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 Mashu (Hokkaido Region, Japan, Japan) |
2,318,640 ac-ft | (Also known as Lake Masyu, Mashu-See, Mashu-ko) Akan National Park, established in 1934 on the island of Hokkaido, Japan, is a pristine and wild landscape. The park is known for its vibrant blue, cl … |
| Lake Thingvallavatn (Iceland, Southwest Iceland Region, Iceland) |
2,310,536 ac-ft | (Also known as Lake Thingvalla) Lake Thingvallavatn (Icelandic), also known as Lake Thingvalla (English) is the largest natural lake in Iceland, boasting a surface area of 20,757 acr … |
| Eufaula Lake, OK (Green Country, OK, Kiamichi Country, OK, Oklahoma, US Southwest Region, USA) |
2,300,000 ac-ft | (Also known as Lake Eufaula) Spanning 105,000 acres, Eufaula Lake covers much of McIntosh and Pittsburg Counties in eastern Oklahoma. This “Gentle Giant” is the largest lake in su … |
| Lake St. Francis, NY / Canada (Canada, New York, Ontario, Canada, Quebec, Canada, Thousand Islands Region, NY, US Mid-Atlantic Region, USA) |
2,269,997 ac-ft | (Also known as Lac Saint-Francois) Lake St. Francis is part of the 2,340 mile system of locks, canals, and channels that link the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence … |
| Coeur d’Alene Lake, ID (Idaho, Northern Idaho, US West Region, USA) |
2,269,996 ac-ft | (Also known as Lake Coeur d'Alene) Nestled at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in the Northern Panhandle of Idaho, 30,000-acre Coeur d’Alene Lake (pronounced Core-de-lane) is a spec … |
| Walker Lake, NV (Nevada, Nevada Silver Trails, NV, US West Region, USA) |
2,200,000 ac-ft | Walker Lake is a natural lake located in rural Mineral County, Nevada about 75 miles southeast of Reno, Nevada. It is one of several freshwater termin … |
| Upper Red Lake, MN (Minnesota, Northwest Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
2,129,000 ac-ft | Nestled in the Northwest Region of Minnesota, Upper Red Lake has an incredible comeback story and is becoming a popular vacation place for the second … |
| 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 … |
| Elephant Butte Lake, NM (New Mexico, Southwest New Mexico, NM, US Southwest Region, USA) |
2,065,010 ac-ft | (Also known as The Butte, Elephant Butte Reservoir) With limited lake options in New Mexico, Elephant Butte Lake is a popular destination for water enthusiasts and nature lovers alike in the Land of Enc … |
| San Luis Reservoir, CA (California, Central Valley Region, CA, US West Region, USA) |
2,041,000 ac-ft | A sparkling sapphire gem carved into the eastern edge of the San Joaquin Valley, the San Luis Reservoir enjoys a scenic location in Merced County. Thi … |
| Don Pedro Lake, CA (California, Gold Country Region, CA, US West Region, USA) |
2,030,000 ac-ft | (Also known as Lake Don Pedro, Don Pedro Reservoir) Don Pedro Lake, also known as Don Pedro Reservoir and Lake Don Pedro, is nestled into the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. With a surface are … |
| Erhai Lake (China, Southwest China Region) |
2,026,783 ac-ft | (Also known as Er Lake, Yeyuze, Kunming Lake (historic)) Known as the Pearl of the Plateau, Yunnan’s Erhai Lake has been enchanting both native and foreign visitors for thousands of years. Nestled like a shi … |