List of lakes by area


Following are two lists of terrestrial lakes that have surface areas of more than approximately, ranked by area, excluding reservoirs and lagoons.
The area of some lakes can vary over time, either seasonally or from year to year. This is especially true of salt lakes in arid climates.
This list therefore excludes seasonal lakes such as Kati Thanda–Lake Eyre, Mar Chiquita Lake (Córdoba), Chott el Djerid, Lake Torrens and Great Salt Lake.
The list is divided in two: all lakes as conventionally defined down to, and the largest lakes under a geological definition, where the Caspian Sea is considered a small ocean rather than a lake, and Lake Michigan–Huron is recognized as a single body of water.
The Caspian Sea is conventionally considered the world's largest lake, but it is centered on an oceanic basin rather than lying entirely over continental crust as all other lakes do.
Lake Michigan and Lake Huron are conventionally counted as separate lakes, but hydrologically they are a single body of water, which is the world's largest lake by surface area.

Conventional list

Following are conventionally identified lakes larger than in area.
Thumbnail,
at fixed scale		NameCountries with shorelineTypeAreaLength
depth		VolumeNotes
1Caspian Sea



Saline 1.2%Geologically a small ocean rather than a lake. Garabogazköl lagoon, if counted separately, would rank as the world's 15th largest, with an area of.
2Superior
FreshLargest of the Great Lakes by volume, having more water than the other four combined.
3Victoria

FreshThe largest lake by area in Africa.
4Huron
FreshThe larger lobe of Lake Michigan–Huron. Contains Manitoulin Island, the world's largest lake island.
5MichiganFreshThe smaller lobe of Lake Michigan–Huron. The largest lake that is located entirely in one country.
6TanganyikaFreshLongest freshwater lake in the world and third largest of any kind by volume.
7BaikalFreshDeepest lake in the world and largest freshwater lake in the world by volume.
8Great Bear LakeFreshLargest lake entirely within Canada, and the largest lake partially within the Arctic Circle
9Malawi (Nyasa)

FreshHas more species of fish than any other lake in the world.
10Great Slave LakeFreshDeepest lake in North America
11Erie
FreshHas the smallest volume of the Great Lakes.
12WinnipegFreshVery large catchment area compared to own size. No other great lake has that ratio.
13Ontario
FreshThe lowest lying of the Great Lakes.
14LadogaFreshLargest lake in Europe.
15BalkhashSaline 0.3% Fresh shallow western part. Salty deeper eastern part. Shrinking in size.
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Geological list

Following are the dozen largest lakes under geological definitions, down to in area.
Thumbnail,
at fixed scale		NameCountries with shorelineTypeAreaLength
depth		VolumeNotes
1Michigan–Huron
FreshContains Manitoulin Island, the world's largest lake island.
2Superior
FreshLargest of the Great Lakes by volume, having more water than the other four combined.
3Victoria

FreshThe largest lake by area in Africa.
4TanganyikaFreshSecond-largest lake by volume and second longest.
5BaikalFreshDeepest lake in the world and largest by volume.
6Great Bear LakeFreshLargest lake entirely within Canada, and the largest lake partially within the Arctic Circle
7Malawi

FreshHas more species of fish than any other lake in the world.
8Great Slave LakeFreshDeepest lake in North America
9Erie
FreshHas the smallest volume of the Great Lakes.
10WinnipegFreshVery large catchment area compared to own size. No other great lake has that ratio.
11Ontario
FreshThe lowest lying of the Great Lakes.
12LadogaFreshLargest lake in Europe.