Lakes, Ranked

The world's deepest lake (1,642 m), the oldest (~25 million years), and holder of about 23% of Earth's unfrozen surface fresh water.

The world's largest inland body of water by area (~371,000 km²), a saline endorheic lake bordered by five nations and home to beluga sturgeon.

The largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area (~82,000 km²) and the greatest of North America's Great Lakes.

Africa's largest lake and the world's largest tropical lake, a source of the Nile that supports fisheries feeding millions.

The world's longest freshwater lake (~660 km) and second-deepest (1,470 m), holding roughly 16% of Earth's fresh water with staggering fish diversity.

The only Great Lake entirely within the United States and the largest freshwater lake fully inside a single country by area.

The second-largest Great Lake by area and home to Manitoulin Island, the largest lake island in the world.

At ~3,812 m in the Andes, it is the highest large navigable lake on Earth and the largest lake in South America by volume.

An African Great Lake home to more fish species than any other lake — hundreds of endemic cichlids — earning it a UNESCO World Heritage listing.

The largest saltwater lake in the Western Hemisphere and a critical stopover for millions of migratory birds, though shrinking rapidly.

The deepest lake in the United States (594 m), filling the collapsed caldera of Mount Mazama with famously vivid blue water.

The largest alpine lake in North America and one of the clearest, a Sierra Nevada scenic and recreational landmark.

Its surface sits about 430 m below sea level — the lowest land elevation on Earth — and its ~34% salinity lets swimmers float effortlessly.

One of the largest lakes in Western Europe, straddling Switzerland and France and famed for its shoreline châteaux and the Jet d'Eau.

Among the deepest lakes in Europe (~410 m), its Y-shaped glacial basin and lakeside villas make it an emblem of Italian elegance.

The shallowest and warmest of the Great Lakes, historically fouled by pollution and recurring algal blooms despite productive fisheries.

The smallest Great Lake by surface area, though deep enough to rank fourth in volume, feeding the St. Lawrence toward the Atlantic.

One of the largest artificial lakes in the world, created by the Aswan High Dam to tame the Nile's floods for Egypt.

A deep Scottish loch holding more fresh water than all English and Welsh lakes combined, made world-famous by the Loch Ness Monster legend.

A small but strikingly turquoise glacial lake in Banff — scenically iconic yet modest in size and ecological weight.

A picturesque Slovenian lake famed for its church-topped island, beloved by tourists but tiny and regionally significant only.

The largest natural lake in England and a Lake District centerpiece, but small and shallow by world standards.