The largest lake in Europe

Lake Ladoga

The largest lake in all of Europe.

Surface area17,700 km²
Water volume837 km³
Max depth230 m
Mean depth47 m
Surface elevation5 m a.s.l.
LocationRussia
Typelake formed by glacial erosion and tectonic activity

Where the lake is

The pulsing dot marks the lake's position (Russia).

Lake Ladoga
Area is not volume
13.by surface area
13.by water volume

among the 18 lakes in this section

The map intuition

The largest lake in Europe, so surely a world giant too.

What measurement says

Ladoga is Europe's largest lake, but Baikal holds more than 28 times as much water. A continental record does not imply a similar global rank.

About the lake

Ladoga is the largest lake in Europe: 17,700 km², northeast of St Petersburg. It formed in a basin scoured by the ice sheet and deepened by tectonics, with a ragged, deep north and a shallow, smooth south.

With a maximum depth of 230 m, it holds about 837 km³ of water. During the siege of Leningrad from 1941 to 1943, the Road of Life crossed the lake as a vital supply and evacuation route.

See the face-off: Baikal versus the Great Lakes → Play: which lake holds more water? →

Lake Ladoga: Questions

Yes, if Europe's border is taken at the Urals and the salt Caspian Sea is excluded. Ladoga (17,700 km²) is ahead of neighbouring Onega, the continent's second largest lake.

It was a winter route across the frozen lake. From 1941 to 1943, it carried supplies into besieged Leningrad and helped evacuate residents.

About 837 km³, over 17,700 km² and up to 230 m deep.

Sources and data year
Other lakes in true scale
↑ More waterLake Titicaca893 km³↓ Less waterLake Erie484 km³
Continue exploring

Continue exploring

CatalogLakes in true scaleCompare the area, volume, and depth of 18 lakes around the world.Guess and revealBaikal versus the Great LakesSmaller Baikal holds more water than all five Great Lakes combined.QuizWhich lake holds more water?Guess where depth beats surface area.MapInteractive projection mapDrag countries across projections and toggle distortion layers.WaterWater in true scaleCompare oceans, drainage basins, and lakes. Estimate the scale, then check the data.