Two canoes crossing open water between forested points in the Boundary Waters

Updated August 2026

Largest Lakes in Nova Scotia

50 Nova Scotia lakes with measured surface area, ranked by acreage.

Lakes with area data

14,173

Largest (acres)

980

Median of top 50

0/50

Reservoirs (vs natural)

Reading Nova Scotia's size profile

Nova Scotia's largest lake by surface area is Ainslie Lake in Inverness County, spanning 14,173 acres and reaching 59.1 ft deep. Most of Nova Scotia's biggest waters are natural basins left by glaciers, with stable shorelines and deep main basins.

Surface area is a poor proxy for water quality on its own — a large lake can hold a clean, deep core and a nutrient-loaded bay at the same time. Each lake below links to its full page with nutrient readings, clarity, depth, and EPA impairment status. Area figures come from state DNR surveys and the USACE National Inventory of Dams; water-quality readings come from EPA and state monitoring data.

The 50 biggest lakes in Nova Scotia by surface area

#	Lake	County	Surface area	Max depth
1	Ainslie Lake	Inverness	14,173 acres	59.1 ft
2	Minamkeak Lake	Lunenburg	1,949 acres	52.5 ft
3	Tangier Grand Lake	Halifax	1,940 acres	98.4 ft
4	Black River Lake	Kings	1,650 acres	39.4 ft
5	French Lake	Yarmouth	1,599 acres	16.4 ft
6	Scraggy Lake	Halifax	1,593 acres	41.3 ft
7	West River Lake	Pictou	1,535 acres	23 ft
8	Raynards Lake	Yarmouth	1,478 acres	45.9 ft
9	Mushpauk Lake	Yarmouth	1,391 acres	13.1 ft
10	Herring Cove Lake	Queens	1,352 acres	26.2 ft
11	Aylesford Lake	Kings	1,315 acres	39.4 ft
12	Tobeatic Lake	Queens	1,311 acres	32.8 ft
13	Big Molly Upsim Lake	Annapolis	1,254 acres	34.4 ft
14	Five Mile Lake	Hants	1,249 acres	85.3 ft
15	Greenwood Lake	Shelburne	1,201 acres	16.4 ft
16	Big Sixteen Mile Bay Lake	Queens	1,194 acres	16.4 ft
17	Vaughan Lake	Yarmouth	1,155 acres	59.1 ft
18	Little Mushamush Lake	Lunenburg	1,115 acres	42.7 ft
19	Alma Lake	Halifax	1,087 acres	65.6 ft
20	Tupper Lake	Queens	1,087 acres	45.9 ft
21	Hebb Lake	Lunenburg	1,065 acres	49.2 ft
22	Mcgowan Lake	Queens	1,064 acres	42.7 ft
23	Ocean Lake	Guysborough	1,050 acres	65.6 ft
24	Lawrencetown Lake	Halifax	994 acres	6.6 ft
25	Inner Pictou Hbr Lake	Pictou	991 acres	26.2 ft
26	Paradise Lake	Annapolis	980 acres	29.5 ft
27	Fancy Lake	Lunenburg	965 acres	23 ft
28	Harmony Lake	Queens	875 acres	36.1 ft
29	Goose Harbour Lake	Guysborough	873 acres	29.5 ft
30	Major Lake	Halifax	848 acres	213.3 ft
31	William Lake	Halifax	838 acres	91.9 ft
32	Timber Lake	Lunenburg	835 acres	114.8 ft
33	Milipsigate Lake	Lunenburg	830 acres	52.5 ft
34	Eel Lake	Yarmouth	825 acres	19.7 ft
35	Ten Mile Lake	Queens	820 acres	12.8 ft
36	Hirtle Lake	Lunenburg	815 acres	45.9 ft
37	Big Gaspereaux Lake	Guysborough	804 acres	29.5 ft
38	Parr Lake	Yarmouth	796 acres	29.5 ft
39	Donahue Lake	Guysborough	793 acres	52.5 ft
40	Wentworth Lake	Digby	759 acres	29.5 ft
41	Lochaber Lake	Antigonish	759 acres	171.9 ft
42	Paces Lake	Halifax	748 acres	167.3 ft
43	Grand Lake	Halifax	740 acres	45.9 ft
44	Seloam Lake	Halifax	720 acres	39.4 ft
45	Seven Mile Lake	Lunenburg	719 acres	59.1 ft
46	Wallaback Lake	Lunenburg	711 acres	19.7 ft
47	Dauphinees Mill Lake	Lunenburg	709 acres	82 ft
48	Uist Lake	Richmond	692 acres	78.7 ft
49	Kempt Back Lake	Yarmouth	688 acres	59.1 ft
50	Torment Lake	Kings	687 acres	26.2 ft

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the largest lake in Nova Scotia?

Of the Nova Scotia lakes with a measured surface area, Ainslie Lake in Inverness County is the largest at 14,173 acres. Its clarity and nutrient readings are on its lake page.

How is lake surface area measured?

Surface area comes from state DNR lake surveys and, for reservoirs, US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) National Inventory of Dams records. Area is reported in acres at normal pool level. Reservoirs rise and fall with management and drought, so their listed area is the long-term normal rather than a single-day reading.

Are Nova Scotia's largest lakes natural or reservoirs?

Of the top 50 Nova Scotia lakes by area, 0 sit on a dammed river (reservoirs) and 50 are natural basins. Glacial states (MN, WI, MI, NY) skew natural; plains and southern states (MO, IA, ND, OH) skew toward reservoirs built for water supply, flood control, and recreation.

Do larger lakes have better water quality?

Not reliably. Quality varies more within a big lake than between lakes — a large lake can have a clean, deep main basin and a murky, algae-prone bay fed by a tributary, so one reading can mask wide swings. Depth, watershed land use, and how fast the lake flushes matter far more than raw surface area.

How big is the typical Nova Scotia lake in this ranking?

Across the top 50 Nova Scotia lakes by surface area, the median is 980 acres (Paradise Lake). This list is biased toward the biggest waters; the typical Nova Scotia lake is far smaller.

Where to stay near Nova Scotia's largest lakes

Planning a trip? Jump to live cabin, resort, and hotel availability near Nova Scotia's biggest lakes.

Deepest lakes in Nova Scotia →Largest lakes (all states) →All Nova Scotia lakes →