes agreement. The ‘Great Peacemaker’ … |
Otisco Lake, NY (Finger Lakes Region, NY, New York, US Mid-Atlantic Region, USA) |
2,214 ac | Approximately 20 miles southwest of Syracuse, New York, Otisco Lake is the easternmost of the 11 Finger Lakes. Just under six miles long, 3/4 miles ac … |
Saranac Lakes, NY (Adirondacks Region, NY, New York, US Mid-Atlantic Region, USA) |
2,214 ac | Also known as Lower Saranac Lake, Middle Saranac Lake, Upper Saranac Lake New York’s Saranac Lakes — Lower Saranac Lake, Middle Saranac Lake, and Upper Saranac Lake — offer visitors peaceful islands, incredible Adirondack … |
Lake Placid, NY (Adirondacks Region, NY, New York, US Mid-Atlantic Region, USA) |
2,170 ac | Set among tall pines and white birches in the gorgeous Adirondack Mountains in upstate New York, Lake Placid is a spring-fed, sparkling 2,173-acre lak … |
Canadarago Lake, NY (Central-Leatherstocking Region, NY, New York, US Mid-Atlantic Region, USA) |
1,945 ac | Reported as one of the cleanest and clearest lakes in New York by the Department of Environmental Conservation, Canadarago Lake located in central New … |
Greenwood Lake, NJ/NY (Gateway Region, NJ, Hudson Valley Region, NY, New Jersey, New York, US Mid-Atlantic Region, USA) |
1,920 ac | Formerly known as “Long Pond”, Greenwood Lake is a natural reservoir that straddles the New York/New Jersey border. The lake is the largest freshwater … |
Hemlock Lake, NY (Finger Lakes Region, NY, New York, US Mid-Atlantic Region, USA) |
1,800 ac | Hemlock Lake, at just 7 miles long and a half mile wide, is one of New York’s smallest Finger Lakes, and one of two reserved for supplying water to th … |
Honeoye Lake, NY (Finger Lakes Region, NY, New York, US Mid-Atlantic Region, USA) |
1,772 ac | Honeoye Lake, one of New York state’s famous Finger Lakes, is located in beautiful Ontario County. Clean and pristine, this minor Finger Lake is the c … |