Largest lakes & reservoirs in Wisconsin 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 128 articles we have published for Wisconsin lakes.
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Below are lakes within USA > US Midwest Region > Wisconsin > Compared by water volume. This list does not represent all lakes in Wisconsin, only the 128 Wisconsin lake articles we have published on the LakeLubbers website.
Lake name  |
Water vol. in ac-ft |
Lake description |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Superior (Canada, Great Lakes of North America, Lake Superior Northwoods Region, WI, Michigan, Minnesota, Northeast Minnesota, Ontario, Canada, US Midwest Region, USA, Upper Peninsula Region, MI, Wisconsin) |
9,799,680,000 ac-ft | Skipping over state and country borders, Lake Superior, the largest, deepest, coldest, cleanest, least developed, and most pristine of the Great Lakes … |
| Lake Michigan-Huron (Canada, Chicagoland Region, IL, Great Lakes of North America, Illinois, Indiana, Lake Michigan Region, WI, Michigan, North Indiana, Northeast Michigan, Northwest Michigan, Ontario, Canada, Southwest Michigan, US Midwest Region, USA, Upper Peninsula Region, MI, West Central Michigan, Wisconsin) |
6,858,776,000 ac-ft | Lake Michigan and Lake Huron – two of North America’s Great Lakes – are contiguous and they share the same elevation of 577 feet above sea level. They … |
| Lake Michigan (Chicagoland Region, IL, Great Lakes of North America, Illinois, Indiana, Lake Michigan Region, WI, Michigan, North Indiana, Northwest Michigan, Southwest Michigan, US Midwest Region, USA, Upper Peninsula Region, MI, West Central Michigan, Wisconsin) |
3,987,456,000 ac-ft | As the only Great Lake nestled completely within the boundaries of the United States, Lake Michigan is the pride and joy of Wisconsin, Illinois, India … |
| Lake Winnebago, WI (Central Sands Prairie Region, WI, US Midwest Region, USA, Wisconsin) |
1,230,000 ac-ft | American white pelicans skim across the surface of Lake Winnebago, fishing alongside the anglers below. Birds and fishermen alike flock to the beautif … |
| Lake Petenwell, WI (Central Sands Prairie Region, WI, US Midwest Region, USA, Wisconsin) |
495,000 ac-ft | Thirty miles north of the famous Wisconsin Dells near Monroe Center, Lake Petenwell is a hidden treasure. The largest manmade inland lake in the state … |
| Lake Pepin, MN/WI (Minnesota, Mississippi-Chippewa Rivers Region, WI, Southern Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA, Wisconsin) |
450,000 ac-ft | Lake Pepin is the largest lake on the Mississippi River, formed about 9,500 years ago by the backup of water behind sediments where the Chippewa River … |
| Lake Mendota, WI (Southern Savanna Region, WI, US Midwest Region, USA, Wisconsin) |
389,000 ac-ft | (Also known as Yahara Chain of Lakes) Sometimes called the “City of 4 Lakes,” Madison in Dane County is the capital of Wisconsin and its second largest city. Its “Lake, City, Lake” tradema … |
| 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 … |
| Fox Lake, WI (Southern Savanna Region, WI, US Midwest Region, USA, Wisconsin) |
198,307 ac-ft | The Winnebago Indians, the area’s first inhabitants called it Hosh-a-rac-ah-tah or “good land.” Later it was known as “Waushara” or “fish spear,” and … |
| Castle Rock Lake, WI (Central Sands Prairie Region, WI, US Midwest Region, USA, Wisconsin) |
172,050 ac-ft | (Also known as Castle Rock Flowage) Castle Rock Lake offers what lake lovers want: a lot of water, an abundance of fish, and countless beautiful views. Castle Rock one of Wisconsin’s lar … |
| Lac Courte Oreilles, WI (Lake Superior Northwoods Region, WI, US Midwest Region, USA, Wisconsin) |
169,000 ac-ft | (Also known as Hayward Lakes) Known for its “really big muskie,” Lac Courte Oreilles near Hayward in Sawyer County has been a popular recreation spot with anglers for well over a h … |
| Lake Wissota, WI (Mississippi-Chippewa Rivers Region, WI, US Midwest Region, USA, Wisconsin) |
160,970 ac-ft | (Also known as Wissota Lake) If you are a Titanic (the movie) fan, you might remember Jack Dawson saying that he grew up in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. He also mentioned that he us … |