Largest Lakes by Area Comparison (Square KM)
Compare the 15 largest lakes by surface area, from the Caspian Sea at 371,000 sq km to Lake Balkhash at 16,400. Square km and miles with exact sources.
Visual comparison
All values
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| Name | Value | Context | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caspian Sea Britannica lists 386,400 sq km. Level shifts explain the gap. | 371,000 square kilometers | Kazakhstan, Russia, Iran, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan | Wikipedia List of lakes by area: 371,000 sq km |
| Lake Superior Largest freshwater lake by area. | 82,100 square kilometers | Canada and United States, largest Great Lake | Britannica largest lakes: 82,100 sq km |
| Lake Victoria Britannica lists 69,484 sq km. | 68,870 square kilometers | Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, largest in Africa | Wikipedia List of lakes by area: 68,870 sq km |
| Lake Huron Britannica lists 59,570 sq km. Holds Manitoulin Island. | 59,600 square kilometers | Canada and United States | Wikipedia List of lakes by area: 59,600 sq km |
| Lake Michigan Britannica lists 57,757 sq km. | 58,000 square kilometers | United States, entirely within one country | Wikipedia List of lakes by area: 58,000 sq km |
| Lake Tanganyika Longest freshwater lake at 676 km. | 32,900 square kilometers | Burundi, Tanzania, DR Congo, Zambia | Britannica largest lakes: 32,900 sq km |
| Lake Baikal Deepest lake at 1,637 m. Holds 20 percent of fresh water. | 31,500 square kilometers | Russia, Siberia | Britannica largest lakes: 31,500 sq km |
| Great Bear Lake Britannica lists 31,328 sq km. Largest fully in Canada. | 31,000 square kilometers | Canada, Northwest Territories | Wikipedia List of lakes by area: 31,000 sq km |
| Lake Malawi Britannica lists 29,604 sq km as Lake Nyasa. | 29,500 square kilometers | Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania | Wikipedia List of lakes by area: 29,500 sq km |
| Great Slave Lake Britannica lists 28,568 sq km. | 27,200 square kilometers | Canada, Northwest Territories | Wikipedia List of lakes by area: 27,200 sq km |
| Lake Erie Shallowest Great Lake by volume. | 25,667 square kilometers | Canada and United States | Britannica largest lakes: 25,667 sq km |
| Lake Winnipeg Remnant of glacial Lake Agassiz. | 24,387 square kilometers | Canada, Manitoba | Britannica largest lakes: 24,387 sq km |
| Lake Ontario Smallest Great Lake by area. | 19,011 square kilometers | Canada and United States | Britannica largest lakes: 19,011 sq km |
| Lake Ladoga Wikipedia lists 18,130 sq km. | 17,600 square kilometers | Russia, largest lake in Europe | Britannica largest lakes: 17,600 sq km |
| Lake Balkhash Britannica lists 15,500 sq km. Half fresh, half saline. | 16,400 square kilometers | Kazakhstan | Wikipedia List of lakes by area: 16,400 sq km |
About this converter
The Caspian Sea covers 371,000 square km, more than four times Lake Superior at 82,100. North America holds five of the top 15, with Superior, Huron, Michigan, Erie and Ontario all in the Great Lakes system. Africa places three in the top 10: Victoria at 68,870, Tanganyika at 32,900 and Malawi at 29,500. Baikal in Siberia is only seventh by area at 31,500, yet it is the deepest lake and holds more water than all five Great Lakes combined. Areas shift with rainfall and dam levels, so totals differ slightly between references.
How to use it
Pick two lakes and a unit in the top row. The three boxes below stay linked. Change any box and the other two update. Try Superior against Victoria to see the 13,230 square km gap. The bars below scale to the Caspian Sea so smaller lakes look thin next to it. Switch the unit to square miles for US customary figures. Ratios are exact divisions of the listed areas.
Caspian figures vary most. Wikipedia and CountryReports give 371,000 square km while Britannica gives 386,400. We use 371,000 as primary and note the higher figure. Victoria, Huron, Michigan, Great Bear, Malawi, Great Slave, Ladoga and Balkhash also carry small gaps between sources, each noted in the table. Michigan and Huron are counted separately here. Treated as one hydrologic body they would total 117,400 square km.
FAQ
What is the largest lake in the world?
The Caspian Sea at 371,000 square km. Britannica lists 386,400. It is saline and borders five countries.
What is the largest freshwater lake?
Lake Superior at 82,100 square km. It holds more water than the other four Great Lakes combined.
Why do lake areas differ between sources?
Water levels move with rain, inflow and dams. The Caspian has shifted by tens of thousands of square km over decades. Each row notes the alternate figure.
Are Michigan and Huron one lake?
Hydrologically they connect at the Straits of Mackinac and rise together. Counted together they reach 117,400 square km. This page keeps them separate per standard lists.
Sources
- Encyclopaedia Britannica: World's largest lakes (Caspian 386,400; Superior 82,100; Victoria 69,484; Huron 59,570; Michigan 57,757; Tanganyika 32,900; Baikal 31,500; Great Bear 31,328; Malawi 29,604; Great Slave 28,568; Erie 25,667; Winnipeg 24,387; Ontario 19,011; Ladoga 17,600; Balkhash 15,500 sq km)
- Wikipedia: List of lakes by area (Caspian 371,000; Superior 82,100; Victoria 68,870; Huron 59,600; Michigan 58,000; Tanganyika 32,600; Baikal 31,500; Great Bear 31,000; Malawi 29,500; Great Slave 27,200; Erie 25,719; Winnipeg 23,553; Ontario 18,960; Ladoga 18,130; Balkhash 16,400 sq km)
- CountryReports: Largest Lakes ranking table (top 20 by area)
- Environment Canada: Great Lakes physical dimensions (Superior 82,100; Michigan 57,800; Huron 59,600 sq km)
Last verified: 2026-10-09 · 15 entries
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