Having the largest surface area doesn’t always mean having the most water.
The North American Great Lakes are renowned not only due to their name but also because four of them are among the ten largest lakes globally by volume.
While the Caspian Sea is the largest inland body of water on Earth, it isn’t listed here due to political agreements among the five countries it borders—Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkmenistan—which classify it as neither a sea nor a lake. If considered, the Caspian Sea would overshadow all others, containing 18,761 cubic miles (78,200 cubic kilometers) of water, over three times the volume of all the U.S. Great Lakes combined. It is also the third deepest at 3,363 feet (1,025 meters).
Only around 2.5 percent of Earth’s water is liquid freshwater, with the world’s lakes holding 29,989 cubic miles (125,000 cubic kilometers) of it. Over half of this volume is found in the five largest lakes.
1. Baikal, Asia: 5,517 cubic mi (22,995 cubic km)
Lake Baikal, located in southern Siberia, Russia, contains one-fifth of the world’s fresh water. It is the deepest lake globally, reaching a maximum depth of 1,741 meters, surpassing even the Caspian Sea. Remarkably, it is also among the oldest lakes on Earth, estimated to be at least 25 million years old. The lake is home to over 1,000 species of plants and animals that are unique to this region and found nowhere else in the world.
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2. Tanganyika, Africa: 4,270 cubic mi (17,800 cubic km)
Lake Tanganyika, akin to several other vast lakes, originated from the shifting of tectonic plates, classifying it as a rift lake. This lake spans four countries: Tanzania, Zambia, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. With a length of 410 miles (660 km), it holds the title of the longest freshwater lake in the world. Moreover, Lake Tanganyika ranks as the second largest by volume, the second oldest, and the second deepest, plunging to a depth of 4,710 feet (1,436 meters).
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3. Lake Superior, North America: 2,932 cubic mi (12,221 cubic km)
The world’s largest freshwater lake by surface area, Lake Superior spans 31,802 square miles (82,367 square kilometers). Over 10,000 years old, it contains 10 percent of the planet’s fresh water. The lake touches Wisconsin, Michigan, and Minnesota in the United States, as well as Ontario in Canada. It has an average depth of 483 feet (147 meters) and a maximum depth of 1,332 feet (406 meters).
4. Lake Malawi (Lake Nyasa), Africa: 1,865 cubic mi (7,775 cubic km)
People in Tanzania, Mozambique, and Malawi depend on Lake Malawi for freshwater, irrigation, food, and hydroelectric power. The lake’s national park is recognized as a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site due to its impressive biodiversity, featuring over 400 fish species, most of which are found nowhere else. Similar to Lake Tanganyika, Lake Malawi is a rift lake and is classified as meromictic, meaning its three distinct layers do not mix, creating unique habitats for various fish species. The lake has an average depth of 292 meters (958 feet) and reaches a maximum depth of 706 meters (2,316 feet).
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5. Lake Michigan, North America: 1,176 cubic mi (4,900 cubic km)
Lake Michigan, the only one among the Great Lakes entirely within the United States, shares borders with Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan. Chicago, one of America’s largest cities, lies on its western coast. Formed 10,000 years ago by glaciers, Lake Michigan boasts an average depth of approximately 279 feet (85 meters) and reaches a maximum depth of 925 feet (282 meters).
6. Lake Huron, North America: 849 cubic mi (3,540 cubic km)
Lake Huron, spanning the border between the United States (Michigan) and Canada (Ontario), boasts 120 lighthouses dotting its shores. Beneath its surface lies a hidden world, safeguarded by the Thunder Bay Marine Sanctuary, where over 1,000 shipwrecks rest undisturbed. The lake averages a depth of 195 feet (59 meters) and plunges to a maximum depth of 750 feet (229 meters).
7. Lake Victoria, Africa: 648 cubic mi (2,700 cubic km)
Lake Victoria, named in honor of Queen Victoria, holds the distinction of being Africa’s largest lake by surface area, spanning approximately 69,485 square kilometers. It ranks third in terms of volume among the continent’s lakes. Situated across Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya, Lake Victoria boasts a diverse landscape dotted with 84 islands. It averages a depth of 135 feet (41 meters), with its deepest point plunging to 266 feet (81 meters).
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8. Great Bear Lake, North America: 550 cubic mi (2,292 cubic km)
Great Bear Lake, located entirely within Canada’s Northwest Territories and within the Arctic Circle, stands as Canada’s largest lake. The lake remains frozen under ice and snow for much of the year, preserving its pristine beauty. Recognized as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, it boasts an average depth of approximately 235 feet (71.7 meters) and reaches a maximum depth of 1,463 feet (446 meters).
9. Issyk-Kul (Isyk-Kul, Ysyk-Köl), Asia: 417 cubic mi (1,738 cubic km)
Issyk-Kul Lake lies nestled within the Tian Shan mountains in eastern Kyrgyzstan. Despite facing challenges like pollution, invasive species, and the risk of species extinction, concerted conservation initiatives have successfully secured its designation as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. These efforts primarily aimed to safeguard its rich avian biodiversity, as it serves as a critical overwintering habitat for 16 bird species, attracting an impressive 60,000 to 80,000 birds annually. Approximately half a million people reside in its vicinity. The lake boasts an average depth of 913 feet (278.4 meters) and reaches a maximum depth of 2,192 feet (668 meters).
10. Lake Ontario, North America: 393 cubic mi (1,640 cubic km)
Lake Ontario, situated between Ontario, Canada, and New York State, USA, serves as the outlet for all the water in the Great Lakes. With an average depth of 382 feet (116 meters) and reaching a maximum depth of 802 feet (244 meters), Lake Ontario was once a vital pathway for fish like eels and sturgeons to migrate between the lake and the Atlantic Ocean before dams were constructed on the St. Lawrence River.