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; 10 have a deepest point above the sea level. These are: Issyk-Kul , Crater Lake , Quesnel , Sarez , Toba , Tahoe , Kivu , Nahuel Huapi , Van and Poso .
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.
Lake Tinn
Norway
Telemark
460
1,509
6.41×10 ^ −5
26.
Adams
Canada
British Columbia
457
1,499
3.9×10 ^ −5
27.
Chelan
United States
Washington (state)
453
1,486
3.9×10 ^ −5
27.
Mjøsa
Norway
Innlandet and Akershus
453
1,486
2.33×10 ^ −5
29.
Van [ 8]
Turkey
Eastern Anatolia Region
451
1,480
7.36×10 ^ −6
30.
Poso
Indonesia
Sulawesi
450
1,476
2.5×10 ^ −5
31.
Fagnano
Argentina Chile
Tierra del Fuego
449
1,473
1.77×10 ^ −5
32.
Great Bear
Canada
Northwest Territories
446
1,463
2.53×10 ^ −6
33.
Manapouri
New Zealand
Southland , South Island
444
1,457
3.73×10 ^ −5
34.
Como
Italy
Lombardy
425
1,394
3.52×10 ^ −5
34.
Te Anau
New Zealand
Southland , South Island
425
1,394
2.29×10 ^ −5
36.
Tazawa
Japan
Akita Prefecture , Honshu
423
1,387
8.31×10 ^ −5
37.
Khantayskoye
Russia
Krasnoyarsk Krai
420
1,378
N/D
37.
Wakatipu
New Zealand
Otago , South Island
420
1,378
2.47×10 ^ −5
39.
Grey
Chile
Última Esperanza Province
410
1,345
N/D
40.
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 127 registered lakes; 67 are known to be cryptodepressions . These include: Vostok [ 3] [ 10] (subglacial surface), Concordia (subglacial surface), (Caspian Sea [ 2] ) (subsea surface), Dead Sea (subsea surface) and Jökulsárlón [ 7] (glacial lagoon estuary). The remaining 60 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.
Concordia
Antarctica
Antarctic Plateau
250
820
13.
Crveno [ 7]
Croatia
Imotski Area
245
804
14.
Kivu
Democratic Republic of the Congo Rwanda
African Great Lakes
240
787
14.
Matano [ 7]
Indonesia
Sulawesi
240
787
16.
Hornindalsvatnet [ 7]
Norway
Vestland
237.6
780
17.
Quilotoa
Ecuador
Cotopaxi Province
220
722
18.
Toba [ 7]
Indonesia
Sumatra
216
707
19.
Heaven
North Korea China
Ryanggang Province (North Korea) and Jilin Province (China)
213
699
20.
(Caspian Sea [ 2] )
Kazakhstan Turkmenistan Azerbaijan Russia Iran
Caspian Endorheic basin
211
692
21.
Karakul
Tajikistan
Pamir Mountains
210
689
22.
Sarez
Tajikistan
Gorno-Badakhshan
201.8
662
23.
Kurile
Russia
Kamchatka Peninsula
195
640
24.
Fagnano
Argentina Chile
Tierra del Fuego
193.8
636
25.
Lake Tinn [ 7]
Norway
Telemark
190
623
25.
Todos los Santos
Chile
Llanquihue Province
190
623
27.
Dead Sea
Jordan Palestine Israel
Middle East
188.4
618
28.
Chapo
Chile
Llanquihue Province
183.1
601
29.
Llanquihue
Chile
Llanquihue Province and Osorno Province
182
597
30.
Maggiore
Italy Switzerland
Lombardy , Piedmont (Italy) and Ticino (Switzerland)
177.4
582
31.
Ranau
Indonesia
Sumatra
174
571
31.
Teletskoye
Russia
Altai Mountains
174
571
33.
Brienz
Switzerland
Bern
173
568
33.
Colico
Chile
Cautín Province
173
568
33.
Traful
Argentina
Neuquén Province
173
568
36.
Lundevatnet [ 7]
Norway
Rogaland and Agder
172
564
37.
Slocan
Canada
British Columbia , (West Kootenay )
171
561
37.
Van
Turkey
Eastern Anatolia Region
171
561
39.
Ilopango
El Salvador
San Salvador , La Paz and Cuscatlán
170
558
40.
Te Anau
New Zealand
Southland , South Island
168.8
554
41.
Lácar
Argentina
Neuquén Province
167
548
42.
Rupanco
Chile
Osorno Province
163
535
43.
Riñihue
Chile
Valdivia Province
162
531
44.
Nimpkish
Canada
British Columbia ,(Vancouver Island )
161
528
45.
Azure
Canada
British Columbia , (Wells Gray )
157.2
516
46.
Nahuel Huapi
Argentina
Río Negro Province and Neuquén Province
157
515
46.
Quesnel
Canada
British Columbia , (Likely and Horsefly )
157
515
48.
Suldalsvatnet [ 7]
Norway
Rogaland
156
512
49.
Argentino
Argentina
Santa Cruz Province
155.4
510
50.
Del Toro
Chile
Última Esperanza Province
155
508
50.
Ohrid
North Macedonia Albania
Balkans
155
508
50.
Salvatnet [ 7]
Norway
Trøndelag
155
508
53.
Atitlán [ 7]
Guatemala
Guatemalan Highlands of the Sierra Madre
154
505
53.
Como [ 11]
Italy
Lombardy
154
505
55.
Geneva [ 7]
Switzerland
France
Vaud , Geneva , Valais (Switzerland) and Haute-Savoie (France)
153.4
503
56.
Jökulsárlón [ 7]
Iceland
Vatnajökull National Park
153
502
57.
Harrison
Canada
British Columbia , (Coast Mountains )
151.4
497
58.
Mjøsa
Norway
Innlandet and Akershus
150
492
58.
Powell
Canada
British Columbia , (Sunshine Coast )
150
492
60.
Menéndez
Argentina
Chubut Province
149.9
492
61.
Manapouri
New Zealand
Southland , South Island
149
489
61.
Singkarak
Indonesia
Western Sumatra
149
489
63.
Lake Superior
Canada United States
Ontario (Canada) and Michigan , Minnesota , Wisconsin (United States)
147
482
64.
Chelan
United States
Washington (state)
144
472
65.
Huechulafquen
Argentina
Neuquén Province
142
466
65.
Pend Oreille
United States
Idaho
142
466
67.
Anderson
Canada
British Columbia , (Lillooet )
140
459
67.
Nemrut
Turkey
Bitlis Province
140
459
67.
Redoubt
United States
Alaska , (Baranof Island )
140
459
70.
Storsjøen [ 7]
Norway
Innlandet
139
456
71.
Khövsgöl
Mongolia
Nearby the eastern, Sayan Mountains
138
453
72.
Mashū
Japan
Hokkaido
137.5
451
73.
Lonar
India
Deccan Plateau
137
449
73.
Ørsdalsvatnet
Norway
Rogaland
137
449
75.
Garda
Italy
Lombardy , Veneto and Trentino
136
446
75.
Thun
Switzerland
Bern
136
446
77.
Ikeda
Japan
Kyushu
135
443
77.
Yelcho
Chile
Palena Province
135
443
79.
Lugano
Switzerland Italy
Ticino (Switzerland) and Lombardy (Italy)
134
440
80.
Loch Ness [ 7]
United Kingdom
Scotland , Caledonia
132
433
81.
Oppstrynsvatnet [ 7]
Norway
Vestland
131
429
82.
Wakatipu
New Zealand
Otago , South Island
130
427
83.
Breimsvatnet [ 7]
Norway
Vestland
129
423
84.
Mainit
Philippines
Mindanao
128
420
85.
Panguipulli
Chile
Valdivia Province
126
413
86.
Great Central
Canada
British Columbia , (Vancouver Island )
124
407
86.
Iseo
Italy
Lombardy
124
407
88.
Greve
Chile
Última Esperanza Province
123.3
405
89.
Ranco
Chile
Ranco Province
122
400
89.
Timiskaming
Canada
Ontario and Quebec
122
400
91.
Bandak [ 7]
Norway
Telemark
121
397
91.
Maihue
Chile
Ranco Province
121
397
93.
Fyresvatnet
Norway
Telemark
120
394
93.
Kanas
China
Xinjiang , Altay Prefecture
120
394
93.
Towuti
Indonesia
Southern Sulawesi
120
394
93.
Villarrica
Chile
Cautín Province
120
394
97.
Garibaldi
Canada
British Columbia , (Coast Mountains )
119
390
98.
Caburgua
Chile
Cautín Province
117
384
98.
Toya [ 7]
Japan
Hokkaido
117
384
100.
Hauroko
New Zealand
Southland , South Island
116.7
383
101.
Calafquén
Chile
Cautín Province
115
377
102.
Mabel
Canada
British Columbia , (Shuswap )
114
374
103.
Poteriteri
New Zealand
Southland , South Island
113.1
371
104.
Mascardi
Argentina
Río Negro Province
111
364
104.
Puelo
Argentina
Chubut Province
111
364
106.
Lake Taupō [ 7]
New Zealand
Waikato , North Island
110
360
107.
Öskjuvatn [ 7]
Iceland
Highlands of Iceland
109
358
108.
Chilko
Canada
British Columbia , (Chilcotin )
108
354
109.
Murtle
Canada
British Columbia , (Wells Gray )
107
351
109.
Titicaca
Peru Bolivia
Puno Region (Peru) and La Paz Department (Bolivia)
107
351
111.
Tatlayoko
Canada
British Columbia , (Chilcotin )
106.4
349
112.
Gander
Canada
Newfoundland
105.4
346
113.
Guinas
Namibia
Oshikoto Region , Tsumeb
105
344
113.
Kauhakō Crater [ 12] [ 13]
United States
Hawaii , (Molokai )
105
344
113.
Maninjau
Indonesia
Central Sumatra
105
344
116.
Walen
Switzerland
St. Gallen and Glarus
104.7
343
117.
Lucerne
Switzerland
Central Switzerland
104
341
118.
Rivadavia
Argentina
Chubut Province
103.7
340
119.
Takla
Canada
British Columbia , (Mount Blanchet )
103.1
338
120.
Cochrane / Pueyrredón [ 6]
Chile Argentina
Capitán Prat Province (Chile) and Santa Cruz Province (Argentina)
101.8
334
121.
Clearwater [ 7]
Canada
British Columbia , (Wells Gray )
101.6
333
122.
Futalaufquen
Argentina
Chubut Province
101
331
123.
Hāwea [ 7]
New Zealand
Otago , South Island
100.5
330
124.
Nueltin [ 7]
Canada
Nunavut and Manitoba
100
328
124.
Rara
Nepal
Karnali Province
100
328
124.
Taal
Philippines
Southern Luzon
100
328
124.
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). — 1: Vostok (subglacial lake),[ 3] 2: Concordia (subglacial lake), 3: Ellsworth (subglacial lake).
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] (subglacial lake), 2: Concordia (subglacial lake), 3: Ellsworth (subglacial lake).
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