As of 2026-10-12, Issyk-Kul tops the list with 1,738 km3.
- #1 Issyk-Kul — 1,738 km3
lake in Kyrgyzstan
Ysyk-Köl is an endorheic saline lake in the western Tian Shan mountains in eastern Kyrgyzstan—just south of a dividing range separating Kyrgyzstan from Kazakhstan. It is the eighth-deepest lake in the world, the eleventh-largest lake in the world by volume, and the second-largest saline lake. It is located at an elevation of 1,607 metres (5,272 ft). Despite the elevation and low temperatures during winter, it rarely freezes due to its high salinity. Read more on Wikipedia.
Wikidata - #2 Lake Turkana — 204 km3
alkaline lake on the border of Ethiopia and Kenya
Lake Turkana is a saline lake in the Kenyan Rift Valley, predominantly in northern Kenya; the far northern end crosses into Ethiopia. It is the world's largest permanent desert lake and the world's largest alkaline lake. By volume it is the world's fourth-largest salt lake after the Caspian Sea, Issyk-Kul, and Lake Van, and among all lakes it ranks 22nd. Read more on Wikipedia.
Wikidata - #3 Dead Sea — 148 km3
lake with no outflow (sea) in Western Asia
The Dead Sea, also known by other names, is a landlocked salt lake bordered by Jordan to the east, the West Bank to the west and Israel to the southwest. It lies in the endorheic basin of the Jordan Rift Valley, and its main tributary is the Jordan River. Read more on Wikipedia.
Wikidata - #4 Lake Balkhash — 106 km3
lake in southeastern Kazakhstan
Lake Balkhash, also known as Lake Balqash, is a lake in southeastern Kazakhstan. It is one of the largest lakes in Asia and the 15th largest in the world. It is located in the eastern part of Central Asia and sits in the Balkhash-Alakol Basin, an endorheic (closed) basin. The basin drains seven rivers, the primary of which is the Ili, bringing most of the riparian inflow; others, such as the Karatal, bring surface and subsurface flow. The Ili is fed by precipitation, largely vernal snowmelt,... Read more on Wikipedia.
Wikidata - #5 Qinghai Lake — 72 km3
lake in Qinghai, China
Qinghai Lake is the largest lake in China. Located in the Qinghai Province, to which it gave its name, Qinghai Lake is classified as an alkaline endorheic salt lake. The lake has fluctuated in size, shrinking over much of the 20th century but increasing since 2004. It had a surface area of 4,317 km2 (1,667 sq mi), an average depth of 21 m (69 ft), and a maximum depth of 25.5 m (84 ft) in 2008. Read more on Wikipedia.
Wikidata - #6 Urmia Lake — 45 km3
salt lake in Iran
Lake Urmia is an endorheic salt lake in Iran. The lake is located in the Iranian region of Azerbaijan, near the Armenian border and south of the Caspian Sea. At its greatest extent, it was the largest lake in West Asia. It was once the sixth-largest saltwater lake on Earth, with a surface area of approximately 6,000 km2 (2,300 sq mi), a length of 140 km (87 mi), a width of 70 km (43 mi), and a maximum depth of 20 m (66 ft). Read more on Wikipedia.
Wikidata - #7 Kati Thanda–Lake Eyre — 30 km3
endorheic lake in South Australia
Lake Eyre, officially known as Kati Thanda–Lake Eyre, is an endorheic lake in the east-central part of the Far North region of South Australia, some 700 km (430 mi) north of Adelaide. It is the largest ephemeral endorheic lake on the Australian continent, covering over 9,000 km2 (3,500 sq mi). The shallow lake is the depocentre of the vast endorheic Lake Eyre basin, and contains the lowest natural point in Australia, at approximately 15 m (49 ft) below sea level. The lake is most often... Read more on Wikipedia.
Wikidata - #8 Lake Valencia — 7 km3
endorheic basin
Lake Valencia, formerly Lake Tacarigua, is a lake within Carabobo State and Aragua State in northern Venezuela. Read more on Wikipedia.
Wikidata - #9 Lake Chad — 6 km3
lake in Africa
Lake Chad is an endorheic freshwater lake located at the junction of four countries: Nigeria, Niger, Chad, and Cameroon, in western and central Africa respectively, with a catchment area in excess of 1,000,000 km2 (390,000 sq mi). It is an important wetland ecosystem in West-Central Africa. The lake is rich in aquatic resources and is one of the important freshwater fish-producing areas in Africa. Read more on Wikipedia.
Wikidata - #10 Poopó Lake — 4 km3
salt lake in Bolivia
Lake Poopó was a large saline lake in a shallow depression in the Altiplano in Oruro Department, Bolivia, at an altitude of approximately 3,700 m (12,100 ft). Due to the lake's length and width, it made up the eastern half of Oruro, known as a mining region in southwest Bolivia. The permanent part of the lake body covered approximately 1,000 square kilometres (390 sq mi) and it was the second-largest lake in the country. The lake received most of its water from the Desaguadero River, which... Read more on Wikipedia.
Wikidata