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 |
|---|---|---|
| Falls Lake, NC (North Carolina, Piedmont Region, NC, US South Region, USA) |
131,395 ac-ft | In 1978, the United States Army Corps of Engineers began construction on what would become Falls Lake. Formed at the base of the Eno, Flat, and Little … |
| Moses Lake, WA (North Central Washington, US West Region, USA, Washington) |
131,000 ac-ft | Located where Washington State’s Pacific coast transforms into the arid desert of the eastern half, Moses Lake has over 6,800 acres of surface area en … |
| Jennings Randolph Lake, MD/WV (Maryland, Potomac Highlands Region, WV, US Mid-Atlantic Region, US South Region, USA, West Virginia, Western Maryland) |
130,900 ac-ft | (Also known as Jennings Randolph Reservoir, Bloomington Lake) Jennings Randolph Lake is nestled in a scenic valley along the North Branch Potomac River. This portion of the Potomac creates the county and state bo … |
| Vallecito Lake, CO (Colorado, Southeast Colorado, US West Region, USA) |
129,700 ac-ft | (Also known as Vallecito Reservoir) The quest for a reliable source of irrigation water in Colorado’s dry Southwest Region brought Vallecito Lake into being. Twenty-two miles north of Du … |
| Turquoise Lake (Colorado, Northwest Colorado, US West Region, USA) |
129,440 ac-ft | (Also known as Turquoise Reservoir) One of Colorado’s favorite high-altitude recreational destinations is Turquoise Lake. Located five miles west of vacation playground Leadville, 1,780- … |
| Calamus Reservoir, NE (Nebraska, Sandhills Region, NE, US Midwest Region, USA) |
127,400 ac-ft | Located in central Nebraska, the Calamus Reservoir is a wonderful place to relax, appreciate the beauty of nature, and enjoy some fun on the water. Th … |
| Cobbossee Lake, ME (Kennebec & Moose River Valleys Region, ME, Maine, US New England Region, USA) |
127,371 ac-ft | (Also known as Lake Cobbosee, Cobbosseecontee Lake) Cobbossee Lake is a treasured family vacation destination with over 62 miles of shoreline, dotted with many islands, and valued as one of the best lak … |
| Lake Moomaw, VA (Shenandoah Valley Region, VA, US South Region, USA, Virginia) |
123,700 ac-ft | Lake Moomaw is located in western Virginia, just north of Covington in the Shenandoah Valley region. It is nearly surrounded by George Washington Nati … |
| Lake Tuscaloosa, AL (Alabama, Metropolitan Region, AL, US South Region, USA) |
123,000 ac-ft | Located five miles north of the cities of Tuscaloosa and Northport in western Alabama (Metropolitan Region), Lake Tuscaloosa is a 5,885-acre reservoir … |
| Lake Chippewa, WI (Lake Superior Northwoods Region, WI, US Midwest Region, USA, Wisconsin) |
123,000 ac-ft | (Also known as Chippewa Flowage, Hayward Lakes) Tucked away in Sawyer County in northwest Wisconsin, Lake Chippewa is a rare undeveloped paradise. Called the “Big Chip,” Lake Chippewa is one of Wisc … |
| Neely Henry Lake, AL (Alabama, Metropolitan Region, AL, US South Region, USA) |
120,850 ac-ft | (Also known as Lake Neely Henry) Neely Henry Lake, located about 60 miles northeast of Birmingham in north central Alabama, is an 11,200-acre reservoir popular for boating, fishing, a … |
| Lake Greifensee (Switzerland, Zurich Region, Switzerland) |
119,986 ac-ft | (Also known as Lake Greifen, Greifensee) Only 7 miles southeast of Zurich, Lake Greifensee has become a favored destination for holidays away from the big city. Located in the Canton of Zuric … |