Largest lakes & reservoirs in Minnesota by acres
There is no widely-accepted minimum surface area that defines a lake. What LakeLubbers describes as a lake, you might call a pond. Acreage of a lake (or sometimes square kilometers) is most often measured at the top surface area when the lake is at normal elevation. The surface area can be considerably smaller or larger when lake levels are lower or higher than normal. North America’s Lake Superior is the world’s largest freshwater lake by this measure.The other measure of a lake’s size is the lake’s water volume. By that measure, the world’s largest freshwater lake is Lake Baikal in Siberia.
You can find many of the world’s largest lakes (acres) on LakeLubbers in the comparison table below. Note: For some lakes, "Largest Lakes - Acres" data is unknown or does not apply, so you may see fewer lakes than the total 116 articles we have published for Minnesota lakes.
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Below are lakes within USA > US Midwest Region > Minnesota > Compared by surface area in acres. This list does not represent all lakes in Minnesota, only the 116 Minnesota lake articles we have published on the LakeLubbers website.
Lake name | Surface area in acres | Lake description |
---|---|---|
Whitefish Lake, MN (Central Minnesota, Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
7,370 ac | Also known as Upper Whitefish Lake and Lower Whitefish Lake, Whitefish Chain of Lakes The natural beauty of Whitefish Lake will leave visitors spellbound and ready to leave the cares of the world behind. Nestled in the Central Region of … |
Burntside Lake, MN (Minnesota, Northeast Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
7,314 ac | Burntside Lake is an impressive nine-mile long lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota. With a surface area of 7,314 acres and no motor restrictions, Burn … |
Lake Minnewaska MN (Central Minnesota, Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
7,110 ac | Also known as Minnewaska Lake Perfectly positioned in Minnesota’s Central region for easy access, Lake Minnewaska offers the best of everything in lake-based recreation. Over 7,000 … |
Pokegama Lake (Minnesota, Northeast Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
6,612 ac | Also known as Lake Pokegama Pokegama Lake has been a premier vacation destination for over 100 years. Located on the southwestern side of Grand Rapids, Minnesota in Itasca County … |
Lake Bemidji, MN (Minnesota, Northwest Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
6,420 ac | Also known as Bemidji Lake A cornucopia of soothing sound, rejuvenating sights and the invigorating scents of nature at work, Lake Bemidji is one of Minnesota’s natural gems. A … |
Lac qui Parle, MN (Minnesota, Southern Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
6,400 ac | Thousands of feathered creatures gather here, nesting, breeding and chattering about things only birds would know about. For the myriad sounds the bir … |
Lake Osakis, MN (Central Minnesota, Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
6,361 ac | Also known as Osakis Lake Lake Osakis, stretched across the prairie in the Central Region of Minnesota, has been a vacation destination for several generations of ‘lake lubbers … |
Big Sandy Lake, MN (Minnesota, Northeast Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
6,263 ac | Big Sandy Lake is located in Minnesota’s northeast Aitkin County, home to over one million acres of hardwood forest and 365 lakes. With the majority o … |
North Long Lake, MN (Central Minnesota, Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
5,998 ac | Also known as Brainerd Lakes Covering almost 6,000 acres, North Long Lake is one of the largest and most popular of the Brainerd Lakes. North Long Lake is located in the Central R … |
Birch Lake, MN (Minnesota, Northeast Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
5,628 ac | Located in St. Louis County Minnesota and the Superior National Forest, Birch Lake is an escape from the hustle and bustle of the concrete civilizatio … |
Lake Lida, MN (Central Minnesota, Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
5,564 ac | Also known as North Lake Lida Located in the Central Region of Minnesota, Lake Lida (also known as North Lake Lida) is a 5,564-acre lake known for its prime walleye fishing. With a … |
Green Lake MN (Central Minnesota, Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
5,560 ac | Minnesota’s moniker is the ‘Land of 10,000 Lakes,’ and 5,560-acre Green Lake became known as the ‘Gem of 10,000 Lakes’ during its development in the e … |