Lakes are typically found in precise regions based on the geography, as well as the geology, of the area. It is estimated that there are more than 304 million lakes on Earth. North America contains the most lakes of all seven continents, and while the exact number isn’t known, there are believed to be over three million in the United States alone.
Lake size is measured by square miles of surface area. Based on this measurement, the Caspian Sea, with a surface area of 143,000 square miles, is by far the largest lake in the world. It is so large that it is on two continents – Asia and Europe. Its shores touch several countries including Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, and Iran.
The second largest lake in the world and the largest freshwater lake in North America is Lake Superior. The largest of the Great Lakes, it shares its shores with both Canada and the United States. This is the best place to enjoy the water in each state.
Lake Superior covers 31,700 square miles and touches the states of Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, as well as the Canadian province of Ontario. It contains 10% of the world’s surface freshwater – enough to cover North and South America under a foot of water. Its deepest point is 1,276 feet below the surface.
This Great Lake is well known for its many shipwrecks, the most famous being the 1975 wreck of the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald during a storm that killed all 29 crew members. A total of about 350 wrecks are on record. For decades, the lake was used to transport iron ore south from Minnesota. Though not as bad as Lake Erie, Lake Superior has started to experience algae blooms, indicating that pollution has begun affecting even this large and once-pristine lake. These are America’s 50 dirtiest cities.
Here are the largest lakes in North America
20. Rainy Lake
- Location(s): MN-Ontario
- Area: 345 sq. miles
19. Salton Sea
- Location(s): California
- Area: 347 sq. miles
18. Fort Peck Lake 1
- Location(s): Montana
- Area: 393 sq. miles
17. Selawik Lake
- Location(s): Alaska
- Area: 404 sq. miles
16. Red Lake
- Location(s): Minnesota
- Area: 427 sq. miles
15. Lake St Clair
- Location(s): MI-Ontario
- Area: 430 sq. miles
14. Becharof Lake
- Location(s): Alaska
- Area: 453 sq. miles
13. Lake Champlain
- Location(s): NY-VT-Quebec
- Area: 490 sq. miles
12. Lake Sakakawea 1
- Location(s): North Dakota
- Area: 520 sq. miles
11. Lake Pontchartrain
- Location(s): Louisiana
- Area: 631 sq. miles
10. Lake Okeechobee
- Location(s): Florida
- Area: 662 sq. miles
9. Lake Oahe 1
- Location(s): ND-SD
- Area: 685 sq. miles
8. Iliamna Lake
- Location(s): Alaska
- Area: 1,014 sq. miles
7. Lake of the Woods
- Location(s): MN-Manitoba-Ontario
- Area: 1,485 sq. miles
6. Great Salt Lake
- Location(s): Utah
- Area: 2,117 sq. miles
5. Lake Ontario
- Location(s): NY-Ontario
- Area: 7,340 sq. miles
4. Lake Erie
- Location(s): MI-NY-OH-PA-Ontario
- Area: 9,910 sq. miles
3. Lake Michigan
- Location(s): IL-IN-MI-WI
- Area: 22,300 sq. miles
2. Lake Huron
- Location(s): MI-Ontario
- Area: 23,000 sq. miles
1. Lake Superior
- Location(s): MI-MN-WI-Ontario
- Area: 31,700 sq. miles