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

Updated August 2026

Biggest Lake in Nevada: Pyramid Lake (112,000 acres)

Pyramid Lake is Nevada's largest inland lake per the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe (tribal government; the lake lies entirely inside the Pyramid Lake Indian Reservation and the Tribe is its managing authority). Below: 50 Nevada lakes ranked by surface area.

The largest lake in Nevada is Pyramid Lake at 112,000 acres , in Washoe County, according to the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe (tribal government; the lake lies entirely inside the Pyramid Lake Indian Reservation and the Tribe is its managing authority). Lake Mead is larger but is a Colorado River reservoir shared with Arizona — the AZ–NV state line runs down the middle of it (NPS: 157,418 acres, 759 mi shoreline). Lake Tahoe (~122,200 acres) is also larger than Pyramid but roughly two-thirds of it lies in California.

See our Pyramid Lake water-quality report card NR

Source: Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe (tribal government; the lake lies entirely inside the Pyramid Lake Indian Reservation and the Tribe is its managing authority) (2026-07-30). The table below ranks the Nevada lakes in our own index by surface area.

50
Lakes with area data
133,758
Largest (acres)
1,345
Median of top 50
2/50
Reservoirs (vs natural)

Reading Nevada's size profile

Nevada's largest lake by surface area is Lake Mead in Clark County, spanning 133,758 acres. Most of Nevada'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 report card with grade, clarity, depth, and EPA impairment status. Area figures come from state DNR surveys and the USACE National Inventory of Dams; grades come from EPA and state monitoring data.

The 50 biggest lakes in Nevada by surface area

#LakeCountySurface areaMax depthGrade
1Lake MeadClark133,758 acres-NR
2Lake MohaveClark27,571 acres-NR
3Rye Patch ReservoirPershing12,144 acres-C
4Humboldt Salt MarshChurchill9,832 acres-NR
5Humboldt LakeChurchill8,947 acres-NR
6Big WaterChurchill6,003 acres-NR
7Washoe LakeWashoe5,562 acres-NR
8Goshute LakeElko4,226 acres-NR
9Alkali LakeWashoe3,790 acres-NR
10Massacre LakeWashoe3,715 acres-NR
11Dry LakeNye3,172 acres-NR
12Wildhorse ReservoirElko3,035 acres-F
13Sheckler ReservoirChurchill2,768 acres-NR
14Snow Water LakeElko2,641 acres-NR
15Lower Pitt-Taylor ReservoirPershing2,562 acres-NR
16Carson LakeChurchill2,420 acres-NR
17North NutgrassChurchill2,398 acres-NR
18Mursha ReservoirClark2,279 acres-NR
19Upper Pitt-Taylor ReservoirPershing2,072 acres-NR
20Toulon LakePershing1,905 acres-NR
21Stillwater Point ReservoirChurchill1,851 acres-NR
22Artesia LakeLyon1,455 acres-NR
23Continental LakeHumboldt1,427 acres-NR
24West LakeWashoe1,411 acres-NR
25Swan Lake ReservoirWashoe1,370 acres-NR
26New Year LakeWashoe1,345 acres-NR
27Calcutta LakeWashoe1,313 acres-NR
28Tule LakeChurchill1,297 acres-NR
29Little Dutch Bill PondChurchill1,271 acres-NR
30North Lead LakeChurchill1,246 acres-NR
31Pintail BayChurchill1,209 acres-NR
32Salt Wells MarshChurchill1,182 acres-NR
33Middle LakeWashoe1,157 acres-NR
34Willow LakeChurchill1,093 acres-NR
35Swan LakeChurchill1,035 acres-NR
36Foxtail LakeChurchill937 acres-NR
37Goose LakeChurchill924 acres-NR
38Weber ReservoirMineral887 acres-NR
39Wilson ReservoirElko852 acres-NR
40Franklin LakeElko843 acres-NR
41Mud LakeNye827 acres-NR
42Mosquito LakeWashoe747 acres-NR
43Summit LakeHumboldt727 acres-NR
44High Rock LakeHumboldt688 acres-NR
45Adams-McGill ReservoirNye677 acres-NR
46South NutgrassChurchill668 acres-NR
47East Alkali Lake Number OneChurchill620 acres-NR
48Ruby LakeElko605 acres-NR
49Swan LakeWashoe533 acres-NR
50Quinn River LakesHumboldt512 acres-NR

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the largest lake in Nevada?

Pyramid Lake, at 112,000 acres, in Washoe County. Lake Mead is larger but is a Colorado River reservoir shared with Arizona — the AZ–NV state line runs down the middle of it (NPS: 157,418 acres, 759 mi shoreline). Lake Tahoe (~122,200 acres) is also larger than Pyramid but roughly two-thirds of it lies in California. Source: Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe (tribal government; the lake lies entirely inside the Pyramid Lake Indian Reservation and the Tribe is its managing authority), 2026-07-30.

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 Nevada's largest lakes natural or reservoirs?

Of the top 50 Nevada lakes by area, 2 sit on a dammed river (reservoirs) and 48 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 grade 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 Nevada lake in this ranking?

Across the top 50 Nevada lakes by surface area, the median is 1,345 acres (New Year Lake). This list is biased toward the biggest waters; the typical Nevada lake is far smaller.

Where to stay near Nevada's largest lakes

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

Deepest lakes in Nevada →Cleanest lakes in Nevada →Largest lakes (all states) →All Nevada lakes →