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 Puckaway, WI (Central Sands Prairie Region, WI, US Midwest Region, USA, Wisconsin) |
15,327 ac-ft | (Also known as Puckaway Lake) Lake Puckaway spans more than 5,000 acres in Green Lake County, part of Wisconsin’s Central Sands Prairie Region. The family hungering for an old-fash … |
Pewaukee Lake, WI (Southern Savanna Region, WI, US Midwest Region, USA, Wisconsin) |
15,000 ac-ft | Named from the Potawatomi word “Pee-wauk-ee-wee-nick” for “lake of shells,” Pewaukee Lake is a beautiful spring-fed lake. Just 20 miles from Milwaukee … |
Rest Lake (Lake Superior Northwoods Region, WI, US Midwest Region, USA, Wisconsin) |
14,258 ac-ft | (Also known as Manitowish Chain of Lakes) Located in Wisconsin’s Vilas County, Rest Lake is part of the Manitowish Waters Chain which includes 10 beautiful lakes: Manitowish Lake, Little Star … |
Butternut Lake, WI (Lake Superior Northwoods Region, WI, US Midwest Region, USA, Wisconsin) |
14,017 ac-ft | At over three miles long, Butternut Lake in Price County, Wisconsin is a lake lover’s paradise and a prime four season vacation destination. Created t … |
Lake Arbutus, WI (Central Sands Prairie Region, WI, Mississippi-Chippewa Rivers Region, WI, US Midwest Region, USA, Wisconsin) |
13,397 ac-ft | Nestled in the northwest corner of the Black River State Forest near scenic Hatfield, Wisconsin, 839-acre Lake Arbutus offers visitors and residents e … |
Dam Lake (Lake Superior Northwoods Region, WI, US Midwest Region, USA, Wisconsin) |
13,318 ac-ft | (Also known as Sugar Camp Chain of Lakes) A year round destination in the Northwoods Region of Wisconsin, Dam Lake in Oneida County offers fun, excitement and relaxation to its visitors. Beaut … |
Lauderdale Lakes, WI (Southern Savanna Region, WI, US Midwest Region, USA, Wisconsin) |
12,591 ac-ft | (Also known as Green Lake, Middle Lake, Mill Lake, Lauderdale Chain of Lakes) The Lauderdale Lakes consist of a chain of three lakes – Green Lake, Middle Lake, and Mill Lake – located in scenic north-central Walworth County, Wis … |
Catfish Lake (Lake Superior Northwoods Region, WI, US Midwest Region, USA, Wisconsin) |
11,818 ac-ft | (Also known as Eagle River Chain of Lakes) Centerpiece of the Eagle River Chain of Lakes, Catfish Lake holds a special spot in the hearts of visitors to the Lake Superior Northwoods region of W … |
Manitowish Lake (Lake Superior Northwoods Region, WI, US Midwest Region, USA, Wisconsin) |
11,351 ac-ft | (Also known as Manitowish Chain of Lakes) Tucked into the middle of the Manitowish Waters Chain in Vilas County Wisconsin, Manitowish Lake is one of 10 lakes: Little Star Lake, Island Lake, Re … |
Devil’s Lake, WI (Southern Savanna Region, WI, US Midwest Region, USA, Wisconsin) |
11,210 ac-ft | Devil’s Lake, located in Sauk County, Wisconsin, is the central attraction of the self named Devil’s Lake State Park. At over 10,000 acres, this park … |
Lake Ripley, WI (Southern Savanna Region, WI, US Midwest Region, USA, Wisconsin) |
7,561 ac-ft | Lake Ripley is beautiful 423-acre lake located just outside the historic town of Cambridge, in Jefferson County, Wisconsin. A public beach and park wi … |
Powers Lake (Lake Michigan Region, WI, US Midwest Region, USA, Wisconsin) |
7,453 ac-ft | Those dreaming of a lake getaway in the Lake Michigan region of southeastern Wisconsin couldn’t do much better than Powers Lake. This 450-acre natural … |