Top 10 Countries with the Most Lakes in the World
By Priyanka Roshan | May 30, 2025
Think the ocean has all the fun? Think again. These 10 countries are overflowing with lakes—some hidden, some famous, all worth the journey. Here’s where freshwater dreams take flight.
Representative Image: Canva
No country comes close. From the glassy turquoise of Lake Louise to the raw expanse of Great Bear Lake, Canada is a vast, watery wonderland begging to be paddled.
Data Source: World Population Review | Image: Canva
Russia’s Lake Baikal alone holds more water than any lake on Earth. Add giants like Lake Ladoga, and this cold giant becomes a magnet for explorers and solitude seekers alike.
Data Source: World Population Review | Image: Canva
They call it the “Land of a Thousand Lakes”—but it’s actually 188,000. Paddle through Lake Saimaa or take a soul-soothing sauna by Lake Päijänne. Quiet beauty reigns here.
Data Source: World Population Review | Image: Canva
From iconic Great Lakes to hidden gems like Crater Lake, the U.S. offers lakes for every mood—wild, remote, or family-friendly. Lake Michigan and Lake Tahoe headline the show.
Data Source: World Population Review | Image: Canva
China’s lakes are a blend of myth, culture, and altitude. Namtso’s high-altitude shimmer and West Lake’s poetic charm offer two dramatically different faces of this lake-rich nation.
Data Source: World Population Review | Image: Canva
Sweden’s forest-wrapped lakes like Vänern and Siljan are made for midsummer escapes and winter skating. Here, nature doesn’t shout—it hums, deeply and rhythmically, across 22,600 waterscapes.
Data Source: World Population Review | Image: Canva
Not just rivers—Brazil’s lakes are biodiversity hotspots. The Pantanal region is peppered with oxbow lakes teeming with life, while Lagoa dos Patos offers unexpected coastal calm.
Data Source: World Population Review | Image: Canva
Norway’s glacier-fed lakes mirror fjords and clouds. Lake Gjende stuns with its emerald hue, while Mjøsa’s historic towns beckon lakeside wanderers. Here, silence and splendor go hand in hand.
Data Source: World Population Review | Image: Canva
Patagonia’s lakes feel otherworldly. Lake Argentino holds glacial secrets, and Nahuel Huapi is a painter’s dream—rugged peaks, glassy water, and skies that change moods by the hour.
Data Source: World Population Review | Image: Canva
Kazakhstan surprises with lakes like Balkhash—half fresh, half salty—and Tengiz, a birdwatcher’s paradise. Here, the water doesn’t just reflect clouds—it mirrors a land little-touched by time.
Data Source: World Population Review | Image: Canva