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 |
---|---|---|
J. Strom Thurmond Lake, GA/SC (Classic South Region, GA, Georgia, Old 96 District, SC, South Carolina, US South Region, USA) |
71,000 ac | Also known as Lake Strom Thurmond, J. Strom Thurmond Reservoir, Clarks Hill Lake, Thurmond Lake J. Strom Thurmond Lake, aka Clarks Hill Lake, holds the title of second largest artificial lake east of the Mississippi River. Straddling the Georgia- … |
Bear Lake, ID/UT (Cache Valley Region, UT, Idaho, Southeastern Idaho, US West Region, USA, Utah) |
69,760 ac | A natural freshwater lake straddling the borders of Utah and Idaho, Bear Lake is a 70,000-acre turquoise jewel that lives up to its moniker of “Caribb … |
Lake Guntersville, AL (Alabama, East Tennessee, Mountains Region, AL, Tennessee, US South Region, USA) |
69,100 ac | Also known as Guntersville Lake, Guntersville Reservoir Alabama’s Mountain Region contains the state’s largest lake: Lake Guntersville. Cradled in the Appalachian foothills of northern Alabama, it’s located … |
Lake St. Francis, NY / Canada (Canada, New York, Ontario, Canada, Quebec, Canada, Thousand Islands Region, NY, US Mid-Atlantic Region, USA) |
67,213 ac | Also known as Lac Saint-Francois Lake St. Francis is part of the 2,340 mile system of locks, canals, and channels that link the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence … |
Wheeler Lake, AL (Alabama, Mountains Region, AL, US South Region, USA) |
67,070 ac | Also known as Wheeler Reservoir Wheeler Lake in northern Alabama’s Mountain Region is the state’s second-largest lake at 67,100 acres. The Tennessee Valley Authority created Wheeler … |
Lake Amistad, TX / Mexico (Hill Country Region, TX, Mexico, North Mexico, Texas, US Southwest Region, USA) |
65,000 ac | Also known as International Amistad Reservoir The Spanish word “Amistad” translates to “Friendship” in English … little wonder, then, that west Texas’ Lake Amistad is one of the Lone Star State’ … |
Upper Klamath Lake, OR (Oregon, Southern Oregon, US West Region, USA) |
61,544 ac | Stretching for an impressive 30 miles, Upper Klamath Lake is the largest freshwater lake in the State of Oregon. Nestled in the Klamath Basin, it is s … |
Lake Moultrie, SC (Santee Cooper Country, SC, South Carolina, US South Region, USA) |
60,400 ac | Lake Moultrie is located 31 miles north of Charleston in the low country of South Carolina. The lake is renowned for both its fishing and its natural … |
Lake Winnibigoshish, MN (Minnesota, Northeast Minnesota, Northwest Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
58,544 ac | Also known as Lake Winnie Lake Winnibigoshish is a legend among Minnesota lakes. The lake’s impressive size, covering more than 58,500 acres, reaches into both the Northwest an … |
Lake Barkley, KY/TN (Kentucky, Middle Tennessee, Tennessee, US South Region, USA, Western Waterlands Region, KY) |
57,920 ac | Lake Barkley is one of the premier recreational destinations in Western Kentucky. The reservoir was created by the Army Corps of Engineers in 1966 for … |
Lake Sharpe, SD (Great Lakes Region, SD, South Dakota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
56,884 ac | Lake Sharpe, located on South Dakota Highways 50 and 47 near Chamberlain, and Reliance, is one of the four reservoirs constructed along the Missouri R … |
American Falls Reservoir, ID (Idaho, Southeastern Idaho, US West Region, USA) |
56,000 ac | With more than 56,000 acres of water sport, boating and fishing waters, surrounded by choice camping and picnic areas, American Falls Reservoir in sou … |