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 |
|---|---|---|
| Shell Lake, WI (Lake Superior Northwoods Region, WI, US Midwest Region, USA, Wisconsin) |
2,580 ac | Some of Wisconsin’s best fishing is in the clean, clear water of beautiful Shell Lake. Tucked away in rural northwest Wisconsin, Shell Lake and the ci … |
| Lough Currane (Ireland, South West Ireland) |
2,570 ac | Lough Currane is a pristine body of water located in County Kerry, the heart of Ireland’s lush South West tourism region. The province is best known f … |
| Apache Lake, AZ (Arizona, North Central Arizona, US Southwest Region, USA) |
2,568 ac | Surrounded by the stark and rugged beauty of Central Arizona’s Superstition Wilderness in the Tonto National Forest, Apache Lake is the perfect destin … |
| Tuckertown Reservoir (North Carolina, Piedmont Region, NC, US South Region, USA) |
2,560 ac | Also known as Tuckertown Lake The Tuckertown Reservoir in North Carolina’s Piedmont region is a stunning example of how hydroelectric power generation can mesh with habitat preserv … |
| Keechelus Lake, WA (North Central Washington, US West Region, USA, Washington) |
2,560 ac | Also known as Lake Keechelus, Keechelus Reservoir It is a picture postcard – snow capped mountains mirrored back in clean, clear, mountain water. Set against the backdrop of Washington’s Cascade Mount … |
| Lake Hopatcong, NJ (New Jersey, Skylands Region, NJ, US Mid-Atlantic Region, USA) |
2,560 ac | Lake Hopatcong is the largest lake in New Jersey, at about nine miles long with 45 miles of shoreline and covering 2,560 acres. Only 45 miles from New … |
| Long Pond, ME (Kennebec & Moose River Valleys Region, ME, Maine, US New England Region, USA) |
2,557 ac | Also known as Belgrade Lakes Only in stoic northern New England would Long Pond be called a pond instead of a lake. The 2557-acre lake, in Maine’s Kennebec and Moose River Valleys … |
| White Lake MI (Michigan, US Midwest Region, USA, West Central Michigan) |
2,536 ac | Will White Lake again become the economic driver for the cities of Whitehall and Montague in Michigan’s West Central Region? That’s entirely possible … |
| Lake Moomaw, VA (Shenandoah Valley Region, VA, US South Region, USA, Virginia) |
2,530 ac | Lake Moomaw is located in western Virginia, just north of Covington in the Shenandoah Valley region. It is nearly surrounded by George Washington Nati … |
| Lake Plantagenet (Minnesota, Northwest Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
2,529 ac | Also known as Plantagenet Lake Lake Plantagenet holds a special place in the hearts of fishermen in Northwest Minnesota. Where else can you find fighting muskie with a four-foot siz … |
| Lake Tarpon, FL (Florida, US South Region, USA, West Central Florida) |
2,529 ac | Also known as Tarpon Lake, formerly Lake Butler In the West Central Region of Florida, there is no finer lake than Lake Tarpon. The 2529-acre lake, often called the ‘Jewel of Pinellas County’ is onl … |
| Alexandria Chain of Lakes (Central Minnesota, Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
2,520 ac | Also known as Lake Geneva, Lake Darling, Lake Carlos, Lake Le Homme Dieu, Lake Victoria, Lake Cowdry, Lake Jessie, North Union Lake, Lake Taylor, Lake Stony and Lake Brophy A favorite for family vacations in Minnesota’s Central Lakes region is the group of lakes known as the Alexandria Chain of Lakes. The lakes nearly sur … |