Largest lakes & reservoirs in 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 2151 articles we have published for lakes.
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Below are lakes within Compared by surface area in acres. This list does not represent all lakes in , only the 2151 lake articles we have published on the LakeLubbers website.
Lake name  |
Surface area in acres |
Lake description |
|---|---|---|
| Cazenovia Lake, NY (Central-Leatherstocking Region, NY, Finger Lakes Region, NY, New York, US Mid-Atlantic Region, USA) |
1,184 ac | Glacier-carved Cazenovia Lake is the largest lake in Madison County, New York. Bordered by the Town of Cazenovia and the Village of Cazenovia, this re … |
| Joe’s Valley Reservoir, UT (Castle Country, UT, US West Region, USA, Utah) |
1,183 ac | Joe’s Valley Reservoir is a 1,200-acre lake tucked away in the Manti-La Sal National Forest (Emery County). At an elevation of 7,000 feet, the lake is … |
| Red Shirt Lake, AK (Alaska, Southcentral Region, AK, US West Region, USA) |
1,183 ac | Red Shirt Lake, located in the Nancy Lake State Recreation Area in Alaska, is a remote lake that offers outdoor enthusiasts an opportunity to have an … |
| Lough Beg (Antrim Region, Northern Ireland, Londonderry Region, Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland Region, United Kingdom, United Kingdom) |
1,178 ac | Also known as Loch Beag Lough Beg, a freshwater lake in the northeastern part of Northern Ireland, is located near the center of the province of Ulster and straddles two coun … |
| Lake Eloise, FL (Florida, US South Region, USA, West Central Florida) |
1,178 ac | Also known as Winter Haven Chain of Lakes, Southern Chain Bald cypress trees dripping with Spanish moss reach out of the water near the shore of Lake Eloise. The cottage-dotted shoreline harkens back to a tim … |
| Fish Trap Lake, MN (Central Minnesota, Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
1,175 ac | A pure Minnesotan jewel, the sparkling 1,175-acre Fish Trap Lake is situated in the state’s central tourism region. Located in Morrison County just tw … |
| Bass Lake, CA (California, High Sierra Region, CA, US West Region, USA) |
1,165 ac | Also known as Crane Valley Reservoir Snuggled into the heart of the Sierra National Forest and located at the southern entrance of Yosemite National Park, Bass Lake enjoys an ideal Califo … |
| Lake Itasca (Minnesota, Northwest Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
1,162 ac | Also known as Elk Lake, Omashkoozo-zaaga'igan The headwaters of the mighty Mississippi River originate at 1,162-acre Lake Itasca. Wild and impressive, this beautiful lake is surrounded entirely by … |
| East Branch Clarion River Lake, PA (Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Wilds Region, US Mid-Atlantic Region, USA) |
1,160 ac | Also known as East Branch Lake, East Branch Reservoir East Branch Clarion River Lake, also known as East Branch Lake, is aptly named: it was created by the United States Army Corps of Engineers in 1952 by … |
| Bow Lake (Lakes Region, NH, New Hampshire, US New England Region, USA) |
1,150 ac | Also known as Bow Lake New Hampshire’s Bow Lake is located about 30 miles south of better-known Lake Winnipesaukee in the state’s Lakes Region. Bow Lake has its own special … |
| Deer Lake, WA (Northeast Washington, US West Region, USA, Washington) |
1,146 ac | Deer Lake, located in Stevens County, Washington, is a spring-fed and snow-fed lake with approximately a 1,150-acre surface in the Colville River wate … |
| John W. Flannagan Reservoir, VA (Heart of Appalachia Region, VA, US South Region, USA, Virginia) |
1,145 ac | Also known as Flannagan Reservoir The John W. Flannagan Reservoir is a 1,145-acre lake located in Dickenson County in the southwest Heart of Appalachia region of Virginia. Named in hon … |