The lakes were formed during the earth’s most recent glacial period, about 12,000 years ago after basins left behind as the ice retreated towards the North Pole, filled with water. Lake Oahe has a surface area of 685 square miles (1,774 square kilometers) and a maximum depth of 205 feet (62 meters). Compared to the other lakes on this list, Lake Oahe is very young and is only 56 years old. 15 Of the 118 Bgal/d freshwater withdrawn for irrigation, over half is lost to consumptive use. The surface area of Lake Erie is about 9,910 square miles (25,667 square kilometers) and the smallest Great Lake has a volume of 116 cubic miles (480 cubic kilometers). The word “michigan” is believed to be derived from the Ojibwa Indian word mishigami, meaning “great water.”, Source: Wikimedia Commons via Chris Light. Lake Superior Lake Superior is the largest lake in North America and also the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area and the third-largest by volume. Many of these lakes are fairly small and don’t even come close to the size of the lakes on this list, which were chosen based on surface area. Lakes are listed from largest to smallest. Lake Huron is so deep that there are more than 1,000 known shipwrecks located at the bottom of the lake. With 1,300 miles of shoreline, Lake Superior is the largest of the Great Lakes in North America and the largest freshwater lake in the U.S. Adventurous, highly-skilled boaters will love taking speed boats out on the vast and unpredictable waters, but keep in mind that venturing out on “The Big Lake” isn’t for novices. The United States is home to thousands of lakes. The state of Michigan was actually named after Lake Michigan. Over 200 rivers feed the largest lake in the US, and it drains into the Lake Huron via the St. Marys River. The saline levels in Great Salt Lake are too high to support most types of fish and other aquatic life. The largest American paddlefish caught on record was 88 inches long, weighed 198 pounds, and was caught in West Okoboji Lake, Iowa, in 1916 by a spearfisherman. However, more of Lake Erie’s surface freezes over during the winter because of how shallow it is compared to the other Great Lakes. Lake Okeechobee (700 square miles [1,800 square km]) is the third largest freshwater lake entirely within the United States (after Lake Michigan and Alaska’s Iliamna Lake). Lake Oahe does not look like a traditional lake and instead looks more like a river. Largest Freshwater Lake in the World. Lake Superior has a maximum depth of 406 m. Reaching a length of 28 miles and a width of 15, the lake offers visitors 188 square miles of sparkling waters and unlimited recreational opportunities. Agriculture accounts for the largest loss of water (80-90% of total U.S. consumptive water use). By surface area, Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world, though it is the third largest by volume. A majority of Lake of the Woods is located in the Canadian province of Ontario, with a very small section in Manitoba and the rest of the lake is in northern Minnesota. Lake Superior is the largest among the 5 North American Great Lakes, and the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area. Although Iliamna Lake may be smaller than most of the other lakes on this list with a surface area of only 1,012.5 square miles (2,622 square kilometers), it is very deep. Florida’s large lake has a surface area of 734 square miles (1,900 square kilometers) and is very shallow with an average depth of only 8 ft 10 in (2.7 m). Many lakes vary substantially in volume over time, especially man-made lakes, reservoirs, and lakes in arid areas. It covers an area of 630 square miles (1630 square km) with an average depth of 12 to 14 feet (about 4 meters). It has a surface area of 82,100 square kilometres and sits at an elevation of 183 metres above sea level. The following is a list of the largest 100 lakes of the United States by normal surface area.The top twenty lakes in size are as listed by the National Atlas of the United States, a publication of the United States Department of the Interior.The area given is the normal or average area of the lake. The waters of the Great Salt Lake are two different colors – the northern part of lake has a rosy hue because of the salt-loving microbes that live near the railroad causeway. Lake Superior is bordered by Ontario, Canada, and the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan in the United States. The largest lake in the United States on the basis of water volume is Lake Superior with a volume of 2,904 cubic miles (12,104 cubic kilometers). Lake Superior is not only the largest lake in the United States, it is also the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area. Lake George is also the largest lake on the St. Johns River, about 12 … Capacity given is for normal or average lake level. only population of freshwater seals in the United States, Lake of the Woods has a long shoreline that is over 25,000 miles, Wikimedia Commons via Brigitte Werner (werner22brigitte), the largest saltwater lake in the Western Hemisphere, The waters of the Great Salt Lake are two different colors. Lake Huron has a surface area of about 23,007 square miles (59,588 square kilometers) and its shoreline is 3,827 miles (6,157 km) long. The largest sandstone quarry in the world is located on Lake Erie’s shore in Amherst, Lorain County, Ohio. The shores of Lake Superior have been inhabited since the last Ice Age, with its earliest inhabitants, known as the Plano people, living in the region about 10,000 years ago. The Lake of the Woods is also home to a number of other fish species, including northern pike, sturgeon, perch, black crappies, bass, muskie, and sauger. Infoplease, Volume at the average surface elevation of 4,200 feet, from the, Third-largest fresh-water lake in the world by volume, https://web.archive.org/web/20130807131429/http://source/, List of lakes of the United States by area, http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0001804.html, Utah Water Science Center Great Salt Lake site, National Weather Service Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service (NWS AHPS) for Devils Lake at Creel Bay, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_largest_lakes_of_the_United_States_by_volume&oldid=996864136, United States-related lists of superlatives, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, L. Huron and. Surrounded by forested slopes of the Rocky Mountains, this is a magical place. When treated as a single entity, it is the world's largest freshwater lake by surface area, at 117,400 km2 (45,300 sq mi). Of the 133 Bgal/d of withdrawals for thermoelectric power in the U.S., 3% is consumed (4.31 Bgal/d). Wikimedia Commons via Lake Erie Coastal Ohio, Inc. Lake Erie’s shoreline is major source of various minerals, state of Michigan was actually named after Lake Michigan, there are more than 1,000 known shipwrecks located at the bottom of the lake, There are a number of National Parks inside and near Lake Superior, 191 years for all of the water in Lake Superior to be replaced with new water, 9 Largest Class Action Settlements Ever Reached. Lake Ontario is the smallest of the Great Lakes and the 14th largest lake in the world by surface area, which is about 7,340 square miles (19,000 square kilometers). If the entire Lake of the Woods was in Canada, it would have the longest coastline of any lake in Canada. Iliamna Lake is home to the only population of freshwater seals in the United States. This article lists the largest lakes, natural and man-made, in the United States by volume -- … They would undoubtedly rank on this list if data available. Not so long ago, the Aral Sea was the 4th largest freshwater lake in the world. Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world, the 3rd largest lake by volume, and the 2nd largest lake of any kind by surface area in the world. (Lake Michigan, Alaska's Lake Iliamna, and Great Salt Lake are larger.) Iliamna Lake, also known as Lake Iliamna, is the largest lake in Alaska and the second largest freshwater lake contained wholly within the United States (after Lake Michigan). The region’s most dominant native tribe, the Ojibwe, named the lake as Gitchi-Gami, which tr… Lake Okeechobee is the largest lake in Florida and the second largest body of freshwater in the contiguous United States. Lake Superior is the largest among the 5 North American Great Lakes, and the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area. Lake Ontario also receives a lot of runoff from nearby farms and businesses. Created in 1941 by the impoundment of the, salt, variable in area. Instead, we just wanted to provide some details about the top-5 biggest catfish and largemouth bass ever caught in the United States, since those are two of the most popular freshwater fish (at least in our area of the country). Flathead Lake is the largest natural freshwater lake west of the Mississippi River in the continental United States, according to the National Park Service. All five of the Great Lakes are on this list and they completely dwarf the other five large lakes. The largest freshwater lake in the world, Lake Superior, is also the second largest lake in the world if one takes into account the saline Caspian sea. There are over 125,000 lakes in the contiguous United States and Alaska claims to have over 3 million lakes. Source: Wikimedia Commons via Keith Pomakis. The Great Lakes is a series of five interconnected freshwater lakes located in North America. Lake Okeechobee (US: / oʊ k i ˈ tʃ oʊ b i /), also known as Florida's Inland Sea, is the largest freshwater lake in the state of Florida. As its name suggests, the Great Salt Lake is hypersaline, or salty, because it does not have an outlet. Other than taking the third position, Clear Lake is known for two more things that other lakes lack: It is considered as the oldest lake in the United States, having existed for two and a half million years. This article lists the largest lakes, natural and man-made, in the United States by volume -- the amount of water they contain under normal conditions. Located within the Canadian province of Ontario and the US states of Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin, Lake Superior is the largest of the Great Lakes of North America and the largest freshwater lake in the world. Within Lake Oahe is the Oahe Dam, which is one of the largest earth-rolled dams in the world. Many people believe that the creature, nicknamed the Illie, is a massive cryptid fish that ranges in size from 10 to 30 feet. Since Lake Erie is the southernmost Great Lake, it is the warmest. ^ a b Although Lake Michigan and Lake Huron are usually considered distinct, sometimes they are regarded as a single lake known as Lake Michigan–Huron. The largest natural lakes in the United States.Song: NCS - Jumbo Lake Superior is the largest lake in the United States. It is also the largest “natural freshwater lake” in the California stretching over 68 square miles. Although it is smaller than Lake Erie, it is much deeper with a volume of 393 cubic miles (1,640 cubic kilometers). While Lake Michigan is the third largest Great Lake by surface area, it is the second largest lake by volume. At 82,400 square kilometres in area, it is also the part of the Great Lakes of North America and is shared by the USA and Canada. Lake Michigan covers an area of about 22,404 square miles (58,030 square kilometers) and has a volume of 1,180 cubic miles (4,900 cubic kilometers). The lakes span across Canada and the United States. The lake’s name, Okeechobee, comes from the Seminole Indian words for “big” and “water.” In the past, Lake Okeechobee was called Mayaimi by the Spanish and other European settlers also had various names for the lake, including Espiritu Santo Laguna, Lake Mayaca, Lake Macaco, and Lake Sarrope. Largest natural freshwater lake west of the Mississippi! Volumes given for lakes shared with Canada and Mexico are for the total volume of the lake. Named by Tanaina Indians, the lake was said to be inhabited by a mythical giant blackfish that would bite holes in canoes. Lake Superior in North America is the largest freshwater lake in the world. It is the eighth largest natural freshwater lake among the 50 states of the United States and the second largest natural freshwater lake … The Lake of the Woods has a long shoreline that is over 25,000 miles. The Minnesota portion of the Lake of the Woods is known as the Walleye Capital of World. However, some algae, brine shrimp, and brine flies are able to withstand the saltiness of Great Salt Lake. The five lakes, Lake Huron, Superior, Michigan, Erie, and Ontario form the largest freshwater hold of 21% of the Earth’s fresh water. Iliamna Lake has a volume of 27.7 cubic miles (115 cubic kilometers) and an average depth of 144 ft (44 m). L. Michigan may be considered a single lake, man-made. Lake Superior is so large, that it would take 191 years for all of the water in Lake Superior to be replaced with new water. Iliamna Lake, inland body of water, southwestern Alaska, U.S.It lies west of Cook Inlet (Gulf of Alaska), near Lake Clark National Park and Preserve (north) and Katmai National Park and Preserve (south). Its surface area is approximately 31,700 square miles. Four states – Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan – border Lake Michigan. The lake is shared by the province of Ontario in Canada, and the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan in the US. Some of the lake’s major port cities include Chicago, Illinois; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Green Bay, Wisconsin; and Gary, Indiana. Flathead Lake was first described by explorer David Thompson as “a fine sheet of water,” and it is indeed the largest natural freshwater lake west of the Mississippi. Lake Erie’s shoreline is major source of various minerals. Lake Huron was the first of the Great Lakes to be explored by Europeans. At its deepest point, this lake is 733 feet (223 meters) below sea level, making it the deepest point in the continental United States. Lake Oahe is very young and is only 56 years old. Since Iliamna Lake is so deep, there are rumors that a creature called “Iliamna Lake Monster” stalks its waters. Present volume man-made, This page was last edited on 28 December 2020, at 23:53. Michigan borders Lake Huron to the east and Ontario, Canada borders the lake to the north. For example, Lake Mead – the largest reservoir in the U.S. – could store more than 32.4 million acre-feet (40.1 km 3) when first filled, but sediment accumulation … Some shipping channels are … Great Salt Lake in Utah is the largest natural lake west of the Mississippi River. For the past few years, toxic algae has been blooming in Lake Okeechobee and running into the nearby waters of South Florida. Lake Superior, on the United States/Canada border, is the named freshwater lake with the greatest surface area … Lake Oahe gets its name from the Sioux Indian word meaning “a foundation.” Lake Oahe was in the news in 2016 during the Dakota Access Pipeline protests because the pipeline was set to be built under the lake. Information other than otherwise noted from http://www.lakelubbers.com/, accessed 9 Mar 2011. Lake Huron is the second largest of the Great Lakes by surface area, but has the longest shoreline of all the Great Lakes. In addition to being the largest lakes in the United States, some of these lakes are also the largest in the world. ... Lake George (Florida, USA) 46,000: Lake George is the second largest lake in Florida, second only to Lake Okeechobee. The lakes here ranked by water volume or surface area and information gathered including … The average depth of the Lake Superior is 147 m, and it holds enough water to submerge the entire Americas under 30 cm of water. Iliamna Lake is the largest lake in Alaska in both surface area and volume. "Michigan and Huron: One Lake or Two?" Lake of the Woods has a surface area of 1,679 square miles (4,348.6 square kilometers) and a volume of 4.65 cubic miles (19.4 cubic kilometers). It has a surface are of 1,700 square miles (4,400 square kilometers). World’s Largest Lake (by surface area): The salty Caspian Sea has the greatest surface area of any lake at 143,200 square miles (370,886 square kilometers). Lake Superior is a North American Great Lake with a surface area of 82,414 square kilometers. Unlike the other Great Lakes, Lake Ontario rarely freezes over because of its depth and the warm weather that comes from the southwest. There are a number of National Parks inside and near Lake Superior, including Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Keweenaw National Historical Park, Isle Royale National Park, and the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. Source: Wikimedia Commons via Lake Erie Coastal Ohio, Inc. Lake Erie is significantly smaller than the three largest Great Lakes and the smallest Great Lake by volume. Largest Lake in the United States (by surface area): Lake Superior is the single named lake with the largest surface area in the United States at 31,700 square miles (82,103 square kilometers). This vast water network is fed by… Lake Pontchartrain: It is the second largest salt-water lake in the United States, after the Great Salt Lake in Utah, and the largest lake in Louisiana. One way of comparing size is by measuring surface area, as is done here. I am privileged to live at the foot of this beautiful lake, but never take it for granted. Note: Volume estimates not available for Selawik and Naknek Lakes in Alaska. Lake Michigan is the largest body of freshwater entirely contained within US borders, and it connects with Lake Huron through the Straits of Mackinac. 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