Last Updated on 29th September 2022 by admin
In this article, we bring you a list of the top 10 largest freshwater lakes in the world by surface area. A lake is a body of water that does not contain saline water. These lakes are surrounded by land and have calm waters. These lakes are usually located in low-lying areas and get their water from rivers, streams and rainfall. These lakes are home to many flora and fauna species.Here is the list of the 10 largest freshwater lakes in the world:
10) Lake Erie
Area: 25,774 sq km
Location: North America (Great lakes)
Discoverer: Lois Joliet
Feature:
Lake Erie is the tenth-largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area, the fourth largest lake by volume, and the smallest of the five Great Lakes of North America. It reaches a depth of 210 feet at its deepest point.
Fish habitat:
Walley, yellow perch, white perch, rainbow smelt, Alewife, and big mouth buffalo are all prominent freshwater fish found here.
Flora and fauna:
Black bear, fox, coyote, otter, moose, elk, white-tailed deer, beaver, grey wolf, and Canada lynx are some of the animals that dwell near Lake Erie. Whooping cranes, snowy owls, wood ducks, piping plovers, and bald eagles are the main bird species found here.
Human Settlement:
Cities such as Erie, Cleveland, Buffalo, Toledo, and Monroe can be found along the Lake Erie shoreline.
The principal islands of Lake Erie are Pelee Island, Turtle Island, and South Bass Island.
9) Great Slave Lake
Area: 27,200 sq km
Location: Canada
Discoverer: Samuel Hearne
Feature:
The Great Slave Lake is one of the world’s largest lakes. It is the ninth biggest freshwater lake in the world and the deepest lake in North America, with a depth of 2014 feet at its deepest point. The lake is named after an Indian tribe that was enslaved. Slave River, Hay River, Taltson River, Snare River, Lockhart River, and Yellow Knife River are the lake’s principal inflow sources. Mackenzie is the lake’s main outflow.
Fish habitat:
The fish species observed in the Great Slave Lake of Canada comprise lake whitefish, trout, cisco, and grayling.
Flora and fauna:
Animal, reptile, and bird species found near the Great Lake also include grizzly bears, hippopotamus, crocodiles, pelicans, eagles, gulls, arctic tern, and kingfishers.
Human Settlement:
The cities of Alberta, Athabasca, Barrhead, and Westlock, Canada, all thrive around Great Slave Lake.
The region is economically strong because of gold and diamond mining near the lake’s shoreline.
8) Lake Malawi
Area: 29,600 sq km
Location: Africa (Great Lakes of Africa)
Discoverer: Dravid Livingstone
Feature:
It is the 8thlargest freshwater lake in the world, and the fifth-largest freshwater lake in terms of volume. Lake Malawi has formed some 2 million years ago as a result of a volcanic eruption. In Tanzania, the beautiful river Malawi is known as Lake Niassa, while in Mozambique, it is known as Nag Niassa. The Malawi lake is 2316 feet deep at its deepest point. River Ruhuhu is the main source of water for this ancient river, which goes out as the Shire River.
Fish habitat:
The Malawi River is home to a variety of fish species that are the primary food supply for the people that live nearby. Sardines, kampango, catfish, and cichlids are some of the most prevalent species.
Flora and fauna:
Around the gorgeous lake, Nile crocodiles, hippopotamuses, African fish eagles, and monkeys can be found.
Human Settlement:
Lilongwe, Blantyre, Malawi, Mzuzu, and Zomba are the major cities surrounding Lake Malawi. Here you will find people of many religions and cultures. Tea, tobacco, and sugarcane were the main industries that thrived here.
7) Great Bear Lake
Area: 31,153 sq km
Location: Canada
Discoverer: Sir John Franklin
Feature:
Great Bear Lake is Canada’s largest lake, and it is located in the boreal forest region of the country. The deepest point of the seventh-largest lake of the world is 1464 feet. The Whitefish River, Big Spruce River, Haldane River, Sloan River, Bloody River, and Dease River are the principal rivers that feed the Great Bear Lake.
Fish habitat:
White suckers, Burbot, White Fish, and Trout are some of the common fish species found in the lake.
Flora and fauna:
Various animal species such as caribou, moose, muskat, musk ox, fox beaver, arctic hare, wolf, and wolverine live along the picturesque lake shoreline.
Human settlement:
The main cities settled around Great Bear Lake are Tuktoyatuk, Fort Simpson, Yellowknife, Inuvik and Behchoko
The radioactive mineral pitchblende, which has medical applications in the treatment of cancer, is discovered on the lake’s eastern shore.
6) Lake Baikal
Area: 31,722 sq km
Location: Siberia (Russia)
Discoverer: Kurbat Ivanov
Feature:
Baikal lake is the largest freshwater lake by volume and the 6th largest by surface area. This massive lake is thedeepest of all the freshwater lakes in the world and the deepest point lies at 5387 feet. The timeless lake is recorded to have existed for 25 million years ago, that is the reason it is counted among the world’s most ancient lakes. The main inflow source in the lake Baikal is Selenge, Reka Barquzin, Reka UDA, Reka, Chikoy, Upper Angara, and river Khilok.
Fish habitat:
Fish species found in the great lake are omul, Baikal Sturgeon, and Arctic grayling.
Flora and fauna:
Lake Baikal shoreline is home to bears, reindeer, Siberian Roe deer, Elk and wolves.
Human settlement:
Famous cities along the shoreline of Lake Baikal are Baykalsk, Slyudyanka, Severobaykalsk and Ust-Barguzin. Being a hub for several water activities these cities have also become famous tourist destinations.
5) Tanganyika Lake
Area: 32,900 sq km
Location: Africa (Great lakes)
Discoverer: Richard burton and John Speke
Feature:
Lake Tanganyika is the longest freshwater lake of the world. One of the largest lakes of the world is a part of the Great Lakes of Africa. The deepest point of the lake is around 4826ft. Due to great depth, the deeper water is devoid of oxygen and is called fossil water. Rice is the main crop grown along the fertile shoreline.
Fish habitat:
Sleek Lates, Sprat, and sardine are the most common fish found in the lake.
Flora and fauna:
The lake is a habitat of various animals, birds, and reptile species main of them are the hippopotamus, crocodiles, bald eagles, swans and kingfisher.
Human Settlement:
Fisheries and farming are frequent occupations for those who live around the coast. The Tanganyika basin is mineral-rich, making the soil ideal for a variety of crops. This magnificent lake is also one of the world’s oldest lakes, and it gives life to new species.
4) Lake Michigan
Area: 58,013 sq km
Location: North America (Great Lakes)
Discoverer: Nicolet
Feature:
Lake Michigan is one of North America’s great lakes. When compared to the great lakes of North America, it is the second-largest freshwater lake by volume and the third-largest lake by area. The deepest point of the lake is located at 923feet deep.
Fish habitat:
Trout, Yellow perch, Smallmouth Bass Bowfin and Largemouth Bass are the commonly found fish species.
Flora and fauna:
Slender naiad, pondweeds, bladderwort, and water celery are common plants seen in and around lake Michigan. Squirrels, rabbits, cougar, moose, bats and coyotes are animals native to Michigan lake.
Human Settlement:
The major cities formed along the shoreline of Lake Michigan include Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin. The lake’s shoreline is made up of beaches and sand dunes. These dunes make up the world’s largest freshwater dune system.
Around 12 million people live along the Lake Michigan shoreline, and the lake’s contributions to the development of people’s lifestyles are unrivaled.
Beaver Island is the largest island in the lap of the lake.
3) Huron lake
Area: 59,600 sq km
Location: North America (Great Lakes)
Discoverer: Samuel de Champlain and Entienne Brule
Feature:
Huron is the third-largest freshwater lake byarea. It is also the second-largest of North America’s Great Lakes. Huron Lake is located between Michigan’s eastern shore and Ontario, Canada. Lake Huron and the St. Claire River are connected by the Mackinac Straits. During the ice age, ice glaciers formed the spectacular Huron Lake.
Fish habitat:
The majestic Lake Huron is home to a variety of fish species, including Round Whitefish, Ruffe, Sea Lamprey, smallmouth bass, White Perch, Yellow Perch, and White Sucker.
Flora and fauna:
The great Lake Huron encompasses a lush green forest area that includes Aspen, Pine, and hardwood forest. According to scientific investigations, Lake Huron also possesses underwater petrified trees that are over 7000 years old. Black bears, foxes, beavers, lynxes, river otters, and moose are the main animal species found here.
Human settlement:
The massive lake dwells in renowned cities which are Sarnia, Port Huron, Alpana, Bay City, Cheboygan, Owen Sound, St, Ignace, and Goderich. There are 120 lighthouses guarding Lake Huron around its shore.
2) Lake Victoria
Area: 68,800 sq km
Location: Africa (Great lakes)
Discoverer: John Henning Speke
Feature:
Lake Victoria is the second-largest lake in the world. The lake was named after Queen Victoria. It is oneof Africa’s Great Lakes. Rainfall is the primary source of input water into the lake, and the Kagera River is the largest river that feeds it. Thousands of streams provide additional water sources in the lakes. One of the greatest freshwater lakes has a depth of 81 meters (266 feet).
Fish habitat:
Lake Victoria is home to a variety of fish species, including Cichlids and Nile Perch (invasive fish).
Flora and Fauna:
Hippopotamus, African clawless otter, marsh mongoose, cane rats, Nile crocodile, and mud turtle are among the animals that can be found. The longest river in the world Nile is the only outflow of Lake Victoria.
Human settlement:
For innumerable villages and communities, the lake is a source of income through business, cultivation, and farming. Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania are the three main settlements.
1) Lake Superior
Area: 82,103 sq km
Location: North America (Great Lakes)
Discoverer: Etienne Brule
Feature:
This gorgeous freshwater body holds 10% of the world’s entire freshwater supply. Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area, with a depth of 1333 feet) at its deepest point. It gets its water from 300 rivers and streams. In the summer, it provides cool, fresh water with a temperature of 2 degrees Celsius (36 degrees Fahrenheit). Lake Superior, the world’s largest freshwater lake, can produce massive 9.45-meter (31-foot) waves.
Fish habitat:
This magnificent lake is home to 78 different fish species.
Lake White Fish, Sea Lamprey, Lake Trout, Walleye, Burbot, and Lake Sturgeon are some of the most prevalent fish species found in this vast lake.
Flora and fauna:
The Lake Superior watershed is home to 48 different orchard species. Moose, black bear, White-tailed deer, Wolf, Beaver, Lynx and western painted turtle have settlements around the massive lake.
Human settlements:
The largest of the 400 islands that make up the massive lake is Isle Royale. Duluth, Superior, Thunder Bay, and Marquette are the main cities around Lake Superior.
Lakes are gorgeous, calm, and pure. These lakes provide food and shelterfor millions of mammals, birds, and animal species, as well as thriving cities along their shorelines. The world’s largest lakes are natural endowments that serve every life on the planet with love and care.