Largest lakes & reservoirs in USA 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 1644 articles we have published for USA lakes.
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Below are lakes within USA > Compared by surface area in acres. This list does not represent all lakes in USA, only the 1644 USA lake articles we have published on the LakeLubbers website.
Lake name | Surface area in acres | Lake description |
---|---|---|
Leech Lake, MN (Minnesota, Northwest Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
102,948 ac | With over 120,000 acres of water and 316 miles of shoreline, Leech Lake is the third largest lake located entirely in Minnesota, the “Land of 10,000 L … |
Utah Lake, UT (Mountainland Region, UT, US West Region, USA, Utah) |
96,900 ac | Utah Lake is located in north-central Utah’s Mountainland region with the major cities of Provo and Orem on the eastern shore. It is the largest fresh … |
Lake Francis Case, SD (Great Lakes Region, SD, South Dakota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
95,000 ac | Lake Francis Case, one of the most popular recreation spots in the Great Plains, is located along the Missouri River in south-central South Dakota. La … |
Lake Texoma, OK/TX (Arbuckle Country, OK, Oklahoma, Prairies and Lakes Region, TX, Texas, US Southwest Region, USA) |
89,000 ac | Also known as Texoma Lake An 89,000-acre jewel set into the landscape of Texas and Oklahoma, Lake Texoma is a sparkling wonder of deep blue water and beautiful green shores. Wi … |
Lake Pend Oreille, ID (Idaho, Northern Idaho, US West Region, USA) |
85,960 ac | Also known as Albeni Falls Dam Set in a valley carved by glaciers from Canada, Lake Pend Oreille (pond-a-RAY) is surrounded by mountains with altitudes exceeding 6,000 feet. Its 85, … |
Yellowstone Lake, WY (Northwest Wyoming, US West Region, USA, Wyoming) |
84,288 ac | Yellowstone Lake is located in the southeast corner of Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. The Park was established in 1872, making it the first natio … |
Falcon Lake, TX / Mexico (Mexico, North Mexico, South Texas Plains Region, TX, Texas, US Southwest Region, USA) |
83,654 ac | Also known as Falcon International Reservoir WARNING – Fall 2010: Texas officials warn Americans visiting and boating on Falcon Lake to stay within USA waters and avoid the international boundary … |
Lake Livingston, TX (Piney Woods Region, TX, Texas, US Southwest Region, USA) |
83,000 ac | Also known as Livingston Reservoir Sometimes referred to as a “water wonderland,” Lake Livingston is the second largest lake contained entirely within Texas. With over 450 miles of shor … |
Lake Roosevelt, WA (Northeast Washington, US West Region, USA, Washington) |
82,000 ac | Also known as Lake Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake Roosevelt, located approximately 90 miles northwest of Spokane, Washington, covers 82,000 acres with a shoreline of 630 miles. Lake Roosevelt, al … |
Lake Clark, AK (Alaska, Southwest Region, AK, US West Region, USA) |
76,892 ac | Lake Clark is located about 150 miles southwest of Anchorage in southern Alaska. The lake spans 128 square miles, making it the seventh* largest fresh … |
Moosehead Lake, ME (Maine, Maine Highlands Region, ME, US New England Region, USA) |
75,471 ac | Moosehead Lake, nestled in the Longfellow Mountains in the Maine Highlands Region, is the largest lake in Maine. It has an elevation of 1,023 feet, bo … |
Tustumena Lake, AK (Alaska, Southcentral Region, AK, US West Region, USA) |
73,437 ac | Alaska has 17,243 square miles of inland water including both lakes and rivers. The area of inland water is greater than the land mass of Massachusett … |