This article explores the largest lake in each of the 50 states by surface area. Before we get started, here are a few notes about this list. First, this is a list of the largest lakes located entirely in a single state, but most of the largest lakes in the United States overall touch multiple states. For example, the Great Lakes touch multiple U.S. states and the Canadian province of Ontario. If the largest lake located entirely inside a state is not the largest lake touching that state, that state’s entry will also name the larger lake. Second, 62% of the lakes on this list are man-made reservoirs, and 18% are dammed natural lakes. Only 10% of the lakes on this list are natural freshwater lakes that have not been dammed. Finally, the list is in alphabetical order by state name. Let’s dive into the largest lakes in each state!
1. Alabama: Lake Guntersville
Lake Guntersville is a man-made reservoir on the Tennessee River.
2. Alaska: Iliamna Lake
Iliamna Lake is a natural freshwater lake on the Alaska Peninsula. It is the seventh-largest lake in the United States by surface area and the largest lake contained in a single U.S. state.
3. Arizona: Theodore Roosevelt Lake
Theodore Roosevelt Lake is a man-made reservoir on the Salt River.
4. Arkansas: Lake Ouachita
Lake Ouachita is a man-made reservoir on the Ouachita River. Arkansas also touches Bull Shoals Lake and Table Rock Lake.
5. California: Salton Sea
The Salton Sea is a man-made saline lake in Southern California.
6. Colorado: John Martin Reservoir
John Martin Reservoir is a man-made reservoir on the Arkansas River.
7. Connecticut: Candlewood Lake
Candlewood Lake is a man-made reservoir on the Housatonic River.
8. Delaware: Lums Pond
Lums Pond is a man-made reservoir on the Delaware River.
9. Florida: Lake Okeechobee
Lake Okeechobee is a natural freshwater lake in southern Florida. It is the tenth-largest lake in the United States.
10. Georgia: Lake Lanier
Lake Lanier is a man-made reservoir on the Chattahoochee River. Georgia also touches Lake Strom Thurmond, Lake Hartwell, and the Walter F. George Lake.
11. Hawaii: Waita Reservoir
Waita Reservoir is a man-made reservoir on the island of Kauai.
12. Idaho: Lake Pend Oreille
Lake Pend Oreille is a natural, but dammed, freshwater lake in northern Idaho.
13. Illinois: Lake Carlyle
Lake Carlyle is a man-made reservoir on the Kaskaskia River. Illinois also touches Lake Michigan, the third-largest lake in the United States.
14. Indiana: Lake Monroe
Lake Monroe is a man-made reservoir on Salt Creek. Indiana also touches Lake Michigan.
15. Iowa: Lake Red Rock
Red Rock Lake is a man-made reservoir on the Des Moines River.
16. Kansas: Milford Lake
Milford Lake is a man-made reservoir on the Republican River.
17. Kentucky: Lake Cumberland
Lake Cumberland is a man-made reservoir on the Cumberland River. Kentucky also touches Kentucky Lake, the 25th-largest lake in the United States.
18. Louisiana: Lake Pontchartrain
Lake Pontchartrain is a natural saline estuary in southeastern Louisiana. It is the 11th-largest lake in the United States by surface area.
19. Maine: Moosehead Lake
Moosehead Lake is a natural, but dammed, freshwater lake.
20. Maryland: Deep Creek Lake
Deep Creek Lake is a man-made reservoir on Deep Creek.
21. Massachusetts: Quabbin Reservoir
Quabbin Reservoir is a man-made reservoir on the Swift River.
22. Michigan: Houghton Lake
Houghton Lake is a natural freshwater lake. Michigan also touches Lake Superior, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan, and Lake Erie. Lake Superior is the world’s largest lake by surface area.
23. Minnesota: Red Lake
Red Lake is a natural freshwater lake. Minnesota also touches Lake Superior and Lake of the Woods, the first- and sixth-largest lakes in the United States by area.
24. Mississippi: Grenada Lake
Grenada Lake is a man-made reservoir on the Yalobusha River. Mississippi also touches Pickwick Lake.
25. Missouri: Truman Reservoir
Truman Reservoir is a man-made reservoir on the Osage River.
26. Montana: Fort Peck Lake
Fort Peck River is a man-made reservoir on the Missouri River.
27. Nebraska: Lake McConaughy
Lake McConaughy is a man-made reservoir on the North Platte River.
28. Nevada: Pyramid Lake
Pyramid Lake is a natural salt lake. Nevada also touches Lake Mead and Lake Tahoe.
29. New Hampshire: Lake Winnipesaukee
Lake Winnipesaukee is a natural, but dammed, freshwater lake.
30. New Jersey: Lake Hopatcong
Lake Hopatcong is a natural, but dammed, freshwater lake.
31. New Mexico: Elephant Butte Lake
Elephant Butte Lake is a man-made reservoir on the Rio Grande.
32. New York: Oneida Lake
Oneida Lake is a natural, but dammed, freshwater lake. New York also touches Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, the fourth- and fifth-largest lakes in the United States. Additionally, the state touches Lake Champlain and Lake St. Francis.
33. North Carolina: Lake Mattamuskeet
Lake Mattamuskeet is a natural freshwater lake. North Carolina also touches Kerr Lake.
34. North Dakota: Lake Sakakawea
Lake Sakakawea is a man-made reservoir on the Missouri River. North Dakota also touches Lake Oahe.
35. Ohio: Grand Lake St. Marys
Grand Lake St. Marys is a man-made reservoir. Ohio also touches Lake Erie.
36. Oklahoma: Eufaula Lake
Eufala Lake is a man-made reservoir on the Canadian River.
37. Oregon: Klamath Lake
Klamath Lake is a natural, but dammed, freshwater lake.
38. Pennsylvania: Raystown Lake
Raystown Lake is a man-made reservoir on the Juniata River.
39. Rhode Island: Ninigret Pond
Ninigret Pond is a natural saltwater lagoon.
40. South Carolina: Lake Marion
Lake Marion is a man-made reservoir on the Santee River.
41. South Dakota: Lake Francis Case
Lake Francis Case is a man-made reservoir on the Missouri River. South Dakota also touches Lake Oahe.
42. Tennessee: Watts Bar Lake
Watts Bar Lake is a man-made reservoir on the Tennessee River. Tennessee also touches Kentucky Lake, Lake Barkley, and Pickwick Lake.
43. Texas: Sam Rayburn Reservoir
Sam Rayburn Reservoir is a man-made reservoir on the Angelina River. Texas also touches the Toledo Bend Reservoir.
44. Utah: Great Salt Lake
The Great Salt Lake is a natural saltwater lake.
45. Vermont: Lake Bomoseen
Lake Bomoseen is a natural, but dammed, freshwater lake. Vermont also touches Lake Champlain.
46. Virginia: Smith Mountain Lake
Smith Mountain Lake is a man-made reservoir on the Roanoke River. Virginia also touches Kerr Lake.
47. Washington: Lake Roosevelt
Lake Roosevelt is a man-made reservoir on the Columbia River.
48. West Virginia: Summersville Lake
Summersville Lake is a man-made reservoir on the Gauley River.
49. Wisconsin: Lake Winnebago
Lake WInnebago is a natural, but dammed, freshwater lake. Wisconsin also touches Lake Superior and Lake Michigan.
50. Wyoming: Yellowstone Lake
Yellowstone Lake is a natural freshwater lake.
Summary Table of the Largest Lake in Each of the 50 States
Rift Lake, saline | Lake | Surface Area | Lake Type |
---|---|---|---|
Alabama | Lake Guntersville | 108 sq mi | Reservoir |
Alaska | Iliamna Lake | 1,014 sq mi | Natural, freshwater |
Arizona | Theodore Roosevelt Lake | 34 sq mi | Reservoir |
Arkansas | Lake Ouachita | 63 sq mi | Reservoir |
California | Salton Sea | 343 sq mi | Rift lake, saline |
Colorado | John Martin Reservoir | 18 sq mi | Reservoir |
Connecticut | Candlewood Lake | 8.4 sq mi | Reservoir |
Delaware | Lums Pond | 0.31 sq mi | Reservoir |
Flordia | Lake Okeechobee | 730 sq mi | Natural, freshwater |
Georgia | Lake Lanier | 59 sq mi | Reservoir |
Hawaii | Waita Reservoir | 1 sq mi | Reservoir |
Idaho | Lake Pend Oreille | 148 sq mi | Natural, freshwater, dammed |
Illinois | Lake Carlyle | 41 sq mi | Reservoir |
Indiana | Lake Monroe | 17 sq mi | Reservoir |
Iowa | Lake Red Rock | 25 sq mi | Reservoir |
Kansas | Milford Lake | 25 sq mi | Reservoir |
Kentucky | Lake Cumberland | 102 sq mi | Reservoir |
Louisiana | Lake Pontchartrain | 631 sq mi | Natural, saline |
Maine | Moosehead Lake | 117 sq mi | Natural, freshwater, dammed |
Maryland | Deep Creek Lake | 6.1 sq mi | Reservoir |
Massachusetts | Quabbin Reservoir | 39 sq mi | Reservoir |
Michigan | Houghton Lake | 31 sq mi | Natural, freshwater, dammed |
Minnesota | Red Lake | 427 sq mi | Natural, freshwater |
Mississippi | Grenada Lake | 55 sq mi | Reservoir |
Missouri | Truman Reservoir | 87 sq mi | Reservoir |
Montana | Fort Peck Lake | 382 sq mi | Reservoir |
Nebraska | Lake McConaughy | 56 sq mi | Reservoir |
Nevada | Pyramid Lake | 188 sq mi | Natural, saline |
New Hampshire | Lake Winnipesaukee | 71 sq mi | Natural, freshwater, dammed |
New Jersey | Lake Hopatcong | 4 sq mi | Natural, freshwater, dammed |
New Mexico | Elephant Butte Lake | 57 sq mi | Reservoir |
New York | Oneida Lake | 80 sq mi | Natural, freshwater, dammed |
North Carolina | Lake Mattamuskeet | 63 sq mi | Natural, freshwater |
North Dakota | Lake Sakakawea | 480 sq mi | Reservoir |
Ohio | Grand Lake St. Marys | 20 sq mi | Reservoir |
Oklahoma | Eufaula Lake | 158 sq mi | Reservoir |
Oregon | Klamath Lake | 96 sq mi | Natural, freshwater, dammed |
Pennsylvania | Raystown Lake | 13 sq mi | Reservoir |
Rhode Island | Ninigret Pond | 2.4 sq mi | Natural, lagoon, saline |
South Carolina | Lake Marion | 174 sq mi | Reservoir |
South Dakota | Lake Francis Case | 158 sq mi | Reservoir |
Tennessee | Watts Bar Lake | 62 sq mi | Reservoir |
Texas | Sam Rayburn Reservoir | 179 sq mi | Reservoir |
Utah | Great Salt Lake | 1700 sq mi | Hypersaline |
Vermont | Lake Bomoseen | 3.75 sq mi | Natural, freshwater, dammed |
Virginia | Smith Mountain Lake | 32 sq mi | Reservoir |
Washington | Lake Roosevelt | 125 sq mi | Reservoir |
West Virginia | Summersville Lake | 4.25 sq mi | Reservoir |
Wisconsin | Lake Winnebago | 215 sq mi | Natural, freshwater, dammed |
Wyoming | Yellowstone Lake | 136 sq mi | Natural, freshwater |
The photo featured at the top of this post is © Danita Delimont/Shutterstock.com
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