The 12 Largest Lakes in the United States in 2026

Quick Take

• One lake on this list is quietly turning into a toxic wasteland, a fact that matters because millions of Americans live directly downwind of it. See the toxic dust threat →
• A lake on this list harbors a population of animals that have no business living there, and scientists are still puzzled by how they got in. Meet the freshwater seals →
• One entry on this list once drained into a major American city, and the consequences were catastrophic. Relive the Katrina flooding →
• Two lakes on this list are technically the same body of water, even though they rank as separate entries. Discover the Michigan connection →

The United States is home to some of the world’s largest lakes primarily due to the Laurentide Ice Sheet, which carved the Great Lakes basin roughly 10,000–20,000 years ago. The Great Lakes, Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, hold about 20% of the world’s surface freshwater and span over 94,000 square miles. However, while the Great Lakes are the largest, the U.S. boasts numerous other large lakes. Continue reading to discover the 12 largest lakes in the United States.

12. Lake Sakakawea

Lake Sakakawea is a massive man-made reservoir in North Dakota. The lake was created in 1953 by the damming of the Missouri River. Extending 178 miles, it is the state’s largest lake, featuring over 1,340 miles of shoreline and a maximum depth of 180 feet.

Lake Sakakawea is a regional recreation destination that offers boating, sailing, and fishing (particularly walleye and salmon), as well as popular camping, hiking on the North Country National Scenic Trail, and birding at Lake Sakakawea State Park. 

11. Lake Pontchartrain

Lake Pontchartrain is a large, shallow brackish estuary in Southeastern Louisiana, covering 630 square miles with an average depth of 12–14 feet. It is traversed by the 24-mile Pontchartrain Causeway, one of the world’s longest over-water bridges. The lake, which is used for fishing and recreation, empties into the Gulf of Mexico and is bordered by the city of New Orleans to the south. 

In 2005, Lake Pontchartrain effectively drained into the city of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, when pressure from the rising lake water caused canal walls to break, allowing the lake to flow into low-lying areas, particularly the Ninth Ward.

10. Lake Okeechobee

Lake Okeechobee, located in Southern Florida, is the largest freshwater lake in the Southeastern U.S., covering roughly 730 square miles. Known as Florida’s inland sea, it is remarkably shallow, averaging 9 to 12 feet deep. It serves as a vital ecological and agricultural water supply but is facing challenges, from nutrient pollution and algae blooms, hastened by climate change.

Lake Okeechobee is a recreational destination for its world-class fishing, specifically for largemouth bass and speckled perch. Other leisure time activities include airboat rides, birdwatching for rare species, and hiking or biking the 110-mile Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail (LOST).

9. Lake Oahe

Lake Oahe is a massive 370,000-acre reservoir on the Missouri River, stretching 231 miles from central South Dakota to Bismarck, North Dakota. Created in 1962 by damming the Missouri River, the lake is a popular fishing (walleye, pike), boating, and recreation area in the central U.S.

The creation of Lake Oahe flooded over 56,000 acres of Standing Rock Sioux tribal land, destroying timberlands, agricultural areas, and sacred sites. The lake serves as a vital drinking water resource for the tribe, and it was also the site of the 2016–2017 Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) conflict.

8. Great Salt Lake

The Great Salt Lake is located entirely in the state of Utah and is known for its high level of salinity, which is much higher than that of ocean water. The Great Salt Lake has shrunk significantly due to upstream water diversions for agriculture and urban use, climate change-driven evaporation, and drought.

As the Great Salt Lake evaporates, it exposes a lakebed that contains high levels of arsenic and other heavy metals. Winds can carry this dust into the populated Salt Lake City metropolitan area, posing severe health risks. While restoration efforts are ongoing, continued warming and high water usage are turning the lake into a barren, toxic wasteland.

7. Iliamna Lake

Iliamna Lake is Alaska’s largest freshwater lake, covering approximately 1,000 square miles. Located in the southwest part of the state, the lake is home to the world’s largest sockeye salmon run. It is also home to a rare, year-round population of freshwater harbor seals.

The lake is a popular, though remote, recreational area known for trout and salmon fishing, boating, and guided eco-tours, offering prime viewing of bears, moose, eagles, and the rare freshwater seals.

6. Lake of the Woods

Known for its top-notch walleye fishing, Lake of the Woods is a massive, year-round fishing destination along the Minnesota–Canada border. The lake is approximately 67 miles long and 59 miles wide. It is a shallow, natural glacial lake with an average depth of 26 feet, though it is significantly deeper in some places.

Lake of the Woods is regulated by dams located along the Winnipeg River in Canada, which control water levels for the entire lake, including the portion in Minnesota. Constructed in the late 1800s, the dams control the lake’s outflow and slightly raise its natural level.

5. Lake Ontario

Lake Ontario, the easternmost and smallest of the Great Lakes, is located between Ontario, Canada, to the north and New York State to the south. Fed by the Niagara River, it features over 200 miles of coastline, including beaches like Sodus Point, and connects via the St. Lawrence River to the Atlantic Ocean.

Lake Ontario offers diverse recreational activities, acting as a premier destination for boating, sailing, and world-class trout and salmon fishing. The shoreline features numerous parks with sandy beaches, biking trails, picnic areas, and birdwatching opportunities.

4. Lake Erie

Lake Erie is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of North America’s five Great Lakes. Located on the border between Ontario, Canada, and the U.S. states of Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York, the lake has an average depth of 68 feet. It serves as an industrial corridor with major ports in Detroit and Cleveland.

Lake Erie is a recreational area with opportunities for fishing, boating, and swimming. As the smallest (by volume) and warmest of the Great Lakes, it is severely threatened by climate change, including rising water temperatures and increasing instances of toxic algae blooms.

3. Lake Michigan

Lake Michigan is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume, but the third-largest lake in the United States by area. The lake has shorelines in Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan, and is the only one of the Great Lakes that does not share a boundary with Canada.

Lake Michigan offers extensive recreational opportunities across its 1,600+ mile shoreline, featuring sandy beaches, boating, and scenic dunes. Popular activities include swimming, kayaking, sailing, fishing, and touring historic lighthouses.

2. Lake Huron

Lake Huron is the second-largest Great Lake by surface area and is generally considered the fifth-largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area. Located between Michigan to the west and Ontario, Canada to the east, Lake Huron has the longest shoreline of the Great Lakes, comprised of nearly 4,000 miles.

Lake Huron is a regional recreational destination known for its sandy beaches, over 30,000 islands, and crystal-clear waters. Boating is the best way to explore the lake, which has numerous marinas and charter services.

1. Lake Superior

Lake Superior is the largest lake in the United States. It shares shorelines with Michigan, Minnesota, and parts of Ontario, Canada. The lake is known for holding 10% of the Earth’s surface freshwater.

Lake Superior is a world-class recreational destination that supports a myriad of water activities, including sea kayaking, sailing, hiking, and shipwreck diving.