The lakes in India list covers one of the most diverse collections of water bodies in the world — from the glacial lakes of the Himalayas to the coastal lagoons of Odisha, from the saltwater marvel of Sambhar in Rajasthan to the meteor-impact crater of Lonar in Maharashtra.
Questions on lake names, states, types (freshwater vs saltwater), associated species, Ramsar status, and superlatives appear consistently in UPSC Prelims, SSC CGL, Banking, Railways, and State PSC exams. This page gives you a complete, type-wise list of all major lakes in India with area, origin, ecological significance, and exam-ready facts for 2026.
⚡ Quick Facts
- Wular Lake (J&K) — largest natural freshwater lake in India (~189–260 sq. km, seasonal); tectonic origin; Jhelum River floodplain.
- Chilika Lake (Odisha) — largest coastal lagoon in India and largest brackish water lake in Asia; NOT a freshwater lake.
- Sambhar Lake (Rajasthan) — largest inland saltwater lake in India and South Asia; India’s major source of inland salt; flamingos.
- Lonar Lake (Maharashtra) — only saline lake in the world formed by a meteorite impact; highly alkaline; Ramsar 2020.
- Loktak Lake (Manipur) — only floating lake in India; phumdis; Keibul Lamjao NP (world’s only floating NP); Sangai deer.
Wular = largest freshwater lake; Chilika = largest coastal lagoon (brackish) — two different records for different questions. Vembanad = longest lake (96.5 km) — NOT largest; Nehru Trophy Boat Race is held here, NOT on Dal Lake. Pangong Tso = 60% in China (not 40%); LAC passes through it; has NO fish and is slightly brackish (not freshwater). Lonar = meteor impact (Maharashtra) — NOT Rajasthan. Sambhar = inland salt lake; Chilika = coastal lagoon (brackish) — exams often try to swap these two.
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🏞️ Major Lakes of India — Complete List
| # ↕ | Lake ↕ | State | Area (km²) ↕ | Region ↕ | Origin / Type | Ramsar? | Key Exam Fact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wular Lake | J&K | 189–260 (seasonal) | North | Tectonic / fluvial | ✅ Yes (1990) | 🏆 Largest natural freshwater lake in India; on Jhelum River floodplain |
| 2 | Loktak Lake | Manipur | 287 | Northeast | Tectonic | ✅ Yes (1990) | 🏆 Only floating lake in India (phumdis); Keibul Lamjao = world’s only floating NP; Sangai deer |
| 3 | Vembanad Lake | Kerala | 2,033 | South | Coastal lagoon / backwater | ✅ Yes (2002) | 🏆 Longest lake in India (96.5 km); Nehru Trophy Boat Race; Kumarakom on its banks |
| 4 | Kolleru Lake | Andhra Pradesh | 901 | South | Natural floodplain | ✅ Yes (2002) | Largest freshwater lake in AP; between Krishna and Godavari deltas |
| 5 | Pulicat Lake | AP / Tamil Nadu | 759 | South | Brackish coastal lagoon | No | 🏆 Second largest coastal lagoon in India (after Chilika); Sriharikota (ISRO) island separates from sea |
| 6 | Ashtamudi Lake | Kerala | 614 | South | Coastal estuary | ✅ Yes (2002) | Second largest wetland in Kerala; palm-shaped estuary; prawns |
| 7 | Dal Lake | J&K | 18 | North | Tectonic | No | Most famous tourist lake in India; Srinagar’s crown jewel; houseboats, shikaras, floating gardens |
| 8 | Sasthamkotta Lake | Kerala | 373 | South | Karst / spring-fed | ✅ Yes (2002) | Largest freshwater lake in Kerala; unusual karst/spring-fed origin |
| 9 | Deepor Beel | Assam | 40 | Northeast | Fluvial / oxbow | ✅ Yes (2002) | Only large wetland in Assam; near Guwahati; threatened by encroachment |
| 10 | Ansupa Lake | Odisha | 231 | East | Oxbow lake | ✅ Yes (2021) | Largest freshwater lake in Odisha; oxbow lake |
| 11 | Periyar Lake | Kerala | 26 | South | Man-made (reservoir) | No | Created by Periyar Dam; Periyar Tiger Reserve; elephant boat safari |
| 12 | Umiam Lake | Meghalaya | 222 | Northeast | Man-made (reservoir) | No | Near Shillong; also called Barapani Lake; hydroelectric reservoir |
| 13 | Roopkund | Uttarakhand | Very small | Himalayan | Glacial | No | 🏆 “Skeleton Lake” — 500+ human skeletons discovered; DNA traced to Mediterranean origin; 9th century CE |
| 14 | Hemkund Sahib Lake | Uttarakhand | Small | Himalayan | Glacial | No | Sacred Sikh pilgrimage site; Hemkund Sahib Gurudwara; near Valley of Flowers |
| 15 | Naini Lake | Uttarakhand | 0.65 | Himalayan | Tectonic / glacial | No | Nainital city centrepiece; tourist hub; shrinking lake |
| 16 | Pichola Lake | Rajasthan | 6.8 | North | Artificial (14th century) | No | Udaipur’s iconic lake; Lake Palace (Taj Hotel) on its island |
| 17 | Pushkar Lake | Rajasthan | 0.25 | North | Natural (sacred) | No | Only Brahma temple in the world on its banks; sacred; Pushkar Camel Fair |
| 18 | Hussain Sagar | Telangana | 5.7 | South | Artificial (1562 CE) | No | Hyderabad’s central lake; heart-shaped; Rock of Gibraltar (B.R. Ambedkar) statue; built 1562 |
| 19 | Tampara Lake | Odisha | 300 | East | Coastal lake | ✅ Yes (2021) | Ganjam district; near Bay of Bengal; Odisha coastal wetland |
| 20 | Ana Sagar Lake | Rajasthan | 13 | North | Artificial (12th century) | No | Ajmer; built by Anaji (ancestor of Prithviraj Chauhan) |
| 21 | Kodaikanal Lake | Tamil Nadu | 0.6 | South | Artificial (1863) | No | Hill station lake; star-shaped; British-built 1863 |
| 22 | Ooty Lake | Tamil Nadu | 0.65 | South | Artificial (1825) | No | Nilgiris; built by John Sullivan; tourist attraction |
| 23 | Bhimtal Lake | Uttarakhand | 0.47 | Himalayan | Natural / spring-fed | No | Largest lake near Nainital; has an island in the centre |
| 24 | Mansar Lake | J&K | 1 | North | Natural | ✅ Yes (Surinsar-Mansar, 2005) | Sacred to Hindus; twin lake with Surinsar; near Jammu |
| # | Lake | State | Area (km²) | Type | Salinity | Key Exam Fact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sambhar Lake | Rajasthan | 240 (varies 90–320) | Inland saline (tectonic) | High salinity | 🏆 Largest inland saltwater lake in India; largest salt lake in South Asia; India’s major inland salt source; flamingo breeding; Ramsar 1990 |
| 2 | Chilika Lake | Odisha | 1,100 | Brackish coastal lagoon | Brackish | 🏆 Largest coastal lagoon in India; Asia’s largest brackish lake; Irrawaddy dolphin; Ramsar 1981 (first India) |
| 3 | Lonar Lake | Maharashtra | ~1.13 | Brackish / saline crater lake | Highly alkaline-saline | 🏆 Only saline lake in world formed by meteorite impact (~50,000 years ago); Ramsar 2020; flamingos; National Geo-Heritage Monument |
| 4 | Pulicat Lake | AP / Tamil Nadu | 759 | Brackish coastal lagoon | Brackish | Second largest coastal lagoon in India; Sriharikota (ISRO) island; flamingo |
| 5 | Pangong Tso | Ladakh / China | 604 (India ~250) | High-altitude slightly brackish (tectonic) | Slightly brackish | 🏆 60% in China, 40% in India; LAC passes through it; NO fish; changes colour; 3 Idiots (film); 2020 India-China dispute |
| 6 | Tso Moriri (Tsomoriri) | Ladakh | 120 | High-altitude tectonic / saline | Slightly saline | High altitude (~4,522 m); Ramsar 2002; black-necked crane breeding ground |
| Type | Lakes | State(s) | Special Feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tectonic Lakes | Wular, Dal, Loktak, Sambhar, Pangong Tso | J&K, Manipur, Rajasthan, Ladakh | Formed by earth movements / faulting |
| Glacial Lakes | Roopkund, Hemkund, Tso Moriri, Deoria Tal | Uttarakhand, Ladakh | Formed by glacier retreat; high altitude |
| Oxbow Lakes | Deepor Beel, Ansupa | Assam, Odisha | Formed by meandering rivers cutting off loops |
| Crater Lake | Lonar Lake | Maharashtra | Only meteor-impact saline lake in world |
| Coastal Lagoons | Chilika, Pulicat, Vembanad, Ashtamudi | Odisha, AP/TN, Kerala | Separated from sea by sand bar (tombolo) |
| Artificial / Man-made | Pichola, Hussain Sagar, Umiam, Ana Sagar, Periyar Lake | Rajasthan, Telangana, Meghalaya, Kerala | Built by rulers or created by dams |
| Karst Lakes | Sasthamkotta | Kerala | Spring-fed; karst limestone origin; unusually pure |
| High-altitude Lakes | Pangong Tso, Tso Moriri, Tso Kar, Roopkund | Ladakh, Uttarakhand | Above 3,000 m; cold, remote, ecologically sensitive |
| Category | Lake | State | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Largest freshwater lake (natural) | Wular Lake | J&K | ~189–260 sq. km; tectonic; Jhelum River floodplain |
| Largest coastal lagoon | Chilika Lake | Odisha | ~1,100 sq. km; brackish; Asia’s largest brackish lake |
| Largest saltwater lake (inland) | Sambhar Lake | Rajasthan | ~240 sq. km; largest salt lake in South Asia; flamingo |
| Longest lake in India | Vembanad Lake | Kerala | ~96.5 km long; Nehru Trophy Boat Race |
| Largest lake in Kerala | Vembanad Lake | Kerala | ~2,033 sq. km; also longest lake |
| Largest freshwater lake in AP | Kolleru Lake | Andhra Pradesh | ~901 sq. km; between Krishna and Godavari deltas |
| Largest freshwater lake in Odisha | Ansupa Lake | Odisha | ~231 sq. km; oxbow lake; Ramsar 2021 |
| Largest freshwater lake in Kerala | Sasthamkotta | Kerala | ~373 sq. km; karst / spring-fed; Ramsar 2002 |
| Only floating lake | Loktak Lake | Manipur | ~287 sq. km; phumdis; Keibul Lamjao NP |
| Only meteor-impact lake | Lonar Lake | Maharashtra | ~1.13 sq. km; highly alkaline-saline; Ramsar 2020 |
| Most famous tourist lake | Dal Lake | J&K | ~18 sq. km; Srinagar; houseboats; shikaras |
| Highest lake with wildlife | Tso Moriri / Tso Kar | Ladakh | ~4,522 m altitude; black-necked crane |
| Lake with human skeletons | Roopkund | Uttarakhand | Glacial lake; 500+ human skeletons; “Skeleton Lake” |
| Second largest coastal lagoon | Pulicat Lake | AP / Tamil Nadu | ~759 sq. km; flamingo; Sriharikota nearby |
| Lake mostly in China (60%) | Pangong Tso | Ladakh | 60% China, 40% India; no fish; LAC passes through |
| Lake | State | Famous Connection | Exam Angle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dal Lake | J&K | Houseboats, shikaras, floating gardens, Srinagar | Most photographed lake in India; shrinking due to encroachment and weeds |
| Vembanad Lake | Kerala | Nehru Trophy Boat Race (snake boat race) | Held every year in August; world’s longest lake race course |
| Pangong Tso | Ladakh | 3 Idiots film (climax scene); India-China 2020 dispute | 60% in China; no fish; changes colour; LAC passes through; Galwan Valley standoff |
| Pushkar Lake | Rajasthan | Only Brahma temple in the world; Pushkar Fair | Sacred to Hindus; annual camel fair in Kartik month |
| Hussain Sagar | Telangana | Rock of Gibraltar statue (B.R. Ambedkar) in centre | Hyderabad’s central lake; built 1562 CE; heart-shaped |
| Loktak Lake | Manipur | Keibul Lamjao NP (world’s only floating NP); Sangai deer | Three exam angles: floating lake, floating NP, Sangai deer |
| Lonar Lake | Maharashtra | Meteor-impact; alkaline-saline; flamingos | Only such lake in world; Geological Survey of India Geo-Heritage Monument |
| Roopkund | Uttarakhand | 500+ human skeletons discovered; 9th century CE | Mystery Lake / Skeleton Lake; DNA traced to Mediterranean origin |
| Chilika Lake | Odisha | Irrawaddy dolphin; Asia’s largest brackish lagoon | First Indian Ramsar site (1981); NOT a freshwater lake; brackish |
| Sambhar Lake | Rajasthan | India’s salt production; flamingo breeding | Tectonic origin; seasonal fluctuation; winter flamingo hub |
⚖️ Compare Two Lakes
📝 Key Notes & Memory Tips
Wular Lake (J&K) = largest natural freshwater lake in India (~189–260 sq. km; seasonal; tectonic; on Jhelum River floodplain). Chilika Lake (Odisha) = largest coastal lagoon and largest brackish water lake in Asia (~1,100 sq. km) — NOT a freshwater lake. The exam question determines the answer: “largest freshwater lake” = Wular; “largest coastal lagoon” = Chilika; “largest brackish lake in Asia” = Chilika.
Loktak Lake (Manipur, Ramsar 1990) holds three directly tested facts: (1) only floating lake in India — it has phumdis (floating masses of decomposing vegetation); (2) Keibul Lamjao National Park, which floats on its phumdis, is the world’s only floating national park; (3) the Sangai (Eld’s deer / brow-antlered deer), Manipur’s critically endangered State Animal, lives exclusively in Keibul Lamjao. Mnemonic: “Float Float Float — Floating Lake, Floating Park, Floating Sangai.”
Lonar Lake in Buldhana district, Maharashtra, is the world’s only saline lake formed by a meteorite impact (~50,000 years ago). Its unusual chemistry — highly alkaline and saline — makes it globally unique. It was designated a Ramsar site in 2020. Flamingos visit during winter. The Geological Survey of India has classified it as a National Geo-Heritage Monument.
Pangong Tso in Ladakh is often confused with being entirely in India — approximately 60% lies in China (Tibet) and only ~40% (~250 sq. km) is in India. The Line of Actual Control (LAC) runs through the lake. It has NO fish, is slightly brackish (not freshwater), and changes colour through the day. The 2020 India-China standoff in Eastern Ladakh brought it into major current affairs. The 3 Idiots film climax was shot here.
Sambhar Lake (Rajasthan) is India’s largest inland salt lake and the largest salt lake in South Asia. It was formed by tectonic activity and varies seasonally (90 to 320 sq. km). It is India’s largest source of salt from an inland lake. Thousands of flamingos gather in winter — one of India’s most important flamingo habitats. It is also a Ramsar site (1990).
“Freshwater = Wular; Brackish = Chilika; Salt = Sambhar”
→ F = Freshwater → Wular (J&K) | B = Brackish/Lagoon → Chilika (Odisha) | S = Salt (inland) → Sambhar (Rajasthan)
“Loktak = Float Float Float”
→ Floating Lake (phumdis) | Floating National Park (Keibul Lamjao) | Floating Sangai (deer lives on floating land)
“Pangong — 60 China, 40 India, No Fish, Not Fresh, Famous Film”
→ 60% China | 40% India | No fish | Brackish (not freshwater) | 3 Idiots (Bollywood climax)
🃏 Flashcards
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🧩 Practice Quiz
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Wular Lake in Jammu & Kashmir is the largest natural freshwater lake in India, covering approximately 189\u2013260 sq. km seasonally. Dal Lake (~18 sq. km) is far smaller. Chilika Lake (1,100 sq. km) is a brackish coastal lagoon \u2014 NOT a freshwater lake. Loktak Lake (287 sq. km) is freshwater but smaller than Wular.
Loktak Lake in Manipur is India\u2019s only floating lake \u2014 it has phumdis, which are floating heterogeneous masses of soil, vegetation, and organic matter. The Keibul Lamjao National Park, the world\u2019s only floating national park, sits on these phumdis and is the sole habitat of the critically endangered Sangai (brow-antlered deer).
Lonar Lake in Buldhana district, Maharashtra, is the world\u2019s only saline lake formed by a meteorite impact, approximately 50,000 years ago. Its unusual chemistry \u2014 highly alkaline and saline \u2014 makes it unique globally. It was designated a Ramsar site in 2020 and is classified as a National Geo-Heritage Monument by the Geological Survey of India.
Chilika Lake is the largest coastal lagoon in India (~1,100 sq. km) and the largest brackish water lake in Asia. It is NOT a freshwater lake \u2014 it is brackish (mix of fresh and saltwater). It was one of India\u2019s first Ramsar sites (1981) and is famous for its Irrawaddy dolphins, flamingos, and over a million migratory birds each winter.
Approximately 60% of Pangong Tso lies in China (Tibet) and only about 40% is in India (Ladakh). The Line of Actual Control (LAC) \u2014 the de facto border between India and China \u2014 passes through the lake. This became a major current affairs issue during the 2020 India-China Galwan Valley standoff in Eastern Ladakh.
\u2705 Key Takeaways
\u2753 Frequently Asked Questions
The answer depends on the category. Chilika Lake in Odisha (~1,100 sq. km) is the largest lake by total area \u2014 but it is a brackish coastal lagoon, not a freshwater lake. Wular Lake in Jammu & Kashmir (~189\u2013260 sq. km) is the largest natural freshwater lake. Vembanad Lake in Kerala (~2,033 sq. km including the Kol wetlands) is the largest wetland/lake system. Sambhar Lake in Rajasthan (~240 sq. km) is the largest inland saltwater lake. For exams: always check whether the question says \u201cfreshwater,\u201d \u201csaltwater,\u201d \u201ccoastal,\u201d or just \u201clargest lake.\u201d
Loktak Lake in Manipur is India\u2019s only floating lake, famous for its phumdis \u2014 large floating heterogeneous masses of decomposing vegetation, soil, and organic matter that cover significant portions of the lake. The world\u2019s only floating national park, Keibul Lamjao National Park, sits on these phumdis and is the last natural habitat of the critically endangered Sangai (Eld\u2019s deer or brow-antlered deer) \u2014 Manipur\u2019s State Animal. Loktak is also a Ramsar site (1990) and is facing threats from sedimentation and invasive water hyacinth.
The two lakes are often confused. Wular Lake (J&K) is the largest natural freshwater lake in India \u2014 it is fed by the Jhelum River and is a tectonic lake. Chilika Lake (Odisha) is the largest coastal lagoon and the largest brackish water lake in Asia \u2014 it is connected to the Bay of Bengal and receives a mix of fresh river water and marine saltwater, making it brackish. When an exam asks \u201clargest freshwater lake,\u201d the answer is Wular. When it asks \u201clargest lake by area\u201d or \u201clargest coastal lagoon,\u201d the answer is Chilika.
Lakes are tested in UPSC Prelims (Geography + Environment), SSC CGL, Bank PO, and Railway exams through multiple question types: largest/smallest/longest lake (Wular, Sambhar, Chilika, Vembanad), lake types (tectonic, glacial, oxbow, crater, coastal lagoon), Ramsar-linked lakes, state-wise lakes, lakes with unique features (Loktak floating, Lonar crater, Roopkund skeletal), and current affairs (Pangong Tso India-China dispute 2020). This page covers all major question patterns with the key category distinctions that determine the correct answer.
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