Largest lakes in the world
The Caspian Sea, at 389,000 km², is the largest lake by area, more than four times Lake Superior at 82,100 km².
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What the data shows
- Caspian Sea ranks #1 with 389,000 km², ahead of Lake Superior (82,100 km²) and Lake Victoria (59,940 km²).
About this chart
The Caspian Sea is counted as the largest lake in the world at 389,000 square kilometers, though geologically it is a small ocean basin. Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake by area at 82,100 km², followed by Lake Victoria (59,940), Lake Huron (59,570) and Lake Michigan (57,800). Five of the 15 lakes are North America's Great Lakes. Lake Tanganyika (32,900 km²) is the longest freshwater lake at 676 km, and Lake Baikal in Russia ranks seventh at 31,722 km².
Lake areas depend on the source and on what is counted. The Caspian figure includes the Garabogazköl lagoon of about 18,000 km²; the main body alone is about 371,000 km². Lakes Michigan and Huron are listed separately, but they are one hydrological lake, and together they would rank second at 117,370 km². Lake Victoria is 59,940 km² here and about 69,484 km² in WorldAtlas. Values are from Wikipedia's list of natural lakes.
The data
Source: Wikipedia, List of lakes by area (conventional list, natural lakes, reservoirs and lagoons excluded; values as printed there). Retrieved November 4, 2026. The Caspian Sea is counted as a lake, as is conventional (geologically it is a small ocean basin). Wikipedia's 389,000 km² includes the Garabogazköl lagoon (about 18,000 km²); the main body alone is about 371,000 km², the figure Britannica and WorldAtlas use. Lakes Michigan and Huron are listed separately; hydrologically they form one body, Lake Michigan-Huron, which would rank second (59,570 + 57,800 = 117,370 km² when added together). Lake areas vary by source: Lake Victoria is 59,940 km² here but about 69,484 km² in WorldAtlas.
| Date | Caspian Sea | Lake Superior | Lake Victoria | Lake Huron | Lake Michigan | Lake Tanganyika | Lake Baikal | Great Bear Lake | Lake Malawi (Nyasa) | Great Slave Lake | Lake Erie | Lake Winnipeg | Lake Ontario | Lake Ladoga | Lake Balkhash |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Area (km²) | 389,000 km² | 82,100 km² | 59,940 km² | 59,570 km² | 57,800 km² | 32,900 km² | 31,722 km² | 31,153 km² | 29,600 km² | 27,200 km² | 25,667 km² | 24,514 km² | 19,011 km² | 17,700 km² | 16,400 km² |
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Frequently asked questions
What is the largest lake in the world?
The Caspian Sea, at 389,000 square kilometers by Wikipedia's figure, or about 371,000 km² without the Garabogazköl lagoon. It is more than four times the size of Lake Superior.
What is the largest freshwater lake by area?
Lake Superior, at 82,100 km². It is also the largest of the five Great Lakes, which are Superior, Huron, Michigan, Erie and Ontario.
Are Lake Michigan and Lake Huron one lake?
Hydrologically yes, since they are joined at the Straits of Mackinac. They are conventionally ranked separately (57,800 and 59,570 km²), but combined they would be the second-largest lake at 117,370 km².
Where does this data come from?
Wikipedia, List of lakes by area (conventional list, natural lakes, reservoirs and lagoons excluded; values as printed there). Retrieved November 4, 2026. The Caspian Sea is counted as a lake, as is conventional (geologically it is a small ocean basin). Wikipedia's 389,000 km² includes the Garabogazköl lagoon (about 18,000 km²); the main body alone is about 371,000 km², the figure Britannica and WorldAtlas use. Lakes Michigan and Huron are listed separately; hydrologically they form one body, Lake Michigan-Huron, which would rank second (59,570 + 57,800 = 117,370 km² when added together). Lake areas vary by source: Lake Victoria is 59,940 km² here but about 69,484 km² in WorldAtlas. You can download the full table as a CSV from this page.
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