Largest lakes & reservoirs in 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 2151 articles we have published for lakes.
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Below are lakes within Compared by water volume. This list does not represent all lakes in , only the 2151 lake articles we have published on the LakeLubbers website.
Lake name  |
Water vol. in ac-ft |
Lake description |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Ouachita, AR (Arkansas, Ouachitas Region, AR, US South Region, USA) |
2,768,000 ac-ft | (Also known as Blakely Mountain Dam Reservoir) Lake Ouachita is completely surrounded by the Ouachita National Forest. It’s the largest lake located entirely within the state of Arkansas. More than … |
| Table Rock Lake, AR/MO (Arkansas, Missouri, Ozarks Region, AR, Southwest Missouri, US Midwest Region, US South Region, USA) |
2,702,000 ac-ft | Branson, Missouri has the saying “Someone you love is playing here.” When you visit nearby Table Rock Lake, the person playing is sure to be you. With … |
| Torch Lake, MI (Michigan, Northwest Michigan, US Midwest Region, USA) |
2,635,927 ac-ft | Torch Lake holds the dual distinction as Michigan’s longest inland lake (18 miles) and its second largest inland lake (18,770 acres). The lake’s unpar … |
| Lake Texoma, OK/TX (Arbuckle Country, OK, Oklahoma, Prairies and Lakes Region, TX, Texas, US Southwest Region, USA) |
2,566,946 ac-ft | (Also known as Texoma Lake) An 89,000-acre jewel set into the landscape of Texas and Oklahoma, Lake Texoma is a sparkling wonder of deep blue water and beautiful green shores. Wi … |
| Hartwell Lake, GA/SC (Georgia, Northeast Georgia Mountains Region, South Carolina, The Upcountry, SC, US South Region, USA) |
2,550,000 ac-ft | (Also known as Lake Hartwell) So large it covers parts of six counties in two states, Lake Hartwell draws millions of visitors a year to play on its 56,000 acres of water. With ple … |
| Trinity Lake, CA (California, Shasta Cascade Region, CA, US West Region, USA) |
2,447,650 ac-ft | (Also known as Clair Engle Lake) In 1976 Tim Brady from Weaverville caught the California record smallmouth bass in Trinity Lake. The quiet lake still draws anglers today, both for th … |
| Lake Starnberg (Bavaria Region, Germany, Germany) |
2,431,248 ac-ft | (Also known as Wurmsee, Starnberger See) Lake Starnberg, located in the Five-Lakes Region of Bavaria, plays a major role in the recreational plans of Munich residents. Located only 12 miles f … |
| Mono Lake, CA (California, High Sierra Region, CA, US West Region, USA) |
2,407,820 ac-ft | Mono Lake, located in California’s Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains, has a long and rich history dating back to its formation over 760,000 years ago. S … |
| Poyang Lake (China, East China Region) |
2,391,608 ac-ft | (Also known as Boyang, Po Yang Hu, Poyanghu) Poyang Lake is China’s largest freshwater lake-also known as one of China’s five Great Lakes. This massive shallow lake is located in Jiangxi Province … |
| Lake George, NY (Adirondacks Region, NY, New York, US Mid-Atlantic Region, USA) |
2,380,000 ac-ft | Sitting pretty at the base of New York’s majestic Adirondack Mountains, Lake George’s nickname is “Queen of American Lakes.” The 28,000-acre glacial l … |
| Falcon Lake, TX / Mexico (Mexico, North Mexico, South Texas Plains Region, TX, Texas, US Southwest Region, USA) |
2,371,220 ac-ft | (Also known as Falcon International Reservoir) WARNING – Fall 2010: Texas officials warn Americans visiting and boating on Falcon Lake to stay within USA waters and avoid the international boundary … |
| Lake Washington, WA (Seattle & Puget Sound Region, WA, US West Region, USA, Washington) |
2,350,000 ac-ft | Lake Washington has the distinction of being the second largest natural lake in the state of Washington. This glacial lake is long and narrow, a “ribb … |