# List of lakes by volume

This article lists lakes with a water volume of more than 100 km$^3$, ranked by volume. The volume of a lake is a difficult quantity to measure. Generally, the volume must be inferred from bathymetric data by integration. Lake volumes can also change dramatically over time and during the year, especially for salt lakes in arid climates. For these reasons, and because of changing research, information on lake volumes can vary considerably from source to source. The base data for this article are from The Water Encyclopedia (1990). Where volume data from more recent surveys or other authoritative sources have been used, that usage is referenced in the respective entry. The total volume of Earth's lakes is 199,000 km$^3$.

## The list

The volumes of the lakes below vary little by season. This list does not include reservoirs; if it did, six reservoirs would appear on the list: Lake Kariba at 26th, Bratsk Reservoir, Lake Volta, Lake Nasser, Manicouagan Reservoir, and Lake Guri.
Estuaries and lagoons are not included either. Examples: Lake Melville (estuary) and Lake Maracaibo (lagoon), comparable with Lagoa dos Patos.
Continent color key :
| Africa | Antarctica | Asia | Eurasia | Europe | North America | South America |
| Name | Country | Region | Surface area | Water volume | Salinity |
| Caspian Sea | Kazakhstan,  Turkmenistan,  Azerbaijan,  Russia,  Iran | Caspian endorheic basin | 371,000 km$^2$ (143,000 sq mi) | 78,200 km$^3$ (18,800 cu mi) | 1.2% |
| Baikal | Russia | Southern Siberia: Buryatia and Irkutsk Oblast | 31,722 km$^2$ (12,248 sq mi) | 23,610 km$^3$ (5,660 cu mi) | Fresh |
| Tanganyika | Tanzania,  Democratic Republic of the Congo,  Burundi,  Zambia | African Great Lakes | 32,900 km$^2$ (12,700 sq mi) | 18,750 km$^3$ (4,500 cu mi) | Fresh |
| Superior | Canada,  United States | North American Great Lakes | 82,100 km$^2$ (31,700 sq mi) | 12,070 km$^3$ (2,900 cu mi) | Fresh |
| Malawi | Malawi,  Mozambique,  Tanzania | African Great Lakes | 29,600 km$^2$ (11,400 sq mi) | 8,640 km$^3$ (2,070 cu mi) | Fresh |
| Vostok | Antarctica | Under the East Antarctic Ice Sheet | 12,500 km$^2$ (4,800 sq mi) | 5,400±1,600 km$^3$ (~1,300 cu mi) | Fresh |
| Michigan | United States | North American Great Lakes | 58,030 km$^2$ (22,410 sq mi) | 4,930 km$^3$ (1,180 cu mi) | Fresh |
| Huron | Canada,  United States | North American Great Lakes | 59,590 km$^2$ (23,010 sq mi) | 3,520 km$^3$ (840 cu mi) | Fresh |
| Victoria | Tanzania,  Uganda,  Kenya | African Great Lakes | 59,940 km$^2$ (23,140 sq mi) | 2,420 km$^3$ (580 cu mi) | Fresh |
| Great Bear | Canada | Northwest Territories | 31,153 km$^2$ (12,028 sq mi) | 2,234 km$^3$ (536 cu mi) | Fresh |
| Issyk-Kul | Kyrgyzstan | Tien Shan Mountains | 6,236 km$^2$ (2,408 sq mi) | 1,736 km$^3$ (416 cu mi) | 0.6% |
| Ontario | Canada,  United States | North American Great Lakes | 18,970 km$^2$ (7,320 sq mi) | 1,631 km$^3$ (391 cu mi) | Fresh |
| Great Slave | Canada | Northwest Territories | 27,200 km$^2$ (10,500 sq mi) | 1,115 km$^3$ (268 cu mi) | Fresh |
| Titicaca | Peru,  Bolivia | Puno Region (Peru) and La Paz Department (Bolivia) | 8,372 km$^2$ (3,232 sq mi) | 896 km$^3$ (215 cu mi) | Fresh |
| Ladoga | Russia | Leningrad Oblast and Republic of Karelia | 17,700 km$^2$ (6,800 sq mi) | 837 km$^3$ (201 cu mi) | Fresh |
| General Carrera-Buenos Aires | Chile,  Argentina | General Carrera Province (Chile) and Santa Cruz Province (Argentina) | 1,850 km$^2$ (710 sq mi) | 740 km$^3$ (180 cu mi) | Fresh |
| Kivu | Democratic Republic of the Congo,  Rwanda | African Great Lakes | 2,700 km$^2$ (1,000 sq mi) | 648 km$^3$ (155 cu mi) | Fresh |
| Van | Turkey | Armenian Highlands | 3,755 km$^2$ (1,450 sq mi) | 642 km$^3$ (154 cu mi) | 2.3% |
| Erie | Canada,  United States | North American Great Lakes | 25,667 km$^2$ (9,910 sq mi) | 488 km$^3$ (117 cu mi) | Fresh |
| Khövsgöl | Mongolia | Nearby the eastern, Sayan Mountains | 2,760 km$^2$ (1,070 sq mi) | 381 km$^3$ (91 cu mi) | Fresh |
| Winnipeg | Canada | Manitoba | 24,514 km$^2$ (9,465 sq mi) | 294 km$^3$ (71 cu mi) | Fresh |
| Onega | Russia | Leningrad Oblast, Vologda Oblast and Republic of Karelia | 9,700 km$^2$ (3,700 sq mi) | 291 km$^3$ (70 cu mi) | Fresh |
| Nipigon | Canada | Ontario | 4,848 km$^2$ (1,872 sq mi) | 266 km$^3$ (64 cu mi) | Fresh |
| Toba | Indonesia | Sumatra | 1,130 km$^2$ (440 sq mi) | 244 km$^3$ (59 cu mi) | Fresh |
| Nueltin | Canada | Nunavut and Manitoba | 2,279 km$^2$ (880 sq mi) | 228 km$^3$ (55 cu mi) | Fresh |
| Argentino | Argentina | Santa Cruz Province | 1,466 km$^2$ (566 sq mi) | 220 km$^3$ (53 cu mi) | Fresh |
| Athabasca | Canada | Saskatchewan and Alberta | 7,850 km$^2$ (3,030 sq mi) | 204 km$^3$ (49 cu mi) | Fresh |
| Concordia | Antarctica | Antarctic Plateau | 800 km$^2$ (310 sq mi) | 200 km$^3$ (48 cu mi) + or - 40 km$^3$ (9.6 cu mi) | Fresh |
| Turkana | Kenya,  Ethiopia | African Great Lakes | 6,405 km$^2$ (2,473 sq mi) | 193 km$^3$ (46 cu mi) | 0.24% |
| Llanquihue | Chile | Llanquihue Province and Osorno Province | 871 km$^2$ (336 sq mi) | 158 km$^3$ (38 cu mi) | Fresh |
| Vänern | Sweden | Västergötland, Dalsland, Värmland | 5,650 km$^2$ (2,180 sq mi) | 153 km$^3$ (37 cu mi) | Fresh |
| Tahoe | United States | California and Nevada | 490 km$^2$ (190 sq mi) | 151 km$^3$ (36 cu mi) | Fresh |
| Mistassini | Canada | Quebec | 2,164 km$^2$ (836 sq mi) | 150 km$^3$ (36 cu mi) | Fresh |
| Albert | Uganda,  Democratic Republic of the Congo | African Great Lakes | 5,300 km$^2$ (2,000 sq mi) | 133 km$^3$ (32 cu mi) | Fresh |
| Nettilling | Canada | Nunavut, (Baffin Island) | 5,542 km$^2$ (2,140 sq mi) | 130 km$^3$ (31 cu mi) | Fresh |
| Fagnano | Argentina,  Chile | Tierra del Fuego | 645 km$^2$ (249 sq mi) | 125 km$^3$ (30 cu mi) | Fresh |
| Viedma | Argentina | Santa Cruz Province | 1,193 km$^2$ (461 sq mi) | 119 km$^3$ (29 cu mi) | Fresh |
| Iliamna | United States | Alaska | 2,622 km$^2$ (1,012 sq mi) | 116 km$^3$ (28 cu mi) | Fresh |
| Dead Sea | Jordan,  Palestine,  Israel | Southern District, West Bank, Balqa Governorate, Madaba Governorate and Karak Governorate | 605 km$^2$ (234 sq mi) | 114 km$^3$ (27 cu mi) (decreasing) | 34% (increasing) |
| Baker | Canada | Nunavut | 1,887 km$^2$ (729 sq mi) | 113 km$^3$ (27 cu mi) | Fresh |
| Reindeer | Canada | Saskatchewan and Manitoba | 6,650 km$^2$ (2,570 sq mi) | 113 km$^3$ (27 cu mi) | Fresh |
| Nicaragua | Nicaragua | Rivas Department, Granada Department and Río San Juan Department | 8,264 km$^2$ (3,191 sq mi) | 110 km$^3$ (26 cu mi) | Fresh |
| Qinghai | China | Qinghai Province | 4,583 km$^2$ (1,770 sq mi) | 108 km$^3$ (26 cu mi) | 1.4% (variable) |
| Balkhash | Kazakhstan | Karaganda Region, Jambyl Region and Almaty Region | 16,400 km$^2$ (6,300 sq mi) | 100 km$^3$ (24 cu mi) (decreasing) | 0.3% (variable) |
In 1960, the Aral Sea was the world's twelfth-largest known lake by volume, at 1,100 km$^3$ (260 cu mi). However, by 2007 it had shrunk to 10% of its original volume and was divided into three lakes, none of which are large enough to appear on this list.

## By continent

* Africa: Tanganyika
* Antarctica: Vostok
* Asia: Baikal
* Eurasia: Caspian Sea
* Europe: Ladoga
* North America: Superior
* Oceania: Taupō
** Australia: Eyre, native designation: Kati Thanda
* South America: Titicaca