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 |
|---|---|---|
| Spirit Lake, IA (Iowa, Northwest Iowa, US Midwest Region, USA) |
94,153 ac-ft | (Also known as Big Spirit Lake) Spirit Lake is one of a chain of lakes known as Iowa’s Great Lakes. Also called Big Spirit Lake, this natural body of water was named by the Dakota Na … |
| Cedar Creek Reservoir, AL (Alabama, Mountains Region, AL, US South Region, USA) |
93,940 ac-ft | The four reservoirs of the Bear Creek watershed are a recreational paradise for water lovers, and Cedar Creek Reservoir is the largest of the four and … |
| Santa Rosa Lake, NM (New Mexico, Northeast New Mexico, NM, US Southwest Region, USA) |
92,679 ac-ft | Santa Rosa Lake is snuggled in the Pecos River Canyon near the town of Santa Rosa along NM 91 in Guadalupe County. It is cradled on one side with acre … |
| Crane Lake MN (Minnesota, Northeast Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
92,640 ac-ft | Tucked into the vast and remote wilderness of northeastern Minnesota, Crane Lake is a picture of beauty seemingly taken before the rise of civilizatio … |
| Chateaugay Lakes (Adirondacks Region, NY, New York, US Mid-Atlantic Region, USA) |
92,418 ac-ft | (Also known as Upper Chateaugay Lake, Lower Chateaugay Lake) Sprawling across nearly 3,200 acres near the Canadian border, the Chateaugay Lakes are held dear in the hearts of many northern New Yorkers. Located e … |
| Lake Darling, ND (North Dakota, Northwest Region, ND, US Midwest Region, USA) |
92,031 ac-ft | Lake Darling is the focal point of the Upper Souris National Wildlife Refuge located in northwest North Dakota. The Refuge is beautifully situated alo … |
| Coniston Water (England, England's Northwest Region, United Kingdom) |
91,854 ac-ft | (Also known as Conison Lake, Coniston, Thurston Water, The Lake District) Coniston Water is in England’s Lake District, its spectacular landscapes making it an impressive tourist attraction in its own right. However, Conisto … |
| Embden Pond, ME (Kennebec & Moose River Valleys Region, ME, Maine, US New England Region, USA) |
91,627 ac-ft | (Also known as Embden Lake) When you arrive at Embden Pond, you have arrived at an outdoors enthusiast’s paradise. The clear waters of Embden Pond, also known as Embden Lake, ref … |
| Big Lake, AK (Alaska, Southcentral Region, AK, US West Region, USA) |
90,723 ac-ft | There are over 3,000 lakes in the Mat-Su Valley, and Big Lake is one of the largest. The Mat-Su Borough, which is short for Matanuska-Susitna, is 24,0 … |
| Henrys Lake (Eastern Idaho, Idaho, US West Region, USA) |
90,420 ac-ft | (Also known as Henry's Lake Reservoir) Hidden in the far north corner of Eastern Idaho, just over the border from both Montana and Wyoming, Henrys Lake attracts thousands of visitors every … |
| Pelican Lake-Otter Tail County, MN (Central Minnesota, Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
90,109 ac-ft | Pelican Lake is a 3,925-acre lake located in northwestern Otter Tail County approximately 7 miles north of Pelican Rapids, Minnesota. Pelican Lake is … |
| Prettyboy Reservoir, MD (Central Maryland, Maryland, US Mid-Atlantic Region, USA) |
90,100 ac-ft | Prettyboy Reservoir spreads out over 1,500 acres in northern Baltimore County, Maryland. It is named after Prettyboy Creek, which is a located in a se … |