Largest lakes & reservoirs in New York 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 72 articles we have published for New York lakes.
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Below are lakes within USA > US Mid-Atlantic Region > New York > Compared by water volume. This list does not represent all lakes in New York, only the 72 New York lake articles we have published on the LakeLubbers website.
Lake name | Water vol. in ac-ft | Lake description |
---|---|---|
Chautauqua Lake, NY (Chautauqua-Allegheny Region, NY, New York, US Mid-Atlantic Region, USA) |
544,000 ac-ft | (Also known as Lake Chautauqua) Chautauqua Lake, located in idyllic Western New York state, has been a destination for vacationers for more than a century. At 1,308 feet above sea le … |
Oneida Lake, NY (Central-Leatherstocking Region, NY, Finger Lakes Region, NY, New York, Thousand Islands Region, NY, US Mid-Atlantic Region, USA) |
255,360 ac-ft | Covering more than 51,000 acres, Oneida Lake is the largest lake located entirely within the state of New York. Named after the Iroquois Nation Oneida … |
Raquette Lake (Adirondacks Region, NY, New York, US Mid-Atlantic Region, USA) |
231,572 ac-ft | (Also known as Racquette Lake) Raquette Lake lies in the center of Adirondacks Park – a natural, unspoiled gem that draws nature enthusiasts from around the world. Raquette Lake (so … |
Indian Lake, NY (Adirondacks Region, NY, New York, US Mid-Atlantic Region, USA) |
170,235 ac-ft | Surrounded by the grandeur of the Adirondack Mountains, Indian Lake, in northern New York’s Adirondack Vacation region, is a 4,365-acre lake well know … |
Chateaugay Lakes (Adirondacks Region, NY, New York, US Mid-Atlantic Region, USA) |
92,418 ac-ft | (Also known as Upper Chateaugay Lake, Lower Chateaugay Lake) Sprawling across nearly 3,200 acres near the Canadian border, the Chateaugay Lakes are held dear in the hearts of many northern New Yorkers. Located e … |
Hemlock Lake, NY (Finger Lakes Region, NY, New York, US Mid-Atlantic Region, USA) |
88,997 ac-ft | Hemlock Lake, at just 7 miles long and a half mile wide, is one of New York’s smallest Finger Lakes, and one of two reserved for supplying water to th … |
Otisco Lake, NY (Finger Lakes Region, NY, New York, US Mid-Atlantic Region, USA) |
64,753 ac-ft | Approximately 20 miles southwest of Syracuse, New York, Otisco Lake is the easternmost of the 11 Finger Lakes. Just under six miles long, 3/4 miles ac … |
Fulton Chain of Lakes, NY (Adirondacks Region, NY, New York, US Mid-Atlantic Region, USA) |
62,784 ac-ft | (Also known as Fulton Lakes, Fulton Chain) The Fulton Chain of Lakes is a string of eight sparkling lakes located in the scenic Central Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York. The chain begin … |
Long Lake NY (Adirondacks Region, NY, New York, US Mid-Atlantic Region, USA) |
53,001 ac-ft | Located in the heart of New York State’s majestic Adirondack Mountains, 4,077-acre Long Lake is indeed the longest lake in the area stretching for 14 … |
Canadice Lake, NY (Finger Lakes Region, NY, New York, US Mid-Atlantic Region, USA) |
35,599 ac-ft | The smallest of New York’s famous Finger Lakes, Canadice Lake measures just 3 miles long and 1/2 mile wide. Its 640 acres are almost wholly undevelope … |
Honeoye Lake, NY (Finger Lakes Region, NY, New York, US Mid-Atlantic Region, USA) |
29,154 ac-ft | Honeoye Lake, one of New York state’s famous Finger Lakes, is located in beautiful Ontario County. Clean and pristine, this minor Finger Lake is the c … |
Swinging Bridge Lake, NY (Catskills Region, NY, New York, US Mid-Atlantic Region, USA) |
28,000 ac-ft | (Also known as Swinging Bridge Reservoir) Swinging Bridge Lake is a Catskills lake located in southern Sullivan County, New York and was formed by the damming of the Mongaup River in 1926 for … |