…drainage basins, of which the Lake Okeechobee–Everglades basin (17,000 square miles [44,000 square km]) is the largest. Lake Huron is the second largest of the Great Lakes by surface area, but has the longest shoreline of all the Great Lakes. However, more of Lake Erie’s surface freezes over during the winter because of how shallow it is compared to the other Great Lakes. Source: Wikimedia Commons via Keith Pomakis. Lake Okeechobee is the largest lake in Florida and the second largest body of freshwater in the contiguous United States. Since Lake Erie is the southernmost Great Lake, it is the warmest. Lake Okeechobee (700 square miles [1,800 square km]) is the third largest freshwater lake entirely within the United States (after Lake Michigan and Alaska’s Iliamna Lake). Four states – Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan – border Lake Michigan. Present volume man-made, This page was last edited on 28 December 2020, at 23:53. If the entire Lake of the Woods was in Canada, it would have the longest coastline of any lake in Canada. Its surface area is approximately 31,700 square miles. Many lakes vary substantially in volume over time, especially man-made lakes, reservoirs, and lakes in arid areas. Lake Superior is not only the largest lake in the United States, it is also the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area. The lakes span across Canada and the United States. Lake Michigan covers an area of about 22,404 square miles (58,030 square kilometers) and has a volume of 1,180 cubic miles (4,900 cubic kilometers). Iliamna Lake, also known as Lake Iliamna, is the largest lake in Alaska and the second largest freshwater lake contained wholly within the United States (after Lake Michigan). re over 125,000 lakes in the contiguous United States. This is because Lake Oahe is a man-made reservoir and is the largest man-made lake in the United States. Lake Superior in North America is the largest freshwater lake in the world. This vast water network is fed by… The saline levels in Great Salt Lake are too high to support most types of fish and other aquatic life. The shores of Lake Superior have been inhabited since the last Ice Age, with its earliest inhabitants, known as the Plano people, living in the region about 10,000 years ago. 15 Of the 118 Bgal/d freshwater withdrawn for irrigation, over half is lost to consumptive use. Lake of the Woods has a surface area of 1,679 square miles (4,348.6 square kilometers) and a volume of 4.65 cubic miles (19.4 cubic kilometers). Lake Oahe has a surface area of 685 square miles (1,774 square kilometers) and a maximum depth of 205 feet (62 meters). Great Salt Lake is also the largest saltwater lake in the Western Hemisphere. Lake Superior Lake Superior is the largest lake in North America and also the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area and the third-largest by volume. The Lake of the Woods has a long shoreline that is over 25,000 miles. Since Iliamna Lake is so deep, there are rumors that a creature called “Iliamna Lake Monster” stalks its waters. Iliamna Lake has a volume of 27.7 cubic miles (115 cubic kilometers) and an average depth of 144 ft (44 m). Lakes are listed from largest to smallest. Capacity given is for normal or average lake level. Lake Huron is also the fifth largest freshwater lake in the world. Lake Ontario is the smallest of the Great Lakes and the 14th largest lake in the world by surface area, which is about 7,340 square miles (19,000 square kilometers). "Michigan and Huron: One Lake or Two?" ... Lake George (Florida, USA) 46,000: Lake George is the second largest lake in Florida, second only to Lake Okeechobee. Lake Huron has a surface area of about 23,007 square miles (59,588 square kilometers) and its shoreline is 3,827 miles (6,157 km) long. The region’s most dominant native tribe, the Ojibwe, named the lake as Gitchi-Gami, which tr… French explorers initially called Lake Huron La Mer Douce, the sweet sea. Top-5 Largest Catfish Ever Caught In the US #1 – 143 pounds Where: Virginia – Buggs Island Lake (Kerr Reservoir) Over 200 rivers feed the largest lake in the US, and it drains into the Lake Huron via the St. Marys River. Infoplease, Volume at the average surface elevation of 4,200 feet, from the, Third-largest fresh-water lake in the world by volume, https://web.archive.org/web/20130807131429/http://source/, List of lakes of the United States by area, http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0001804.html, Utah Water Science Center Great Salt Lake site, National Weather Service Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service (NWS AHPS) for Devils Lake at Creel Bay, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_largest_lakes_of_the_United_States_by_volume&oldid=996864136, United States-related lists of superlatives, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, L. Huron and. Great Salt Lake in Utah is the largest natural lake west of the Mississippi River. All five of the Great Lakes are on this list and they completely dwarf the other five large lakes. Iliamna Lake is home to the only population of freshwater seals in the United States. Other than taking the third position, Clear Lake is known for two more things that other lakes lack: It is considered as the oldest lake in the United States, having existed for two and a half million years. There are a number of National Parks inside and near Lake Superior, including Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Keweenaw National Historical Park, Isle Royale National Park, and the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. Lake Superior is not only the largest lake in the United States, it is also the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area. However, some algae, brine shrimp, and brine flies are able to withstand the saltiness of Great Salt Lake. Not so long ago, the Aral Sea was the 4th largest freshwater lake in the world. Located within the Canadian province of Ontario and the US states of Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin, Lake Superior is the largest of the Great Lakes of North America and the largest freshwater lake in the world. Lake Superior is the largest lake in the United States. Instead, we just wanted to provide some details about the top-5 biggest catfish and largemouth bass ever caught in the United States, since those are two of the most popular freshwater fish (at least in our area of the country). Source: Wikimedia Commons via AlaskaTrekker. I am privileged to live at the foot of this beautiful lake, but never take it for granted. Iliamna Lake, inland body of water, southwestern Alaska, U.S.It lies west of Cook Inlet (Gulf of Alaska), near Lake Clark National Park and Preserve (north) and Katmai National Park and Preserve (south). It has a surface are of 1,700 square miles (4,400 square kilometers). Unfortunately, Lake Ontario is the most polluted of the Great Lakes because the other four lakes flow into it, giving Lake Ontario all of their pollution. The average depth of the Lake Superior is 147 m, and it holds enough water to submerge the entire Americas under 30 cm of water. Lake Superior is bordered by Ontario, Canada, and the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan in the United States. Lake Superior is a North American Great Lake with a surface area of 82,414 square kilometers. Volumes given for lakes shared with Canada and Mexico are for the total volume of the lake. Lake Superior is so large, that it would take 191 years for all of the water in Lake Superior to be replaced with new water. Florida’s large lake has a surface area of 734 square miles (1,900 square kilometers) and is very shallow with an average depth of only 8 ft 10 in (2.7 m). One way of comparing size is by measuring surface area, as is done here. For the past few years, toxic algae has been blooming in Lake Okeechobee and running into the nearby waters of South Florida. It is the eighth largest natural freshwater lake among the 50 states of the United States and the second largest natural freshwater lake … Some shipping channels are … The Minnesota portion of the Lake of the Woods is known as the Walleye Capital of World. The largest lake in the United States on the basis of water volume is Lake Superior with a volume of 2,904 cubic miles (12,104 cubic kilometers). The five lakes, Lake Huron, Superior, Michigan, Erie, and Ontario form the largest freshwater hold of 21% of the Earth’s fresh water. Note: Volume estimates not available for Selawik and Naknek Lakes in Alaska. Surrounded by forested slopes of the Rocky Mountains, this is a magical place. Lake Huron was the first of the Great Lakes to be explored by Europeans. This article lists the largest lakes, natural and man-made, in the United States by volume -- … The greatest of the Great Lakes has a surface area of 31,700 square miles (82,100 square kilometers) and a volume of 2,900 cubic miles (12,000 cubic kilometers). Agriculture accounts for the largest loss of water (80-90% of total U.S. consumptive water use). Lake Oahe is very young and is only 56 years old. Lake Superior is the largest among the 5 North American Great Lakes, and the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area. Michigan borders Lake Huron to the east and Ontario, Canada borders the lake to the north. L. Michigan may be considered a single lake, man-made. Lake Superior, on the United States/Canada border, is the named freshwater lake with the greatest surface area … A majority of Lake of the Woods is located in the Canadian province of Ontario, with a very small section in Manitoba and the rest of the lake is in northern Minnesota. Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world, the 3rd largest lake by volume, and the 2nd largest lake of any kind by surface area in the world. Largest Freshwater Lake in the World. Compared to the other lakes on this list, Lake Oahe is very young and is only 56 years old. The state of Michigan was actually named after Lake Michigan. The largest natural lakes in the United States.Song: NCS - Jumbo The lakes were formed during the earth’s most recent glacial period, about 12,000 years ago after basins left behind as the ice retreated towards the North Pole, filled with water. The word “michigan” is believed to be derived from the Ojibwa Indian word mishigami, meaning “great water.”, Source: Wikimedia Commons via Chris Light. Created in 1941 by the impoundment of the, salt, variable in area. Of the 133 Bgal/d of withdrawals for thermoelectric power in the U.S., 3% is consumed (4.31 Bgal/d). The surface area of Lake Erie is about 9,910 square miles (25,667 square kilometers) and the smallest Great Lake has a volume of 116 cubic miles (480 cubic kilometers). The United States – eastern edge of Minnesota, northern edge of Wisconsin, and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan – shares Lake Superior with parts of Ontario, Canada. The largest sandstone quarry in the world is located on Lake Erie’s shore in Amherst, Lorain County, Ohio. While Lake Michigan is the third largest Great Lake by surface area, it is the second largest lake by volume. They would undoubtedly rank on this list if data available. Flathead Lake was first described by explorer David Thompson as “a fine sheet of water,” and it is indeed the largest natural freshwater lake west of the Mississippi. Lake Superior is the largest among the 5 North American Great Lakes, and the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area. Now, it's only 10% of its former size. 1 Lake Oahe gets its name from the Sioux Indian word meaning “a foundation.” Lake Oahe was in the news in 2016 during the Dakota Access Pipeline protests because the pipeline was set to be built under the lake. Lake Michigan is the largest body of freshwater entirely contained within US borders, and it connects with Lake Huron through the Straits of Mackinac. By surface area, Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world, though it is the third largest by volume. The largest American paddlefish caught on record was 88 inches long, weighed 198 pounds, and was caught in West Okoboji Lake, Iowa, in 1916 by a spearfisherman. Source: Wikimedia Commons via Brigitte Werner (werner22brigitte). This article lists the largest lakes, natural and man-made, in the United States by volume -- the amount of water they contain under normal conditions. It is also the largest “natural freshwater lake” in the California stretching over 68 square miles. For example, Lake Mead – the largest reservoir in the U.S. – could store more than 32.4 million acre-feet (40.1 km 3) when first filled, but sediment accumulation … The United States is home to thousands of lakes. Some of the largest are found in high mountain areas, while others are located at low elevations. At its deepest point, this lake is 733 feet (223 meters) below sea level, making it the deepest point in the continental United States. Wikimedia Commons via Lake Erie Coastal Ohio, Inc. Lake Erie’s shoreline is major source of various minerals, state of Michigan was actually named after Lake Michigan, there are more than 1,000 known shipwrecks located at the bottom of the lake, There are a number of National Parks inside and near Lake Superior, 191 years for all of the water in Lake Superior to be replaced with new water, 9 Largest Class Action Settlements Ever Reached. Lake Oahe does not look like a traditional lake and instead looks more like a river. Some of the lake’s major port cities include Chicago, Illinois; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Green Bay, Wisconsin; and Gary, Indiana. The Lake of the Woods is also home to a number of other fish species, including northern pike, sturgeon, perch, black crappies, bass, muskie, and sauger. Lake Erie’s shoreline is major source of various minerals. Lake Ontario also receives a lot of runoff from nearby farms and businesses. Unlike the other Great Lakes, Lake Ontario rarely freezes over because of its depth and the warm weather that comes from the southwest. Lake Huron is so deep that there are more than 1,000 known shipwrecks located at the bottom of the lake. Many of these lakes are fairly small and don’t even come close to the size of the lakes on this list, which were chosen based on surface area. As its name suggests, the Great Salt Lake is hypersaline, or salty, because it does not have an outlet. The following is a list of the largest 100 lakes of the United States by normal surface area.The top twenty lakes in size are as listed by the National Atlas of the United States, a publication of the United States Department of the Interior.The area given is the normal or average area of the lake. Although it is smaller than Lake Erie, it is much deeper with a volume of 393 cubic miles (1,640 cubic kilometers). Lake Superior has a maximum depth of 406 m. The largest freshwater lake in the world, Lake Superior, is also the second largest lake in the world if one takes into account the saline Caspian sea. With 1,300 miles of shoreline, Lake Superior is the largest of the Great Lakes in North America and the largest freshwater lake in the U.S. Adventurous, highly-skilled boaters will love taking speed boats out on the vast and unpredictable waters, but keep in mind that venturing out on “The Big Lake” isn’t for novices. Largest natural freshwater lake west of the Mississippi! The waters of the Great Salt Lake are two different colors – the northern part of lake has a rosy hue because of the salt-loving microbes that live near the railroad causeway. There are over 125,000 lakes in the contiguous United States and Alaska claims to have over 3 million lakes. Information other than otherwise noted from http://www.lakelubbers.com/, accessed 9 Mar 2011. only population of freshwater seals in the United States, Lake of the Woods has a long shoreline that is over 25,000 miles, Wikimedia Commons via Brigitte Werner (werner22brigitte), the largest saltwater lake in the Western Hemisphere, The waters of the Great Salt Lake are two different colors. Low elevations called “ iliamna lake is so deep that there are more than 1,000 shipwrecks. Lake of the 133 Bgal/d of withdrawals for thermoelectric power in the United States largest Great lake with a of! To live at the foot of this beautiful lake, it 's only 10 of... 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