Largest lakes & reservoirs in US Midwest Region by water volume
The estimated volume of water that a lake contains is measured at the lake’s normal elevation. By this measure, the world’s largest freshwater lake is Siberia’s Lake Baikal.Water Volume can be measured in acre-feet, in cubic miles, or in cubic kilometers. One acre-foot is the amount of water needed to cover one acre (43,560 square feet) to a depth of one foot. One cubic mile equals 3,379,200 acre-feet. One cubic kilometer equals 810,713 acre-feet. 1 acre-foot is equal to 325,851 US gallons. Siberia’s Lake Baikal contains about 6,276,367,740,000,000 gallons of freshwater – nearly 1 million gallons for every living person on earth.
The other – and more widely used – measure of a lake’s size is the lake’s surface acreage. By that measure, the world’s largest freshwater lake is North America’s Lake Superior.
Note: In the United States, an acre foot is a unit of volume used to refer to large-scale bodies of water. It is defined by the volume of water needed to cover 1 acre of surface area to a depth of 1 foot.
You can find many of the the world’s largest lakes (by water volume) on LakeLubbers. Note: For some lakes, the water volume data is unknown or does not apply, so you may see fewer lakes than the total 516 articles we have published for US Midwest Region lakes.
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Below are lakes within USA > US Midwest Region > Compared by water volume. This list does not represent all lakes in US Midwest Region, only the 516 US Midwest Region lake articles we have published on the LakeLubbers website.
Lake name | Water vol. in ac-ft | Lake description |
---|---|---|
Milford Lake, KS (Kansas, Northeast Kansas, US Midwest Region, USA) |
351,577 ac-ft | (Also known as Milford Reservoir) Milford Lake is the largest reservoir in Kansas with 163 shoreline miles and 16,000 surface acres. The lake offers abundant recreational opportunities … |
Harlan County Lake, NE (Frontier Trails Region, NE, Nebraska, US Midwest Region, USA) |
327,600 ac-ft | Harlan County Lake covers an impressive 13,250 acres in south-central Nebraska’s Frontier Trails region. Just seven miles from the Nebraska / Kansas s … |
Lake Geneva, WI (Southern Savanna Region, WI, US Midwest Region, USA, Wisconsin) |
299,182 ac-ft | (Also known as Geneva Lake) A laid-back atmosphere mixed with amazing activities make astoundingly beautiful Lake Geneva one of the most perfect relaxation and recreation destina … |
Tuttle Creek Lake, KS (Kansas, Northeast Kansas, US Midwest Region, USA) |
253,265 ac-ft | (Also known as Tuttle Creek Reservoir) When construction of Tuttle Creek Dam began in 1952, the premise was that Tuttle Creek Lake would be a “dry dam” passing water on through to the river … |
Pomme de Terre Lake (Central Missouri, Missouri, US Midwest Region, USA) |
243,000 ac-ft | (Also known as Pomme De Terre Reservoir) One of Missouri’s lesser-known recreational destinations is Pomme De Terre Lake. Construction of this reservoir was completed in 1961, although it had … |
Glen Elder Reservoir, KS (Kansas, North Central Kansas, US Midwest Region, USA) |
241,460 ac-ft | (Also known as Waconda Lake) Glen Elder Reservoir, also known as Waconda Lake, is one of the most scenic and popular outdoor attractions in Kansas. Located in north central Kansas … |
Wilson Lake, KS (Kansas, North Central Kansas, US Midwest Region, USA) |
235,000 ac-ft | (Also known as Wilson Reservoir) Nicknamed the “Clearest Lake in Kansas”, Wilson Lake is located in the heart of the Smoky Hills of central Kansas. This reservoir is an unexpected jew … |
Lake Winnibigoshish, MN (Minnesota, Northeast Minnesota, Northwest Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
220,000 ac-ft | (Also known as Lake Winnie) Lake Winnibigoshish is a legend among Minnesota lakes. The lake’s impressive size, covering more than 58,500 acres, reaches into both the Northwest an … |
Lake Shelbyville, IL (Central Illinois, Illinois, US Midwest Region, USA) |
210,000 ac-ft | (Also known as Shelbyville Lake, Shelbyville Reservoir) Seventeen miles and thousands of acres of water stretch out in front of power boaters leaving the dam at Lake Shelbyville. In addition to its wide exp … |
Lake Red Rock, IA (Iowa, South Central Iowa, US Midwest Region, USA) |
209,960 ac-ft | (Also known as Red Rock Lake, Red Rock Reservoir) Lake Red Rock is a reservoir in south-central Iowa created by the Army Corps of Engineers. This Marion County lake was constructed over the course of … |
Perry Lake (Kansas, Northeast Kansas, US Midwest Region, USA) |
209,513 ac-ft | (Also known as Perry Lake Reservoir) Tucked neatly into the northeast region of Kansas about 40 miles west of Kansas City, Perry Lake Reservoir provides tons of fun for those lucky enough … |
Rathbun Lake, IA (Iowa, South Central Iowa, US Midwest Region, USA) |
205,359 ac-ft | (Also known as Lake Rathbun) One of the largest lakes in the state of Iowa, Rathbun Lake is located in Appanoose County and is a perfect place to enjoy water sports, fishing, and … |