Deepest Lake Depth Comparison (Meters and Feet)
Compare 12 deepest lake depths in meters and feet, from the 501 m Tahoe basin to the record 1642 m Baikal rift. Survey maximum soundings in a linked tool now.
Visual comparison
All values
Click any row to load it as Entry A.
| Name | Value | Context | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Baikal Deepest here at 1,642 m. | 1,642 m (5,387.1 ft) | Siberia rift lake | Britannica: Lake Baikal max depth 1642 m |
| Lake Tanganyika 1,470 m second deepest. | 1,470 m (4,822.8 ft) | Africa rift lake | Britannica: Lake Tanganyika max depth 1470 m |
| Caspian Sea 1,025 m salty giant. | 1,025 m (3,362.9 ft) | Caspian basin | Britannica: Caspian Sea max depth 1025 m |
| Lake O'Higgins 836 m Patagonian fjord lake. | 836 m (2,742.8 ft) | Chile Argentina border | Survey data: O'Higgins San Martin max depth 836 m |
| Lake Malawi 704 m third African deep. | 704 m (2,309.7 ft) | Africa rift lake | Britannica: Lake Malawi max depth 704 m |
| Issyk-Kul 668 m alpine giant. | 668 m (2,191.6 ft) | Kyrgyzstan mountain lake | Britannica: Issyk-Kul max depth 668 m |
| Great Slave Lake 614 m northern deep. | 614 m (2,014.4 ft) | Canada Northwest Territories | Britannica: Great Slave Lake max depth 614 m |
| Crater Lake 594 m US deepest. | 594 m (1,948.8 ft) | Oregon caldera | USGS: Crater Lake max depth 594 m |
| Lake Matano 590 m Indonesian deep. | 590 m (1,935.7 ft) | Sulawesi tectonic lake | Survey data: Lake Matano max depth 590 m |
| Hornindalsvatnet 514 m European deepest. | 514 m (1,686.4 ft) | Norway fjord lake | Survey data: Hornindalsvatnet max depth 514 m |
| Lake Sarez 505 m Pamir lake. | 505 m (1,656.8 ft) | Tajikistan dammed lake | Survey data: Lake Sarez max depth 505 m |
| Lake Tahoe Shallowest here at 501 m. | 501 m (1,643.7 ft) | California Nevada alpine | USGS: Lake Tahoe max depth 501 m |
About this converter
Limnology surveys publish a maximum depth for every great lake, and Siberia leads by far. Lake Baikal plunges 1,642 meters. Lake Tahoe reaches 501 meters. Depths come from sonar soundings by survey ships, so figures update as mapping improves. Twelve lakes span rift valleys to crater calderas.
How to use it
Pick two entries and a unit in the top row. The three boxes below stay linked. Change any box and the other two update. Try Baikal against Tahoe for the full depth spread. Depths use maximum soundings per lake surveys.
Depths are maximum soundings from Britannica and survey bodies. Mean depths run far shallower and sit outside. The Caspian Sea counts here as an endorheic lake by limnology convention. Twelve rows sample every depth band from 501 to 1,642 meters. Rift valley lakes dominate the top rows, since tectonic cracks cut deepest. Baikal alone plunges more than three Tahoes stacked. Crater lakes like Crater punch above their small surface size. Mean depths run far shallower than these maxima. Soundings improve yearly.
FAQ
Deepest lake here?
Lake Baikal at 1,642 meters. It holds about a fifth of Earth's surface fresh water.
Shallowest here?
Lake Tahoe at 501 meters. It is still the deepest US lake outside Crater Lake comparisons by some lists.
Why count the Caspian Sea?
Yes, by limnology use. It is an enclosed salt water body that behaves as a lake.
Mean or maximum depths?
No. Mean depth averages the whole basin, while this table compares maximum soundings only.
Sources
- Encyclopaedia Britannica lake depth entries
- USGS lake depth surveys (Crater, Tahoe)
Last verified: 2026-10-03 · 12 entries
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