List of lakes by depth

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These articles lists the world's deepest lakes.

Lakes ranked by maximum depth[edit]

This list contains all lakes whose maximum depth is reliably known to exceed 400 metres (1,300 ft)

Geologically, the Caspian Sea, like the Black and Mediterranean seas, is a remnant of the ancient Tethys Ocean. The deepest area is oceanic rather than continental crust. However, it is generally regarded by geographers as a large endorheic salt lake. Of these lakes, 10 have a deepest point above sea level. These are Issyk-Kul, Crater Lake, Quesnel Lake, Sarez Lake, Lake Toba, Lake Tahoe, Lake Kivu, Nahuel Huapi Lake, Lake Van, and Lake Poso.

Continent color key
Africa Antarctica Asia Eurasia Europe North America Oceania South America
Name Country Region Depth Depth2/area
(meters) (feet)
1. Baikal[1]  Russia Southern Siberia 1,642 5,387 9.22×10^−6
2. Tanganyika  Tanzania
 Democratic Republic of the Congo
 Burundi
 Zambia 		African Great Lakes 1,470 4,823 8.1×10^−6
3. (Caspian Sea[2])  Kazakhstan
 Turkmenistan
 Azerbaijan
 Russia
 Iran 		Caspian Endorheic basin 1,025 3,363 1.68×10^−6
4. Viedma  Argentina Santa Cruz Province

~900

~2953

N/D
4. Vostok[3]  Antarctica Under the East Antarctic Ice Sheet ~900 ~2953 8.94×10^−6
6. O'Higgins-San Martín[4]  Chile
 Argentina 		Capitán Prat Province (Chile) and Santa Cruz Province (Argentina) 836 2,742 2.63×10^−5
7. Malawi  Malawi
 Mozambique
 Tanzania 		African Great Lakes 706 2,316 4.1×10^−6
8. Issyk Kul  Kyrgyzstan Tien Shan Mountains 668 2,192 8.46×10^−6
9. Great Slave  Canada Northwest Territories 614 2,015 3.72×10^−6
10. Crater[5]  United States Oregon 594 1,949 8.16×10^−5
11. Matano  Indonesia Southern Sulawesi 590 1,936 4.61×10^−5
12. General Carrera-Buenos Aires[6]  Chile
 Argentina 		General Carrera Province (Chile) and Santa Cruz Province (Argentina) 586 1,923 1.36×10^−5
13. Hornindalsvatnet  Norway Vestland 514 1,686 7.2×10^−5
14. Quesnel  Canada British Columbia 511 1,677 3.13×10^−5
15. Sarez  Tajikistan Gorno-Badakhshan 505 1,657 5.66×10^−5
15. Toba  Indonesia Sumatra 505 1,657 1.5×10^−5
17. Tahoe  United States California and Nevada 501 1,645 2.26×10^−5
18. Argentino  Argentina Santa Cruz Province 500 1,640 1.33×10^−5
19. Salvatnet  Norway Trøndelag

482

1,581

6.93×10^−5

20. Kivu  Democratic Republic of the Congo
 Rwanda 		African Great Lakes 480 1,575 9.24×10^−6
21. Grand Lake[7]  Canada Newfoundland

475

1,558

N/D
22. Nahuel Huapi  Argentina Río Negro Province and Neuquén Province 464 1,523 2.02×10^−5
23. Hauroko  New Zealand Southland (South Island) 462 1,516 5.82×10^−5
24. Cochrane / Pueyrredón[6]  Chile
 Argentina 		Capitán Prat Province (Chile) and Santa Cruz Province (Argentina) 460 1,509 2.55×10^−5
24. Seton  Canada British Columbia

460

1,509

N/D
24. Lake Tinn  Norway Telemark 460 1,509 6.41×10^−5
27. Adams  Canada British Columbia 457 1,499 3.9×10^−5
28. Chelan  United States Washington (state) 453 1,486 3.9×10^−5
28. Mjøsa  Norway Innlandet and Akershus

453

1,486

2.33×10^−5

30. Van[8]  Turkey Eastern Anatolia Region 451 1,480 7.36×10^−6
31. Poso  Indonesia Sulawesi 450 1,476 2.5×10^−5
32. Fagnano  Argentina
 Chile 		Tierra del Fuego 449 1,473 1.77×10^−5
33. Great Bear  Canada Northwest Territories 446 1,463 2.53×10^−6
34. Manapouri  New Zealand Southland (South Island) 444 1,457 3.73×10^−5
35. Como  Italy Lombardy 425 1,394 3.52×10^−5
35. Te Anau  New Zealand Southland (South Island) 425 1,394 2.29×10^−5
37. Tazawa  Japan Akita Prefecture (Honshu) 423 1,387 8.31×10^−5
38. Khantayskoye  Russia Krasnoyarsk Krai

420

1,378

N/D
38. Wakatipu  New Zealand Otago (South Island) 420 1,378 2.47×10^−5
40. Colico  Chile Araucanía Region

416

1,365

N/D
41. Grey  Chile Magallanes Region

410

1,345

N/D
42. Superior  Canada
 United States 		Ontario (Canada) and Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin (United States) 406 1,332 1.42×10^−6

Lakes ranked by mean depth[edit]

Mean depth can be a more useful indicator than maximum depth for many ecological purposes. Unfortunately, accurate mean depth figures are only available for well-studied lakes, as they must be calculated by dividing the lake's volume by its surface area.[9] A reliable volume figure requires a bathymetric survey.[9] Therefore, mean depth figures are not available for many deep lakes in remote locations.[9] The average lake on Earth has the mean depth 41.8 meters (137.14 feet)[9]

The Caspian Sea ranks much further down the list on mean depth, as it has a large continental shelf (significantly larger than the oceanic basin that contains its greatest depths).

Of the 112 registered lakes; 58 are known to be cryptodepressions. These include: Vostok[3][10] (subglacial surface), (Caspian Sea[2]) (subsea surface), Dead Sea (subsea surface) and Jökulsárlón[7] (glacial lagoon estuary). The remaining: 54 lakes got their whole basins above the sea level.

This list contains all lakes whose mean depth is reliably known to exceed 100 metres (328 ft).

Continent colour key
Africa Antarctica Asia Eurasia Europe North America Oceania South America
Name Country Region Depth
(meters) (feet)
1. Baikal[1]  Russia Southern Siberia 744.4 2,442
2. Tanganyika  Tanzania
 Democratic Republic of the Congo
 Burundi
 Zambia 		African Great Lakes 570 1,870
3. Vostok[3][10]  Antarctica Under the East Antarctic Ice Sheet 432 1,417
4. General Carrera-Buenos Aires[6]  Chile
 Argentina 		General Carrera Province

(Chile) and Santa Cruz Province (Argentina)

400

1,312

5. Crater[5]  United States Oregon 352.8 1,157
6. Tahoe  United States California and Nevada 307.6 1,009
7. Adams  Canada British Columbia, (Shuswap) 299 981
8. Malawi  Malawi
 Mozambique
 Tanzania 		African Great Lakes 292 958
9. Tazawa  Japan Honshu 280 919
10. Issyk Kul  Kyrgyzstan Tien Shan Mountains 278.4 913
11. Shikotsu  Japan Hokkaido

265.4

871

12. Crveno[7]  Croatia Imotski Area

245

804

13. Kivu  Democratic Republic of the Congo
 Rwanda 		African Great Lakes 240 787
13. Matano[7]  Indonesia Sulawesi 240 787
15. Hornindalsvatnet[7]  Norway Vestland 237.6 780
16. Quilotoa  Ecuador Cotopaxi Province

220

722

17. Toba[7]  Indonesia Sumatra 216 707
18. Heaven  China
 North Korea 		Jilin Province (China) and Ryanggang Province (North Korea)

213

699

19. (Caspian Sea[2])  Kazakhstan
 Turkmenistan
 Azerbaijan
 Russia
 Iran 		Caspian Endorheic basin

211

692

20. Karakul  Tajikistan Pamir Mountains 210 689
21. Sarez  Tajikistan Gorno-Badakhshan 201.8 662
22. Kurile  Russia Kamchatka Peninsula

195

640

23. Fagnano  Argentina
 Chile 		Tierra del Fuego

193.8

636

24. Todos los Santos  Chile Los Lagos Region

192.7

632

25. Lake Tinn[7]  Norway Telemark 190 623
26. Dead Sea  Jordan
 Palestine
 Israel 		Middle East

188.4

618

27. Llanquihue  Chile Llanquihue Province and Osorno Province

183.7

603

28. Chapo  Chile Los Lagos Region

183.1

601

29. Maggiore  Italy
  Switzerland 		Lombardy, Piedmont (Italy) and Ticino (Switzerland)

177.4

582

30. Ranau  Indonesia Sumatra 174 571
30. Teletskoye  Russia Altai Mountains 174 571
32. Brienz   Switzerland Bern

173

568

33. Lundevatnet[7]  Norway Rogaland and Agder

172

564

34. Slocan  Canada British Columbia, (West Kootenay) 171 561
34. Van  Turkey Eastern Anatolia Region

171

561

36. Te Anau  New Zealand Southland, South Island

168.8

554

37. Lácar  Argentina Neuquén Province

167

548

38. Riñihue  Chile Valdivia Province

162

531

39. Nimpkish  Canada British Columbia,(Vancouver Island)

161

528

40. Azure  Canada British Columbia, (Wells Gray) 157.2 516
41. Nahuel Huapi  Argentina Río Negro Province and Neuquén Province

157

515

41. Quesnel  Canada British Columbia, (Likely and Horsefly) 157 515
43. Suldalsvatnet[7]  Norway Rogaland

156

512

44. Argentino  Argentina Santa Cruz Province

155.4

510

45. Ohrid  North Macedonia
 Albania 		Balkans 155 508
45. Salvatnet[7]  Norway Trøndelag

155

508

47. Atitlán[7]  Guatemala Guatemalan Highlands of the Sierra Madre

154

505

47. Como[11]  Italy Lombardy

154

505

49. Geneva[7]   Switzerland

 France

Vaud, Geneva, Valais (Switzerland) and Haute-Savoie (France) 153.4 503
50. Jökulsárlón[7]  Iceland Vatnajökull National Park

153

502

51. Harrison  Canada British Columbia, (Coast Mountains)

151.4

497

52. Mjøsa  Norway Innlandet and Akershus

150

492

53. Menéndez  Argentina Chubut Province

149.9

492

54. Manapouri  New Zealand Southland, South Island

149

489

54. Singkarak  Indonesia Western Sumatra 149 489
56. Lake Superior  Canada
 United States 		Ontario (Canada) and Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin (United States) 147 482
57. Chelan  United States Washington (state)

144

472

58. Huechulafquen  Argentina Neuquén Province

142

466

58. Pend Oreille  United States Idaho

142

466

60. Nemrut  Turkey Bitlis Province

140

459

61. Storsjøen[7]  Norway Innlandet

139

456

62. Khövsgöl  Mongolia Nearby the, Eastern Sayan Mountains

138

453

63. Mashū  Japan Hokkaido

137.5

451

64. Lonar  India Deccan Plateau

137

449

64. Ørsdalsvatnet  Norway Rogaland

137

449

66. Garda  Italy Lombardy, Veneto and Trentino

136

446

66. Thun   Switzerland Bern

136

446

68. Ikeda  Japan Kyushu

135

443

69. Lugano   Switzerland
 Italy 		Ticino (Switzerland) and Lombardy (Italy)

134

440

70. Loch Ness[7]  United Kingdom  Scotland, Caledonia 132 433
71. Oppstrynsvatnet[7]  Norway Vestland

130.9

429

72. Wakatipu  New Zealand Otago, South Island

130

427

73. Breimsvatnet[7]  Norway Vestland

129

423

74. Mainit  Philippines Mindanao

128

420

75. Yelcho  Chile Palena Province

127.6

419

76. Great Central  Canada British Columbia, (Vancouver Island) 124 407
76. Iseo  Italy Lombardy

124

407

78. Greve  Chile Southern Patagonian Ice Field

123.3

405

79. Anderson  Canada British Columbia, (Lillooet)

121.7

399

80. Bandak[7]  Norway Telemark

121

397

81. Fyresvatnet  Norway Telemark

120

394

81. Kanas  China Xinjiang, Altay Prefecture

120

394

81. Towuti  Indonesia Southern Sulawesi

120

394

84. Garibaldi  Canada British Columbia, (Coast Mountains) 119 390
85. Toya[7]  Japan Hokkaido

117

384

86. Hauroko  New Zealand Southland, South Island

116.7

383

87. Mabel  Canada British Columbia, (Shuswap)

114

374

88. Poteriteri  New Zealand Southland, South Island

113.1

371

89. Mascardi  Argentina Río Negro Province

111

364

89. Puelo  Argentina Chubut Province

111

364

91. Lake Taupō[7]  New Zealand Waikato, North Island

110

360

92. Öskjuvatn[7]  Iceland Highlands of Iceland

109

358

93. Chilko  Canada British Columbia, (Chilcotin)

108

354

94. Titicaca  Peru
 Bolivia 		Puno Region (Peru) and La Paz Department (Bolivia) 107 351
95. Tatlayoko  Canada British Columbia, (Chilcotin)

106.4

349

96. Seton  Canada British Columbia, (Lillooet)

106.2

348

97. Gander  Canada Newfoundland 105.4 346
98. Guinas  Namibia Oshikoto Region, Tsumeb

105

344

98. Kauhakō Crater[12][13]  United States Hawaii, (Molokai) 105 344
98. Maninjau  Indonesia Central Sumatra

105

344

101. Walen   Switzerland St. Gallen and Glarus

104.7

343

102. Lucerne   Switzerland Central Switzerland

104

341

103. Rivadavia  Argentina Chubut Province

103.7

340

104. Takla  Canada British Columbia, (Mount Blanchet)

103.1

338

105. Cochrane / Pueyrredón[6]  Chile
 Argentina 		Capitán Prat Province (Chile) and Santa Cruz Province (Argentina)

101.8

334

106. Clearwater[7]  Canada British Columbia, (Wells Gray)

101.6

333

107. Futalaufquen  Argentina Chubut Province

101

331

108. Hāwea[7]  New Zealand Otago, South Island

100.5

330

109. Nueltin[7]  Canada Nunavut and Manitoba

100

328

109. Rara    Nepal Karnali Province

100

328

109. Taal  Philippines Southern Luzon

100

328

109. Viedma  Argentina Santa Cruz Province

100

328

Greatest maximum depth by continent[edit]

Greatest mean depth by continent[edit]

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

Note: Lake depths often vary depending on sources. The depths used here are the most reliable figures available in recent sources. See the articles on individual lakes for more details and data sources.

  1. ^ a b Lake Baikal is also the largest freshwater lake by volume.
  2. ^ a b c The Caspian Sea is generally regarded by geographers, biologists and limnologists as a huge inland salt lake. However, the Caspian's large size means that for some purposes it is better modeled as a sea. Geologically, the Caspian, Black, and Mediterranean seas are small oceans, remnants of the ancient Tethys. Politically, the distinction between a sea and a lake may affect how the Caspian is treated by international law.
  3. ^ a b c d e Lake Vostok in Antarctica is a subglacial lake with a depth ranging from 510 to 900 meters.
  4. ^ *CECS, Depth sounding of Lake O'Higgins/San Martín[permanent dead link]
  5. ^ a b Crater Lake in Oregon has a maximum depth of 594m, based on its USGS benchmark surface elevation of 1883m. The US National Park Service publishes different values (1881m for surface elevation, and 592m for the maximum depth). The technical basis of the values determined by the USGS is documented in Closed access icon Bacon, C. R.; Gardner, J. V.; Mayer, L. A.; Buktenica, M. W.; Dartnell, P.; Ramsey, D. W.; Robinson, J. E. (2002). "Morphology, volcanism, and mass wasting in Crater Lake, Oregon". GSA Bulletin. 114 (6): 675–692. Bibcode:2002GSAB..114..675B. doi:10.1130/0016-7606(2002)114<0675:MVAMWI>2.0.CO;2. ISSN 0016-7606. OCLC 4642976847, 196656627. Retrieved 2013-07-08. (subscription required)
  6. ^ a b c d Murdie, Ruth E.; Pugh, David T.; Styles, Peter; Muñoz, Miguel (1999), "Heatflow, Temperature and Bathymetry of Lago General Carrera and Lago Cochrane, Southern Chile" (PDF), Extended Extracts of the Fourth International Symposium on Andean Geodynamics, Gottingen, Germany 04-06/10/1999, Paris: Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, pp. 539–542
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x Walter K. Dodds; Matt R. Whiles (23 September 2010). Freshwater Ecology: Concepts and Environmental Applications of Limnology. Academic Press. pp. 141–142. ISBN 978-0-12-374724-2. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
  8. ^ Degens, E.T.; Wong, H.K.; Kempe, S.; Kurtman, F. (June 1984), "A geological study of Lake Van, eastern Turkey", International Journal of Earth Sciences, 73 (2), Springer: 701–734, Bibcode:1984GeoRu..73..701D, doi:10.1007/BF01824978, S2CID 128628465
  9. ^ a b c d Cael, B. B.; Heathcote, A. J.; Seekell, D. A. (2017). "The volume and mean depth of Earth's lakes". Geophysical Research Letters. 44 (1): 209–218. doi:10.1002/2016GL071378. hdl:1912/8822. ISSN 1944-8007. S2CID 132520745. Archived from the original on 2021-08-24. Retrieved 2021-09-11.
  10. ^ a b Dow, Christine; McCormack, Felicity; Cook, Sue (July 17, 2016). "What Lies Beneath Antarctica's Ice? Lakes, Life and the Grandest of Canyons". The Conversation. Retrieved June 25, 2018.
  11. ^ Buzzi (1997), Documento dell'Istitutoitaliano di idrobiologia
  12. ^ Maciolek, J. A. (April 30, 1982), Lakes and Lake-like Waters of the Hawaiian Archipelago (PDF), Occasional Papers of Berenice P. Bishop Museum, vol. 25[permanent dead link]
  13. ^ Coombs, C. R.; Hawke, B. R.; Wilson, L. (1990), "Terrestrial analogs to lunar sinuous rilles - Kauhako Crater and channel, Kalaupapa, Molokai, and other Hawaiian lava conduit systems", Lunar and Planetary Science Conference Proceedings, 20: 195, Bibcode:1990LPSC...20..195C

Sources[edit]

External links[edit]

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