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 |
|---|---|---|
| Moose Lake, MN (Minnesota, Northeast Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
38,190 ac-ft | The passage of time often brings change and development to certain areas, but northern Minnesota’s Moose Lake rests quietly in its remote setting. Wit … |
| Nelson Lake, WI (Lake Superior Northwoods Region, WI, US Midwest Region, USA, Wisconsin) |
38,000 ac-ft | With its undeveloped shoreline and beautiful water, Nelson Lake joins the other Hayward Lakes as a fantastic Wisconsin destination. Historically there … |
| Washoe Lake, NV (Nevada, Renoe-Tahoe Territory, NV, US West Region, USA) |
38,000 ac-ft | Washoe Lake, along with the smaller Little Washoe Lakes, is located in western Nevada between Carson City and Reno. Nestled in peaceful Washoe Valley, … |
| Little Bear Creek Reservoir, AL (Alabama, Mountains Region, AL, US South Region, USA) |
37,800 ac-ft | (Also known as Little Bear Reservoir) Little Bear Creek Reservoir, located 13 miles southwest of Russellville in Franklin County in the Mountains Region of northwestern Alabama, is a 1,560 … |
| Upper Bear Creek Reservoir, AL (Alabama, Mountains Region, AL, US South Region, USA) |
37,400 ac-ft | (Also known as Upper Bear Reservoir) Tucked away in the Mountains Region of northern Alabama, Upper Bear Creek Reservoir awaits visitors with trophy sized bass fishing, boating, swimming, … |
| Lake Cavanaugh, WA (Northwest Washington & Islands, WA, US West Region, USA, Washington) |
37,294 ac-ft | The snowy peaks of the Northern Cascades complement the multitude of evergreens that surround 844-acre Lake Cavanaugh. Located in Skagit County in Nor … |
| Saugatuck Reservoir, CT (Connecticut, Litchfield Hills Region, CT, US New England Region, USA) |
37,215 ac-ft | Saugatuck Reservoir is an outdoor person’s wonderland with great fishing, wonderful hiking, a unique landscape and a plethora of woodland and marsh bi … |
| Georgetown Lake (Hill Country Region, TX, Prairies and Lakes Region, TX, Texas, US Southwest Region, USA) |
37,010 ac-ft | (Also known as Lake Georgetown, Georgetown Reservoir) A perfect example of an engineered water supply, Georgetown Lake covers nearly 1,300 acres along the North Fork of the San Gabriel River. Part of the … |
| Lake Arthur, PA (Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh & Countryside Region, PA, US Mid-Atlantic Region, USA) |
37,000 ac-ft | In the warm summer breeze, sailboats dart like flocks of colorful birds across Lake Arthur’s clear Pennsylvania waters. Located in Butler County, this … |
| Buntzen Lake (British Columbia, Canada, Canada) |
36,758 ac-ft | (Also known as Trout Lake, Lake Beautiful-historic) Nestled beneath lush green mountains near the British Columbia coastline, beautiful Buntzen Lake offers a wealth of hiking enjoyment to recreation see … |
| Lake Catherine, AR (Arkansas, Ouachitas Region, AR, US South Region, USA) |
36,700 ac-ft | With 1,940 surface acres, Lake Catherine is a relatively small lake, but it has big recreation opportunities for outdoor enthusiasts and anglers alike … |
| Lake Owen, WI (Lake Superior Northwoods Region, WI, US Midwest Region, USA, Wisconsin) |
36,250 ac-ft | Nestled in the heart of Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest near Drummond, Wisconsin, 1,323-acre Lake Owen stretches for nine miles through scenic rol … |