dozens of large and deep Natural lakes can be found all over the world, with the majority of them being freshwater. Many of the world’s deepest lakes formed naturally thousands or millions of years ago and are spread across the globe. Thousands of new species have been discovered in the lakes’ deep water. Many notable lakes are located above the globe’s equator.
Baikal Lake is the world’s deepest natural lake, with a depth of 1,637 metres below the surface. Baikal is located in Russia and has thick ice covers in the winter. Tanganyika and the Caspian Sea are the world’s second and third deepest lakes, respectively.
Photo by Raimond Klavins on Unsplash
| Rank | Name | Country | Depth (meters) | Depth (feet) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baikal | Russia Siberia | 1,637 | 5,369 |
| 2 | Tanganyika | Tanzania, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, Zambia Situated in East Africa | 1,470 | 4,823 |
| 3 | Caspian Sea | Iran, Russia, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan | 1,025 | 3,363 |
| 4 | Vostok | Antarctica | 1,000 | 3,300 |
| 5 | O'Higgins-San Martín | Chile, Argentina Aysen (Chile), Santa Cruz (Argentina) | 836 | 2,742 |
| 6 | Malawi | Mozambique, Tanzania, Malawi | 706 | 2,316 |
| 7 | Issyk Kul | Kyrgyzstan | 668 | 2,192 |
| 8 | Great Slave | Canada Northwest Territories | 614 | 2,015 |
| 9 | Crater | United States Oregon | 594 | 1,949 |
| 10 | Matano | Indonesia South Sulawesi | 590 | 1,936 |
| 11 | General Carrera-Buenos Aires | Chile, Argentina | 586 | 1,923 |
| 12 | Hornindalsvatnet | Norray Vestland | 514 | 1,686 |
| 13 | Quesnel | Canada British Columbia | 511 | 1,677 |
| 14 | Toba | Indonesia Sumatra | 505 | 1,657 |
| 15 | Sarez | Tajikistan | 505 | 1,657 |
| 16 | Tahoe | United States British Columbia | 501 | 1,645 |
| 17 | Argentino | Argentina Santa Cruz (Patagonia) | 500 | 1,640 |
| 18 | Kivu | Congo, Rwanda | 480 | 1,575 |
| 19 | Salsvatnet | Norway Trondelag | 464 | 1,523 |
| 20 | Nahuel Huapi | Argentina Rio Negro, Patagonia | 464 | 1,523 |
