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 |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Cleburne (Prairies and Lakes Region, TX, Texas, US Southwest Region, USA) |
1,558 ac | Also known as Lake Pat Cleburne Lake Cleburne does far more than provide water for the City of Cleburne, Texas. The reservoir in the Prairies and Lakes region also provides local res … |
| Lake Ferry, New Zealand (New Zealand, North Island, NZ, Wairarapa Region, North Island, NZ) |
1,557 ac | Also known as Lake Onoke Lake Ferry, also known as Lake Onoke, sits at the southern tip of New Zealand’s North Island. The waves of the Tasman Sea crash against a narrow grave … |
| Lake Heron, New Zealand (Christchurch - Canterbury Region, South Island, NZ, New Zealand, South Island, NZ) |
1,556 ac | Located in the Christchurch/Canterbury Region of the South Island of New Zealand, Lake Heron is the largest of the Ashburton lakes at 1556 acres. With … |
| Cultus Lake (British Columbia, Canada, Canada) |
1,550 ac | Also known as Swee-ehl-chah, Tsowallie Located in Canada’s beautiful British Columbia, Cultus Lake shares its shores with Cultus Lake Provincial Park, Cultus Lake Park (District of Chilliwa … |
| Wolford Mountain Reservoir (Colorado, Northwest Colorado, US West Region, USA) |
1,550 ac | Also known as Wolford Mountain Lake As one of Colorado’s newest lakes, Wolford Mountain Reservoir is getting a lot of well-deserved attention. The reservoir was created in 1996 when Rits … |
| Lake Freeman, IN (Indiana, US Midwest Region, USA, West Indiana) |
1,547 ac | Nestled in the northern Indiana, Lake Freeman is one of two man-made lakes located just outside of Monticello. With the creation of the Lake Freeman a … |
| Lake Lillinonah, CT (Connecticut, Litchfield Hills Region, CT, US New England Region, USA) |
1,547 ac | With more than 1500 acres of boating and fishing waters, bordered by a wide variety of shoreline vistas, Lake Lillinonah in southwestern Connecticut i … |
| Prairie Lake (Lake Superior Northwoods Region, WI, US Midwest Region, USA, Wisconsin) |
1,545 ac | Also known as Chetek Chain of Lakes Prairie Lake is the northernmost lake in the Chetek Chain of Lakes located in Wisconsin’s Lake Superior Northwoods region. The Chetek Chain of Lakes c … |
| Lake Metigoshe (Canada, Manitoba, Canada, North Central Region, ND, North Dakota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
1,544 ac | One of the best spots for water recreation in North Dakota’s North Central region is Lake Metigoshe. Often called the ‘Jewel of the Turtle Mountains’, … |
| Atwood Lake, OH (Northeast Ohio, Ohio, US Midwest Region, USA) |
1,540 ac | Atwood Lake is nestled in the rolling farm landscapes of Ohio’s Northeast tourism region. The lake straddles the border of Carroll and Tuscarawas Coun … |
| Ninigret Pond (Rhode Island, US New England Region, USA, Washington County, RI) |
1,539 ac | Also known as Charlestown Pond Ninigret Pond is a coastal lagoon located in the town of Charlestown in Rhode Island’s Washington County. With a surface area of 1,539 acres, Ninigret … |
| Paulina Lake, OR (Central Oregon, Oregon, US West Region, USA) |
1,531 ac | Set in the high desert country of central Oregon, Paulina Lake is one of two sparkling lakes resting in the caldera of Newberry Crater. Part of Newber … |