Natural Resources Canada
Symbol of the Government of Canada
Skip to content | Skip to institutional links

Common menu bar links

Natural Resources Canada > Atlas Home > Learning Resources > Facts about Canada > Lakes

Institutional links


Advanced Search 


Return to previous pageReturn to previous page

Lakes

Photo of a lakeCanada has a huge number of lakes (the exact total number is unknown). The tables below give numbers and names of the largest lakes larger than 400 square kilometres.

List of Lake Facts:

Notes for Province and Territory Tables

The total area of a lake includes the area of islands. The net area is the area of the water surface.

Lakes lying across provincial boundaries are listed in the province with the greater lake area.

Source: Canada. Environment Canada. Inland Waters Branch. 1973. Inventory of Freshwater Lakes. Ottawa.


Number of Lakes by Region (size classes are in square kilometres)
Region 3 to 99 100
to
199		 200 to 399 400 to 999 1000
to
2499		 2500
to
9999		 10 000
to
36 000		 Total
Atlantic Provinces1 1 761 19 5 4 1 2 0 1 792
Quebec 8 182 49 27 12 5 0 0 8 275
Ontario 3 837 34 12 9 1 2 4 3 899
Prairie Provinces2 5 245 65 39 18 8 5 1 5 381
British Columbia 838 6 12 4 1 0 0 861
Territories3 11 328 108 60 35 8 3 2 11 544
Canada 31 191 281 155 82 24 12 7 31 752

1Atlantic Provinces: Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick
2Prairie Provinces: Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta
3Territories: Yukon Territory, Northwest Territories, Nunavut


Newfoundland and Labrador - Lake Areas and Elevation (lakes larger than 400 square kilometres)
Name of Water Body Net Area
(square kilometres)		 Total Area
(square kilometres)		 Elevation
(metres)
Smallwood Reservoir 6460 6527 471
Lake Melville 3005 3069 Tidal
Ashuanipi Lake 517 596 529
Grand Lake 358 537 85
Lac Joseph 397 451 512
Atikonak Lake 358 431 518

Nova Scotia - Lake Areas and Elevation (lakes larger than 400 square kilometres)
Name of Water Body Net Area
(square kilometres)		 Total Area
(square kilometres)		 Elevation
(metres)
Bras d'Or Lake 1091 1099 Tidal

Quebec - Lake Areas and Elevation (lakes larger than 400 square kilometres)
Name of Water Body Net Area
(square kilometres)		 Total Area
(square kilometres)		 Elevation
(metres)
Lac Mistassini 2164 2335 372
Réservoir Gouin 1239 1570 404
Lac à l'Eau Claire 1253 1383 241
Lac Bienville 1047 1249 426
Lac Saint-Jean 1002 1003 98
Réservoir Pipmuacan 802 978 396
Lac Minto 703 761 168
Réservoir Cabonga 484 677 361
Lac Sakami 533 592 195
Lac Manouane 448 584 494
Lacs des Loups Marins 499 576 262
Lac Evans 475 547 232
Lac Payne 508 533 130
Lac Caniapiscau 410 470 564
Lac aux Feuilles 443 452 tidal
Lac Albanel 425 444 389
Réservoir Dozois 335 405 389
Réservoir Manicouagan not available not
available		 not
available
Lac Guillaume-Delisle not available not
available		 not
available
Réservoir Robert Bourassa not available not
available		 not
available

Ontario - Lake Areas and Elevation (lakes larger than 400 square kilometres)
Name of Water Body Net Area
(square kilometres)		 Total Area
(square kilometres)		 Elevation
(metres)
Lake Superior not
available		 28 700* 184
Lake Huron not
available		 36 000* 177
Lake Erie not
available		 12 800* 174
Lake Ontario not
available		 10 000 75
Lake Nipigon 4 510 4 848 260
Lake of the Woods 2 458 3 150 323
Lac Seul 1 373 1 657 357
Lake St. Clair 436 490 175
Rainy Lake 692 741 338
Lake Abitibi 903 931 265
Lake Nipissing 822 832 196
Lake Simcoe 723 744 219
Big Trout Lake 624 661 213
Sandy Lake 507 527 275
St. Joseph Lake 459 493 371
Trout Lake 368 413 394

* Areas of lake found in Canada.


Manitoba - Lake Areas and Elevation (lakes larger than 400 square kilometres)
Name of Water Body Net Area
(square kilometres)		 Total Area
(square kilometres)		 Elevation
(metres)
Lake Winnipeg 23 760 24 387 217
Lake Winnipegosis 5164 5 374 254
Lake Manitoba 4 607 4 624 248
Southern Indian Lake 2 015 2 247 254
Cedar Lake 1 321 1 353 253
Island Lake 1 043 1 223 227
Gods Lake 1 061 1 151 178
Cross Lake 590 755 207
Playgreen Lake 652 657 217
Dauphin Lake 519 519 260
Granville Lake 429 490 258
Sipiwesk Lake 346 454 183
Oxford Lake 349 401 186
Molson Lake 391 400 221

Saskatchewan - Lake Areas and Elevation (lakes larger than 400
square kilometres)
Name of Water Body Net Area
(square kilometres)		 Total Area
(square kilometres)		 Elevation
(metres)
Lake Athabasca 7849 7935 213
Reindeer Lake 5658 6650 337
Wollaston Lake 2286 2681 398
Cree Lake 1228 1434 487
Lac la Ronge 1333 1413 364
Peter Pond Lake 777 778 421
Doré Lake 628 640 459
Churchill Lake 543 559 421
Deschambault Lake 532 542 324
Frobisher Lake 397 516 421
Black Lake 428 464 281
Montreal Lake 447 454 490
Primrose Lake 444 448 599
Amisk Lake 347 430 294
Pinehouse Lake 373 404 384

Alberta - Lake Areas and Elevation (lakes larger than 400 square kilometres)
Name of Water Body Net Area
(square kilometres)		 Total Area
(square kilometres)		 Elevation
(metres)
Lake Claire 1415 1436 213
Lesser Slave Lake 1167 1168 577
Bistcho Lake 413 426 552

British Columbia - Lake Areas and Elevation (lakes larger than 400 square kilometres)
Name of Water Body Net Area
(square kilometres)		 Total Area
(square kilometres)		 Elevation
(metres)
Williston Lake 1750 1761 671
Atlin Lake 589 775 668
Babine Lake 479 495 711
Kootenay Lake 407 407 532
Ootsa Lake 386 404 853

Yukon Territory - Lake Areas and Elevation (lakes larger than 400 square kilometres)
Name of Water Body Net Area
(square kilometres)		 Total Area
(square kilometres)		 Elevation
(metres)
Kluane Lake 405 409 781

Northwest Territories - Lake Areas and Elevation (lakes larger than 400 square kilometres)
Name of Water Body Net Area
(square kilometres)		 Total Area
(square kilometres)		 Elevation
(metres)
Great Bear Lake 30 764 31 328 156
Great Slave Lake 27 048 28 568 156
Lac la Martre 1 687 1 776 265
Kasba Lake 1 317 1 341 336
MacKay Lake 977 1 061 431
Hottah Lake 840 918 180
Aylmer Lake 809 847 375
Nonacho Lake 698 784 354
Clinton-Colden Lake 596 737 375
Selwyn Lake 593 717 398
Point Lake 594 701 375
Wholdaia Lake 608 678 364
Lac de Gras 577 633 396
Buffalo Lake 612 612 265
Tathlina Lake 573 573 280
Artillery Lake 535 551 364
Snowbird Lake 490 505 359
Trout Lake 504 504 503
Lac des Bois 469 469 297
Colville Lake 452 455 245
Faber Lake 416 439 213

Nunavut - Lake Areas and Elevation (lakes larger than 400 square kilometres)
Name of Water Body Net Area
(square kilometres)		 Total Area
(square kilometres)		 Elevation
(metres)
Nettilling Lake 5063 5542 30
Dubawnt Lake 3629 3833 236
Amadjuak Lake 3058 3115 113
Nueltin Lake 2033 2279 278
Baker Lake 1783 1887 2
Yathkyed Lake 1334 1449 140
Aberdeen Lake 1095 1100 80
Napaktulik Lake 1030 1080 381
Garry Lake 916 976 148
Contwoyto Lake 933 957 564
Ennadai Lake 669 681 311
Tulemalu Lake 662 668 279
Kamilukuak Lake 631 638 266
Kaminak Lake 554 600 53
Ferguson Lake 562 588 11
Tebesjuak Lake 501 575 146
Qamanirjuaq Lake 548 549 92
Lake Hazen 537 542 158
Princess Mary Lake 471 524 116
South Henik Lake 513 513 184
Angikuni Lake 437 510 257
Hall Lake 474 491 6
Tehek Lake 455 481 133
Mallery Lake 467 479 158
MacAlpine Lake 421 447 176
Bluenose Lake 391 401 557
Date Modified: 2009-08-12

Top of Page
Important Notices