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Lake Ann in North Cascades National Park, Washington
Two illustrated divers are superimposed onto a photograph showing a lake underwater.
Join a Climate-Change Research Team Collecting Samples from the Bottom of Greenland's Arctic Lakes
oil derricks near Baku Upper Peninsula, Michigan Ice-covered rocks line the frozen shoreline of Lake Huron in Michigan, with distant trees, houses, and a water tower visible along the horizon. Indiana Dunes State Park Kok-Aral Dam Two wooden dugout canoes rest on the sandy shore of Lake Tanganyika, Tanzania, with blue water and distant hills in the background. Great Bear Lake
At a Glance
Jackson Lake, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming.
lake summary
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water glass on white background. (drink; clear; clean water; liquid)
Water and its Varying Forms
Mt. Elbrusvolcano, Western Caucasus mountain range, Russia. (dormant Russia)
Natural Wonders
1:116 Aquanauts: Underwater Treasure, divers searching for treasure underwater
International Waters
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Major natural lakes of the world

in

lake

Also known as: inland sea, landlocked sea
Written by
Robert K. Lane
Regional Director, Western and Northern Region, Environmental Protection Service, Environment Canada, Edmonton, Alberta. Head, Physical Limnology Section, Canada Centre for Inland Water, Burlington, Ontario,...
Robert K. Lane
Fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
Last updated
‱History

A list of major natural lakes of the world is provided in the table.

Major natural lakes of the world
name and location area1
sq mi sq km
1Conversions for rounded figures have been rounded, thousands to the nearest hundred and hundreds to the nearest ten.
2Salt lake.
3Area of lake varies according to season; figure given represents area when the surface is at an elevation of about 920 feet (280 metres).
4In the early 21st century the area was reported as 580 square miles (1,500 square km).
oil derricks near Baku
Caspian Sea, Turkmenistan–Kazakhstan–Russia–Azerbaijan–Iran2 149,200 386,400
Upper Peninsula, Michigan
Lake Superior, Canada–United States 31,700 82,100
Lake Victoria, Kenya–Tanzania–Uganda 26,828 69,485
Ice-covered rocks line the frozen shoreline of Lake Huron in Michigan, with distant trees, houses, and a water tower visible along the horizon.
Lake Huron, Canada–United States 23,000 59,600
Indiana Dunes State Park
Lake Michigan, United States 22,300 57,800
Kok-Aral Dam
Aral Sea, Kazakhstan–Uzbekistan2 13,000 33,800
Two wooden dugout canoes rest on the sandy shore of Lake Tanganyika, Tanzania, with blue water and distant hills in the background.
Lake Tanganyika, Burundi–Tanzania–Congo (Dem. Rep.)–Zambia 12,700 32,900
Great Bear Lake
Great Bear Lake, Northwest Territories, Canada 12,028 31,153
Aerial view of Monkey Bay at Lake Malawi in East Africa, showing lush green islands and rocky outcrops surrounded by blue water.
Lake Nyasa (Malawi), Malawi–Mozambique–Tanzania 11,430 29,604
A woman in winter clothing rides a sled pulled by four dogs across a snowy trail on Great Slave Lake, Northwest Territories, with trees and distant shoreline in the background.
Great Slave Lake, Northwest Territories, Canada 11,031 28,570
Lake Erie
Lake Erie, Canada–United States 9,910 25,667
Lake Winnipeg, Manitoba
Lake Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada 9,417 24,390
Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario, Canada–United States 7,340 19,010
Chad: natron
Lake Chad, Cameroon–Chad–Niger–Nigeria3, 4 6,875 17,800