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 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaston Shoals Lake and Ninety-Nine Islands Lake (Olde English District, SC, South Carolina, US South Region, USA) |
639 ac | Also known as Gaston Shoals Reservior and Ninety-Nine Islands Reservoir Gaston Shoals Lake and Ninety-Nine Islands Lake are the focal points of a 15-mile stretch of the Broad River flowing through the Olde English District … |
| Elizabeth Lake, IL/WI (Illinois, Lake Michigan Region, WI, Northern Illinois, US Midwest Region, USA, Wisconsin) |
638 ac | Also known as Lake Elizabeth, Twin Lakes Lake Elizabeth or Elizabeth Lake, as it is more commonly known, has been a vacation getaway for over 150 years. Located in the Northern Region of Illi … |
| Chapman Lakes (Indiana, North Indiana, US Midwest Region, USA) |
638 ac | Also known as Big Lake Chapman, Little Chapman Lake One of the best kept secrets in the North Indiana region is the Chapman Lakes. The two natural lakes, Big Chapman and connected Little Chapman, have b … |
| Lake Carroll, IL (Illinois, Northern Illinois, US Midwest Region, USA) |
636 ac | Lake Carroll is a sparkling freshwater lake located in Carroll County, in the northwest corner of Illinois. This private body of water sits in the mid … |
| Big Pine Lake (Central Minnesota, Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
635 ac | Snowmobiles race through the snow-covered countryside of central Minnesota, darting between Big Pine Lake and the area’s other lakes. With the ice hut … |
| Abyss Lake, AK (Alaska, Inside Passage Region, AK, US West Region, USA) |
635 ac | Tucked in the mountainous landscape of Southeastern Alaska with its sporadic blotches of tall green aspen trees, there sits a glacial lagoon called Ab … |
| Lough na Fooey (Ireland, West Ireland) |
633 ac | Also known as Loch na Fooey, Loch na Fuaiche A border collie chases the black-faced sheep across the hill while the water of Lough na Fooey sparkles behind him. The 633-acre lough (lake) provides … |
| Carvins Cove Reservoir, VA (Shenandoah Valley Region, VA, US South Region, USA, Virginia) |
630 ac | Also known as Carvin Cove Reservoir Nestled among the Blue Ridge Mountains, Carvins Cove Reservoir is a precious natural treasure for the State of Virginia. The reservoir never ceases to … |
| Corey Lake, MI (Michigan, Southwest Michigan, US Midwest Region, USA) |
630 ac | Corey Lake is a natural 630-acre lake in southwestern Michigan near the community of Three Rivers. Most of Corey Lake is located in St. Joseph County … |
| Duck Lake – Calhoun County, MI (Michigan, Southeast Michigan, US Midwest Region, USA) |
629 ac | Located in Calhoun County, Duck Lake is a 629-acre lake near the small community of Springport in south-central Michigan. Listed as one of Michigan’s … |
| Island Pond (Northeast Kingdom Region, VT, US New England Region, USA, Vermont) |
626 ac | One of Vermont’s northernmost lakes is Island Pond. Tucked in the Northeast Kingdom Region, Island Pond is only 15 miles south of the Canadian border. … |
| Acton Lake (Ohio, Southwest Ohio, US Midwest Region, USA) |
625 ac | Also known as Hueston Woods Lake Acton Lake, In the Southwest region of Ohio, has provided recreation opportunities to generations of visitors in the 50 years since it was created. On … |