Major Lakes and Ponds Around the World: A Continental Survey

Notable Water Bodies by Continent

Lakes and ponds dot every continent. Below is a selection of significant ones grouped by region.

North America

Canada

• Great Lakes: Superior, Huron, Erie, Ontario (shared with US)
• Lake Winnipeg, Lake Athabasca, Great Slave Lake, Great Bear Lake

United States

• Lake Michigan (Great Lake), Lake Tahoe, Crater Lake, Lake Okeechobee, Lake Powell, Lake Mead, Salton Sea

Mexico

• Lake Chapala, Lake Pátzcuaro, Lake Texcoco (historic)

South America

• Brazil: Lagoa dos Patos, Lagoa Mirim, Pantanal (wetland)
• Argentina: Mar Chiquita, Laguna de Chascomús, Laguna de Lobos
• Chile: Lake General Carrera, Lake Llanquihue, Lake Villarrica

Europe

• Russia: Lake Baikal, Ladoga, Onega
• Finland: Saimaa, Päijänne, Inari
• Sweden: Vänern, Vättern, Mälaren
• Norway: Mjøsa, Randsfjorden, Tyrifjorden

Asia

• China: Taihu, Poyang, Dongting, Hongze, Chao
• India: Chilka, Pulicat, Kolleru, Loktak, Wular
• Russia (Asian part): Baikal, Teletskoye, Uvs Nuur

Africa

• Tanzania: Tanganyika, Victoria, Nyasa (Malawi)
• Uganda: Kyoga, Victoria, Albert
• Kenya: Turkana, Naivasha, Nakuru

Australia

• Western Australia: Argyle, Dora, MacLeod
• Northern Territory: Amadeus, Eyre, Frome
• Queensland: Carpentaria, Buchanan, Tinaroo

Antarctica

• McMurdo Dry Valleys: Lake Vanda, Bonney, Fryxell (permanently ice‑covered)

This list highlights major examples; thousands more exist globally.