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 |
|---|---|---|
| Lough Cullin (Ireland, West Ireland) |
2,518 ac | Lough Cullin is one of the little-known jewels of County Mayo in West Ireland. Tucked neatly between Nephin and Ox mountains, the 2500-acre shallow lo … |
| Kezar Lake, ME (Lakes & Mountains Region, ME, Maine, US New England Region, USA) |
2,510 ac | Also known as Lake Kezar Kezar Lake is set in wondrous scenery with the eastern shores facing New Hampshire’s White Mountains Presidential Range. Crystal clear Kezar Lake is a … |
| Nelson Lake, WI (Lake Superior Northwoods Region, WI, US Midwest Region, USA, Wisconsin) |
2,503 ac | With its undeveloped shoreline and beautiful water, Nelson Lake joins the other Hayward Lakes as a fantastic Wisconsin destination. Historically there … |
| Haliburton Lake (Canada, Ontario, Canada) |
2,502 ac | Haliburton Lake is located in Ontario, Canada in a region called the Haliburton Highlands. The name was given due to the beautiful scenery that resemb … |
| Wilson Lake, ON (Canada, Ontario, Canada) |
2,500 ac | Also known as Wauquimakog Lake Ontario visitors who think ‘cottage country’ is limited to the Muskoka Region will miss out on Wilson Lake! Located in Ontario’s ‘near north’, Wilson … |
| Lake Hefner, OK (Frontier Country, OK, Oklahoma, US Southwest Region, USA) |
2,500 ac | The Hefner Dam was completed in 1947, creating a lake with a surface area of 2,500 acres and an 18 mile long shoreline. Located in northwest Oklahoma … |
| Fish Lake, UT (Panoramaland Region, UT, US West Region, USA, Utah) |
2,500 ac | Fishlake National Forest is a glittering emerald jewel in the heart of Utah’s normally dry and desolate countryside. And in the National Forest is the … |
| Waterton Lakes (Alberta, Canada, Canada, Glacier Country, MT, Montana, US West Region, USA) |
2,496 ac | Also known as Chief Mountain Lake, Knights Lake, Kootenay Lakes “Where the mountains meet the prairies” is the motto of Waterton Lakes National Park, the home of three Waterton Lakes that straddle the Montana-Alber … |
| Norway Lake, MN (Central Minnesota, Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
2,496 ac | Norway Lake is nestled in Kandiyohi County on the southern border of Minnesota’s Central tourism region. It is part of the Wilmar Lakes Area which inc … |
| Big Lake, AK (Alaska, Southcentral Region, AK, US West Region, USA) |
2,495 ac | There are over 3,000 lakes in the Mat-Su Valley, and Big Lake is one of the largest. The Mat-Su Borough, which is short for Matanuska-Susitna, is 24,0 … |
| Pewaukee Lake, WI (Southern Savanna Region, WI, US Midwest Region, USA, Wisconsin) |
2,493 ac | Named from the Potawatomi word “Pee-wauk-ee-wee-nick” for “lake of shells,” Pewaukee Lake is a beautiful spring-fed lake. Just 20 miles from Milwaukee … |
| Lake Wenatchee, WA (North Central Washington, US West Region, USA, Washington) |
2,480 ac | Lake Wenatchee is a high mountain lake located in the Wenatchee National Forest in the Cascade Mountains of Washington state. Fed by the Little Wenatc … |