Mapped: 15 Largest Lakes in the World by Surface Area (2025)

The Caspian Sea is so large — 371,000 km² — that despite being called a “sea,” it is technically the world’s largest lake. It’s bigger than Germany and holds more water than all five Great Lakes combined. Below, we rank the 15 largest lakes in the world by surface area, from this Central Asian giant to Lake Ladoga in northwestern Russia.

These massive bodies of fresh (and sometimes salt) water span six continents and play critical roles in climate regulation, biodiversity, transportation, and drinking water supply for billions of people.

Map: Largest Lakes in the World

World map showing the 15 largest lakes by surface area — The 15 largest lakes in the world by surface area. Map: mappr.co

Key Takeaways

The Caspian Sea (371,000 km²) is the world’s largest lake — 4.5× bigger than Lake Superior and bordered by five countries.
North America dominates with 7 of the 15 largest lakes, including all five Great Lakes and two massive Canadian lakes.
Lake Baikal in Russia is the deepest lake on Earth (1,642m) and contains about 20% of the world’s unfrozen fresh water.
Africa’s Great Lakes (Victoria, Tanganyika, Malawi) support over 100 million people living in their basins.
Lake Victoria is shrinking — water levels have fluctuated significantly due to climate change and dam operations on the Nile.

Complete Rankings: 15 Largest Lakes

Rank	Lake	Surface Area (km²)	Max Depth (m)	Location	Type
1	Caspian Sea	371,000	1,025	🌏 Central Asia	Saline
2	Lake Superior	82,100	406	🇺🇸🇨🇦 North America	Freshwater
3	Lake Victoria	68,870	84	🇹🇿🇺🇬🇰🇪 East Africa	Freshwater
4	Lake Huron	59,600	229	🇺🇸🇨🇦 North America	Freshwater
5	Lake Michigan	57,750	281	🇺🇸 United States	Freshwater
6	Lake Tanganyika	32,900	1,470	🇹🇿🇨🇩🇧🇮🇿🇲 East Africa	Freshwater
7	Lake Baikal	31,722	1,642	🇷🇺 Russia (Siberia)	Freshwater
8	Great Bear Lake	31,153	446	🇨🇦 Canada	Freshwater
9	Lake Malawi (Nyasa)	29,600	706	🇲🇼🇲🇿🇹🇿 East Africa	Freshwater
10	Great Slave Lake	28,568	614	🇨🇦 Canada	Freshwater
11	Lake Erie	25,667	64	🇺🇸🇨🇦 North America	Freshwater
12	Lake Winnipeg	24,514	36	🇨🇦 Canada	Freshwater
13	Lake Ontario	19,009	244	🇺🇸🇨🇦 North America	Freshwater
14	Lake Ladoga	17,891	230	🇷🇺 Russia	Freshwater
15	Lake Balkhash	16,400	26	🇰🇿 Kazakhstan	Mixed

1. Caspian Sea 🌏

The Caspian Sea covers 371,000 km², making it the world’s largest enclosed body of water. Bordered by Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Iran, and Azerbaijan, it has been classified as both a sea and a lake throughout history — a distinction with major legal and economic implications for the surrounding nations.

The Caspian holds rich deposits of oil and natural gas beneath its floor and is famous for producing the world’s finest caviar from beluga sturgeon. Its water level has been declining due to evaporation exceeding inflow — scientists estimate it could drop by 9–18 meters by 2100, exposing vast areas of seabed.

2. Lake Superior 🇺🇸🇨🇦

Lake Superior at 82,100 km² is the largest freshwater lake by surface area in the world. Shared between the United States and Canada, it contains 10% of all surface fresh water on Earth — enough to cover North and South America in a foot of water.

The lake is famously cold (average surface temperature of 4°C) and deep (406m maximum depth). It never completely freezes over, though ice coverage varies from year to year. The lake is so large it creates its own weather patterns, including the infamous “lake effect” snow dumps on surrounding communities.

3. Lake Victoria 🇹🇿🇺🇬🇰🇪

Lake Victoria (68,870 km²) is Africa’s largest lake and the world’s largest tropical lake. Shared by Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya, it is the primary source of the White Nile and supports the livelihoods of over 30 million people living around its shores.

Despite its vast surface area, Lake Victoria is relatively shallow (84m maximum depth). It faces environmental challenges including eutrophication, invasive species (the Nile perch introduction devastated native cichlid populations), and declining water levels. The lake is crucial for the fishing industry, providing protein to millions across East Africa.

4–5. Lake Huron and Lake Michigan 🇺🇸🇨🇦

Lake Huron (59,600 km²) and Lake Michigan (57,750 km²) are the 4th and 5th largest lakes respectively. Hydrologically, they’re actually a single body of water connected by the Straits of Mackinac and are sometimes referred to as “Lake Michigan-Huron” — which at a combined 117,350 km² would technically be the largest freshwater lake. Lake Michigan is the only Great Lake entirely within the United States.

6–7. Lake Tanganyika and Lake Baikal

Lake Tanganyika (32,900 km²) is the longest freshwater lake in the world (673 km) and the second deepest (1,470m). It borders four African countries. Lake Baikal (31,722 km²) in Siberia is the deepest lake on Earth at 1,642 meters and holds roughly 20% of the world’s unfrozen surface fresh water — more than all five Great Lakes combined. At 25 million years old, it’s also the world’s oldest lake.

8–15. From Canada to Central Asia

Great Bear Lake (31,153 km²) and Great Slave Lake (28,568 km²) in Canada’s Northwest Territories are among the deepest and coldest lakes in North America. Lake Malawi (29,600 km²) contains more fish species than any other lake — over 1,000, most of them cichlids found nowhere else. Lake Erie (25,667 km²) is the shallowest Great Lake. Lake Winnipeg (24,514 km²) in Manitoba is Canada’s sixth-largest lake. Lake Ontario (19,009 km²) is the smallest Great Lake but still enormous. Lake Ladoga (17,891 km²) in Russia is Europe’s largest lake. Lake Balkhash (16,400 km²) in Kazakhstan is uniquely half-fresh, half-saline.

Methodology

Rankings are based on surface area using the most commonly cited measurements from the International Lake Environment Committee and other major geographical references. Surface areas can fluctuate significantly due to seasonal changes, drought, and dam operations. The Caspian Sea and Lake Balkhash are saline or brackish but are included as they are endorheic (enclosed) bodies of water classified as lakes.