List of largest lakes of the United States by area Facts for Kids

The United States is home to many amazing lakes, from huge natural wonders to large lakes created by people. This article lists the biggest lakes in the U.S. based on their average surface area. The top 20 lakes are recognized by the National Atlas of the United States.

Some lakes are shared with Canada or Mexico. For these, the size listed is the total size of the lake, not just the part within the U.S. Out of the 100 largest lakes, 55 were made by people (man-made), and 45 were formed naturally. Two of the top 100 lakes have salty water, and two have brackish water, which is a mix of fresh and salty water.

A picture showing the sizes of the 15 largest lakes in the U.S.

The Biggest Lakes in the U.S.

Here are the largest lakes in the United States by their average surface area.

Rank	Name	States/Provinces	Area (square miles)	Type	Notes
1	Lake Superior	Michigan–Minnesota–Wisconsin–Ontario	31,700	natural
2	Lake Huron	Michigan–Ontario	23,000	natural
3	Lake Michigan	Illinois–Indiana–Michigan–Wisconsin	22,300	natural
4	Lake Erie	Michigan–New York–Ohio–Ontario–Pennsylvania	9,910	natural
5	Lake Ontario	New York–Ontario	7,340	natural
6	Lake of the Woods	Manitoba–Minnesota–Ontario	1,679	natural
7	Iliamna Lake	Alaska	1,014	natural
8	Great Salt Lake	Utah	950	natural	Salty water
9	Lake Oahe	North Dakota–South Dakota	685	man-made
10	Lake Okeechobee	Florida	662	natural
11	Lake Pontchartrain	Louisiana	631	natural	Brackish water
12	Lake Sakakawea	North Dakota	520	man-made
13	Lake Champlain	New York–Vermont–Quebec	490	natural
14	Becharof Lake	Alaska	453	natural
15	Lake St. Clair	Michigan–Ontario	440	natural
16	Red Lake	Minnesota	427	natural
17	Selawik Lake	Alaska	404	natural
18	Fort Peck Lake	Montana	393	man-made
19	Salton Sea	California	347	man-made	Salty water
20	Rainy Lake	Minnesota–Ontario	345	natural

In Spanish: Anexo:Lagos y embalses de Estados Unidos por superficie para niños

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List of largest lakes of the United States by area Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.

List of largest lakes of the United States by area facts for kids

The Biggest Lakes in the U.S.