Skip to main content
LakeQuality
Two canoes crossing open water between forested points in the Boundary Waters

Updated August 2026

Biggest Lake in Wyoming: Yellowstone Lake (84,288 acres)

Yellowstone Lake is Wyoming's largest lake per the National Park Service — Yellowstone National Park. Below: 50 Wyoming lakes ranked by surface area.

The largest lake in Wyoming is Yellowstone Lake at 84,288 acres , in Teton and Park County, according to the National Park Service — Yellowstone National Park.

See our Yellowstone Lake water-quality readings —

Source: National Park Service — Yellowstone National Park (2026-07-30). The table below ranks the Wyoming lakes in our own index by surface area.

50
Lakes with area data
9,411
Largest (acres)
900
Median of top 50
20/50
Reservoirs (vs natural)

Reading Wyoming's size profile

Wyoming's largest lake by surface area is Keyhole Reservoir in Crook County, spanning 9,411 acres. Most of Wyoming'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 Wyoming by surface area

#LakeCountySurface areaMax depth
1Keyhole ReservoirCrook9,411 acres-
2Shoshone LakeTeton7,073 acres-
3Wheatland Reservoir Number TwoAlbany6,441 acres-
4Fremont LakeSublette5,400 acres-
5Wheatland Reservoir LpdAlbany4,792 acres-
6Cooper LakeAlbany3,593 acres-
7Lake HattieAlbany3,032 acres-
8Bull LakeFremont2,942 acres-
9Lewis LakeTeton2,775 acres-
10Big Sandy ReservoirSweetwater2,510 acres-
11Alcova Reservoir Lacustrine PelagicNatrona2,471 acres-
12Guernsey ReservoirPlatte2,380 acres-
13Woodruff Narrows ReservoirUinta2,312 acres-
14Heart LakeTeton2,154 acres-
15Willow LakeSublette1,807 acres-
16Boulder LakeSublette1,676 acres-
17Viva Naughton Reservoir LpdLincoln1,460 acres-
18Hawk Springs ReservoirGoshen1,328 acres-
19Jenny LakeTeton1,207 acres-
20James LakeAlbany1,193 acres-
21Upper Sunshine Reservoir LpdPark1,156 acres-
22Long LakeAlbany1,125 acres-
23Lower Sunshine ReservoirPark1,049 acres-
24Leigh LakeTeton1,027 acres-
25Lost Creek LakeSweetwater911 acres-
26Pilot Butte Reservoir LpdFremont900 acres-
27Emma Matilda LakeTeton891 acres-
28Eden ReservoirSweetwater885 acres-
29Burnt LakeSublette807 acres-
30Rob Roy ReservoirAlbany801 acres-
31Goshen Hole ReservoirGoshen787 acres-
32Bates Creek ReservoirNatrona747 acres-
33Boysen ReservoirFremont639 acres-
34Sulphur Creek ReservoirUinta632 acres-
35La Prele ReservoirConverse617 acres-
36Soda LakeNatrona599 acres-
37Hog Park ReservoirCarbon598 acres-
38Two Ocean LakeTeton591 acres-
39Delusion LakeTeton568 acres-
40Meeks Cabin ReservoirUinta565 acres-
41Hay ReservoirSweetwater530 acres-
42Mahoney LakesSweetwater526 acres-
43Lower Slide LakeTeton509 acres-
44Shoshone LakeFremont495 acres-
45Ross LakeFremont487 acres98.4 ft
46Ray ReservoirFremont465 acres-
47Phelps LakeTeton457 acres158.8 ft
48Bump-Sullivan ReservoirGoshen441 acres-
49Burlington LakeNatrona437 acres-
50Wheatland ReservoirPlatte424 acres-

Get updates on Wyoming's largest lakes

New water-quality readings for Wyoming lakes as Wyoming DEQ publishes them. Unsubscribe anytime.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the largest lake in Wyoming?

Yellowstone Lake, at 84,288 acres, in Teton and Park County. Source: National Park Service — Yellowstone National Park, 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 Wyoming's largest lakes natural or reservoirs?

Of the top 50 Wyoming lakes by area, 20 sit on a dammed river (reservoirs) and 30 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 Wyoming lake in this ranking?

Across the top 50 Wyoming lakes by surface area, the median is 900 acres (Pilot Butte Reservoir Lpd). This list is biased toward the biggest waters; the typical Wyoming lake is far smaller.

Where to stay near Wyoming's largest lakes

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