Largest lakes & reservoirs in United Kingdom 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 43 articles we have published for United Kingdom lakes.
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Below are lakes within United Kingdom > Compared by water volume. This list does not represent all lakes in United Kingdom, only the 43 United Kingdom lake articles we have published on the LakeLubbers website.
Lake name | Water vol. in ac-ft | Lake description |
---|---|---|
Strangford Lough (Down Region, Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland Region, United Kingdom, United Kingdom) |
1,053,927,152 ac-ft | (Also known as Strangford Lake, Loch Cuan, Strangford) Strangford Lough (Lake) is a 37,066-acre inland, tidal, salt water lake off the east coast of County Down in Northern Ireland. Separated from the Iris … |
Loch Ericht (Highlands & Moray Region, Scotland, Perthshire Region, Scotland, Scotland, United Kingdom, United Kingdom) |
872,979,785 ac-ft | (Also known as Lake Ericht) Hidden in the shadow of Ben Alder Munro or Mountain, Loch Ericht is a beautiful freshwater lake on the border between Perth and Kinross and the Highla … |
Lough Foyle (Ireland, Londonderry Region, Northern Ireland, North West Region, Ireland, Northern Ireland Region, United Kingdom, United Kingdom) |
609,656,322 ac-ft | (Also known as Loch Feabhail) Standing on the stoop of his holiday cottage looking out over the water of Lough Foyle, he was struck by how closely the 44,000 acre estuary matched h … |
Loch Ness, Scotland (Highlands & Moray Region, Scotland, Scotland, United Kingdom, United Kingdom) |
5,999,278 ac-ft | In the Scottish Highlands, the air is clear. The mountains roll on and on, like large lumbering animals. Breathtaking glens, left by the cutting passa … |
Lough Neagh (Antrim Region, Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland Region, United Kingdom, United Kingdom) |
2,860,196 ac-ft | (Also known as Lake Neagh, The Lough) Nestled in the heart of Northern Ireland, Lough (Lake) Neagh is the largest freshwater lake in the British Isles. Covering over 96,800 acres with beau … |
Loch Lomond (Central Scotland, Scotland, United Kingdom, United Kingdom) |
2,095,104 ac-ft | (Also known as Lake Lomond) Due to its stunningly beautiful location, Loch Lomond is one of the more popular lochs or lakes in Western Scotland. Although not the longest lake at … |
Loch Morar (Highlands & Moray Region, Scotland, Scotland, United Kingdom, United Kingdom) |
1,864,640 ac-ft | The deepest loch in the western Highlands of Scotland is beautiful Loch Morar. Gouged from the rock by glaciers, this water body reaches the extreme d … |
Loch Tay (Central Scotland, Perthshire Region, Scotland, Scotland, United Kingdom, United Kingdom) |
1,297,952 ac-ft | Loch Tay is a long and narrow natural lake in the central Scottish Highlands that extends southwest to northeast in the country’s Central and Perthshi … |
Loch Awe (Central Scotland, Scotland, United Kingdom, United Kingdom) |
972,856 ac-ft | (Also known as Lake Awe) Scenic Loch Awe is located in central Scotland’s Argyll and Bute Council region. Renowned for its trout fishing, the lake is a fantastic holiday getaw … |
Loch Maree (Highlands & Moray Region, Scotland, Scotland, United Kingdom, United Kingdom) |
883,838 ac-ft | Remote, desolate, historic, beautiful: all of these describe Loch Maree. Located in the Highlands and Morey Region of Northwestern Scotland, Loch Mare … |
Loch Rannoch (Perthshire Region, Scotland, Scotland, United Kingdom, United Kingdom) |
789,391 ac-ft | Nestled in the Perth and Kinross region of the Scottish Highlands, Loch Rannoch is a glacial freshwater lake often considered to be the most beautiful … |
Loch Shiel (Highlands & Moray Region, Scotland, Scotland, United Kingdom, United Kingdom) |
729,642 ac-ft | (Also known as Loch Seile) Surrounded by one of the few remaining areas of true wilderness in Scotland, the picturesque scenery around Scotland’s Loch Shiel has been featured in … |