The Largest Lakes in the United States

Ranked by surface area.

The Great Lakes dominate any ranking of American lakes by surface area, joined by the Great Salt Lake and major reservoirs of the West. Ranked here by surface area.

#	Place	Area (sq mi)
1	The Great Lakes The largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth	94,250 sq mi 244,106 km²
2	Lake Superior The largest freshwater lake in the world by area	31,699 sq mi 82,100 km²
3	Lake Huron The Great Lake with the longest shoreline	23,012 sq mi 59,600 km²
4	Lake Michigan The only Great Lake entirely within the United States	22,394 sq mi 58,000 km²
5	Lake Erie The shallowest and warmest of the Great Lakes	9,923 sq mi 25,700 km²
6	Lake Ontario The smallest Great Lake by area, last before the Atlantic	7,320 sq mi 18,960 km²
7	Great Salt Lake The largest saltwater lake in the Western Hemisphere	1,506 sq mi 3,900 km²
8	Iliamna Lake The largest lake in Alaska	1,012 sq mi 2,622 km²
9	Lake Okeechobee The vast, shallow "Lake O" at the heart of Florida	734 sq mi 1,900 km²
10	Lake Pontchartrain The broad brackish lake on the edge of New Orleans	629 sq mi 1,630 km²
11	Lake Champlain A long, deep lake sometimes called the sixth Great Lake	490 sq mi 1,270 km²
12	Red Lake The largest lake entirely within Minnesota	427 sq mi 1,106 km²

Place

Area (sq mi)

The Great Lakes
The largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth

94,250 sq mi
244,106 km²

Lake Superior
The largest freshwater lake in the world by area

31,699 sq mi
82,100 km²

Lake Huron
The Great Lake with the longest shoreline

23,012 sq mi
59,600 km²

Lake Michigan
The only Great Lake entirely within the United States

22,394 sq mi
58,000 km²

Lake Erie
The shallowest and warmest of the Great Lakes

9,923 sq mi
25,700 km²

Lake Ontario
The smallest Great Lake by area, last before the Atlantic

7,320 sq mi
18,960 km²

Great Salt Lake
The largest saltwater lake in the Western Hemisphere

1,506 sq mi
3,900 km²

Iliamna Lake
The largest lake in Alaska

1,012 sq mi
2,622 km²

Lake Okeechobee
The vast, shallow "Lake O" at the heart of Florida

734 sq mi
1,900 km²

Lake Pontchartrain
The broad brackish lake on the edge of New Orleans

629 sq mi
1,630 km²

Lake Champlain
A long, deep lake sometimes called the sixth Great Lake

490 sq mi
1,270 km²

Red Lake
The largest lake entirely within Minnesota

427 sq mi
1,106 km²

Figures are drawn from standard government and reference sources and shown in both imperial and metric units. See each entry for full details and citations. Browse all guides or open the explore map.