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 registered lakes; 11 have a deepest point above the sea level. These are: Issyk-Kul , Crater Lake , Quesnel , Sarez , Toba , Tahoe , Kivu , Nahuel Huapi , Van , Poso and Colico .
Name
Country
Region
Depth
Depth2 /area
(meters)
(feet)
1.
Baikal [ 1]
Russia
Southern Siberia : Buryatia and Irkutsk Oblast
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.
Argentino
Argentina
Santa Cruz Province
719
2,359
1.33×10 ^ −5
8.
Malawi
Malawi Mozambique Tanzania
African Great Lakes
706
2,316
4.1×10 ^ −6
9.
Issyk Kul
Kyrgyzstan
Tien Shan Mountains
668
2,192
8.46×10 ^ −6
10.
Great Slave
Canada
Northwest Territories
614
2,015
3.72×10 ^ −6
11.
Crater [ 5]
United States
Oregon
594
1,949
8.16×10 ^ −5
12.
Matano
Indonesia
Southern Sulawesi
590
1,936
4.61×10 ^ −5
13.
General Carrera-Buenos Aires [ 6]
Chile Argentina
General Carrera Province (Chile) and Santa Cruz Province (Argentina)
586
1,923
1.36×10 ^ −5
14.
Hornindalsvatnet
Norway
Vestland
514
1,686
7.2×10 ^ −5
15.
Quesnel
Canada
British Columbia
511
1,677
3.13×10 ^ −5
16.
Sarez
Tajikistan
Gorno-Badakhshan
505
1,657
5.66×10 ^ −5
16.
Toba
Indonesia
Sumatra
505
1,657
1.5×10 ^ −5
18.
Tahoe
United States
California and Nevada
501
1,645
2.26×10 ^ −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
Cautín Province
416
1,365
N/D
41.
Grey
Chile
Última Esperanza Province
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 119 registered lakes; 62 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 57 lakes have got their entire basin above the sea level.
This list contains all lakes whose mean depth is reliably known to exceed 100 metres (328 ft).
Name
Country
Region
Depth
(meters)
(feet)
1.
Baikal [ 1]
Russia
Southern Siberia : Buryatia and Irkutsk Oblast
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
North Korea China
Ryanggang Province (North Korea) and Jilin Province (China)
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
Llanquihue Province
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
184.4
605
28.
Chapo
Chile
Llanquihue Province
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
52.
Powell
Canada
British Columbia , (Sunshine Coast )
150
492
54.
Menéndez
Argentina
Chubut Province
149.9
492
55.
Manapouri
New Zealand
Southland , South Island
149
489
55.
Singkarak
Indonesia
Western Sumatra
149
489
57.
Lake Superior
Canada United States
Ontario (Canada) and Michigan , Minnesota , Wisconsin (United States)
147
482
58.
Chelan
United States
Washington (state)
144
472
59.
Huechulafquen
Argentina
Neuquén Province
142
466
59.
Pend Oreille
United States
Idaho
142
466
61.
Nemrut
Turkey
Bitlis Province
140
459
61.
Redoubt
United States
Alaska , (Baranof Island )
140
459
63.
Storsjøen [ 7]
Norway
Innlandet
139
456
64.
Khövsgöl
Mongolia
Nearby the eastern, Sayan Mountains
138
453
65.
Mashū
Japan
Hokkaido
137.5
451
66.
Lonar
India
Deccan Plateau
137
449
66.
Ørsdalsvatnet
Norway
Rogaland
137
449
68.
Garda
Italy
Lombardy , Veneto and Trentino
136
446
68.
Thun
Switzerland
Bern
136
446
70.
Ikeda
Japan
Kyushu
135
443
71.
Lugano
Switzerland Italy
Ticino (Switzerland) and Lombardy (Italy)
134
440
72.
Loch Ness [ 7]
United Kingdom
Scotland , Caledonia
132
433
73.
Oppstrynsvatnet [ 7]
Norway
Vestland
131
429
74.
Wakatipu
New Zealand
Otago , South Island
130
427
75.
Breimsvatnet [ 7]
Norway
Vestland
129
423
76.
Mainit
Philippines
Mindanao
128
420
77.
Yelcho
Chile
Palena Province
127.6
419
78.
Panguipulli
Chile
Valdivia Province
126
413
79.
Great Central
Canada
British Columbia , (Vancouver Island )
124
407
79.
Iseo
Italy
Lombardy
124
407
81.
Greve
Chile
Última Esperanza Province
123.3
405
82.
Anderson
Canada
British Columbia , (Lillooet )
121.7
399
83.
Bandak [ 7]
Norway
Telemark
121
397
84.
Fyresvatnet
Norway
Telemark
120
394
84.
Kanas
China
Xinjiang , Altay Prefecture
120
394
84.
Towuti
Indonesia
Southern Sulawesi
120
394
84.
Villarrica
Chile
Cautín Province
120
394
88.
Garibaldi
Canada
British Columbia , (Coast Mountains )
119
390
89.
Caburgua
Chile
Cautín Province
117
384
89.
Toya [ 7]
Japan
Hokkaido
117
384
91.
Hauroko
New Zealand
Southland , South Island
116.7
383
92.
Calafquén
Chile
Cautín Province
115
377
93.
Mabel
Canada
British Columbia , (Shuswap )
114
374
94.
Poteriteri
New Zealand
Southland , South Island
113.1
371
95.
Mascardi
Argentina
Río Negro Province
111
364
95.
Puelo
Argentina
Chubut Province
111
364
97.
Lake Taupō [ 7]
New Zealand
Waikato , North Island
110
360
98.
Öskjuvatn [ 7]
Iceland
Highlands of Iceland
109
358
99.
Chilko
Canada
British Columbia , (Chilcotin )
108
354
100.
Murtle
Canada
British Columbia , (Wells Gray )
107
351
100.
Titicaca
Peru Bolivia
Puno Region (Peru) and La Paz Department (Bolivia)
107
351
102.
Tatlayoko
Canada
British Columbia , (Chilcotin )
106.4
349
103.
Seton
Canada
British Columbia , (Lillooet )
106.2
348
104.
Gander
Canada
Newfoundland
105.4
346
105.
Guinas
Namibia
Oshikoto Region , Tsumeb
105
344
105.
Kauhakō Crater [ 12] [ 13]
United States
Hawaii , (Molokai )
105
344
105.
Maninjau
Indonesia
Central Sumatra
105
344
108.
Walen
Switzerland
St. Gallen and Glarus
104.7
343
109.
Lucerne
Switzerland
Central Switzerland
104
341
110.
Rivadavia
Argentina
Chubut Province
103.7
340
111.
Takla
Canada
British Columbia , (Mount Blanchet )
103.1
338
112.
Cochrane / Pueyrredón [ 6]
Chile Argentina
Capitán Prat Province (Chile) and Santa Cruz Province (Argentina)
101.8
334
113.
Clearwater [ 7]
Canada
British Columbia , (Wells Gray )
101.6
333
114.
Futalaufquen
Argentina
Chubut Province
101
331
115.
Hāwea [ 7]
New Zealand
Otago , South Island
100.5
330
116.
Nueltin [ 7]
Canada
Nunavut and Manitoba
100
328
116.
Rara
Nepal
Karnali Province
100
328
116.
Taal
Philippines
Southern Luzon
100
328
116.
Viedma
Argentina
Santa Cruz Province
100
328
Greatest maximum depth by continent [ edit ]
Africa — 1: Tanganyika , 2: Malawi , 3: Kivu
Antarctica — 1: Radok (surface lake); Vostok (subglacial lake)[ 3]
Asia — 1: Baikal , 2: Issyk Kul , 3: Matano
Eurasia — 1: Baikal , 2: Caspian Sea , 3: Issyk Kul
Europe — 1: Hornindalsvatnet , 2: Salvatnet , 3: Lake Tinn
North America — 1: Great Slave , 2: Crater , 3: Quesnel
Oceania — 1: Hauroko , 2: Manapouri , 3: Te Anau
South America — 1: Viedma , 2: O'Higgins/San Martín , 3: Argentino
Greatest mean depth by continent [ edit ]
Africa — 1: Tanganyika , 2: Malawi , 3: Kivu
Antarctica — 1: Vostok [ 3]
Asia — 1: Baikal , 2: Tazawa , 3: Issyk-Kul
Europe — 1: Crveno , 2: Hornindalsvatnet , 3: Lake Tinn
North America — 1: Crater , 2: Tahoe , 3: Adams
Oceania — 1: Te Anau , 2: Manapouri , 3: Wakatipu
South America — 1: General Carrera-Buenos Aires , 2: Quilotoa , 3: Fagnano
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.
^ a b Lake Baikal is also the largest freshwater lake by volume.
^ 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.
^ a b c d e Lake Vostok in Antarctica is a subglacial lake with a depth ranging from 510 to 900 meters.
^ *CECS, Depth sounding of Lake O'Higgins/San Martín [permanent dead link ]
^ 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 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)
^ 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
^ 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 .
^ 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
^ 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. Bibcode :2017GeoRL..44..209C . doi :10.1002/2016GL071378 . hdl :1912/8822 . ISSN 1944-8007 . S2CID 132520745 . Archived from the original on 2021-08-24. Retrieved 2021-09-11 .
^ 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 .
^ Buzzi (1997), Documento dell'Istitutoitaliano di idrobiologia
^ 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 ]
^ 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