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 |
---|---|---|
Salton Sea, CA (California, Desert Region, CA, US West Region, USA) |
7,500,000 ac-ft | (Also known as Salton Lake) Salton Sea, sometimes called Salton Lake, is an inland saline lake located in southern California along the Mexican border. Though hard to believe, th … |
Lake Bolsena (Italy, Lazio Region, Italy) |
7,458,561 ac-ft | (Also known as Lago di Bolsena) Held in the volcanic crater like a jewel in its setting, 28,032-acre Lake Bolsena sparkles in central Italy. Over hundreds of thousands of years the c … |
Lake Pielinen, Finland (Finland, Lakeland Region, Finland) |
6,891,062 ac-ft | Lake Pielinen, in Finland’s Lakeland District, is a well-known vacation getaway to native Finns. The huge lake is dotted with islands, one of which is … |
Lake Chapala, Mexico (Mexico, Northern Pacific Region, Mexico) |
6,404,634 ac-ft | (Also known as Lago de Chapala) Lake Chapala, Mexico’s largest freshwater lake, is renowned for its mild weather, picturesque villages and incredible sunsets. Located on a large plat … |
Lake Iseo (Italy, Lombardy Region, Italy) |
6,161,420 ac-ft | (Also known as Lago d'Iseo) A ferry glides across 15,271-acre Lake Iseo to arrive at the dock on Monte Isola. Passengers with packages and bicycles climb off the ferry; curiously … |
Loch Ness, Scotland (Highlands & Moray Region, Scotland, Scotland, United Kingdom, United Kingdom) |
5,999,278 ac-ft | In the Scottish Highlands, the air is clear. The mountains roll on and on, like large lumbering animals. Breathtaking glens, left by the cutting passa … |
Lake Koocanusa, MT / Canada (British Columbia, Canada, Canada, Glacier Country, MT, Montana, US West Region, USA) |
5,850,000 ac-ft | (Also known as Koocanusa Lake, Koocanusa Reservoir) In the far north of the United States, tucked into the northwestern end of Montana, is the long, narrow Lake Koocanusa. This lake is actually a man-ma … |
Lake Oulujarvi, Finland (Finland, Lakeland Region, Finland) |
5,837,135 ac-ft | (Also known as The Kainuu Sea) Lake Oulujarvi, located in the Kajaani region of Finland’s Lakeland District, is the perfect holiday destination all year round. Called the ‘Kainuu Se … |
Lake Thun (Bern Region, Switzerland, Switzerland) |
5,269,636 ac-ft | (Also known as Thunersee) Lying just north of the Alps in Switzerland’s Bern Region, Lake Thun is a favorite destination among holiday-makers. Reflecting the majestic Alpine pe … |
Lake Lugano (Italy, Lombardy Region, Italy, Switzerland, Ticino Region, Switzerland) |
5,269,635 ac-ft | (Also known as Lago di Lugano, Ceresio) Lake Lugano, which curls through southeastern Switzerland just south of the Swiss Alps and borders northern Italy, features the best of both of these … |
Lake Pontchartrain, LA (Greater New Orleans Region, LA, Louisiana, US South Region, USA) |
4,838,400 ac-ft | Lake Pontchartrain technically isn’t a lake at all. In scientific circles, it’s referred to as an estuary. That’s really just a fancy way to say that … |
Shasta Lake, CA (California, Shasta Cascade Region, CA, US West Region, USA) |
4,552,000 ac-ft | Shasta Lake, one of the largest lakes in California, is an outdoor paradise of fresh blue water, awe-inspiring caverns, investigative trails, first cl … |