Alaska is the state with the most lakes in the United States, with over three million lakes, vastly outnumbering Minnesota’s 10,000 lakes. Lake Iliamna, the third largest lake in the United States, is one of its most notable lakes.
Lake Michigan is the largest lake in the United States, and it is part of the famed Great Lakes group of lakes. Other Great Lakes lakes are larger than Lake Iliamna in Alaska, but portions of the Great Lakes are located in Canada, so they are not included in the list of the largest American lakes.
The Great Salt Lake in Utah is the second-largest lake in the United States, with a surface area of 1,700 square miles. Lake Iliamna encompasses 1,150 square miles, roughly the same size as Rhode Island. The lakes in Alaska and Michigan were both generated primarily from glacial melt, despite their vast differences in size.
Glaciers formerly blanketed both states, and as they melted and receded, they left deep, water-filled basins that gave rise to lakes. Streams and snowmelt feed several of Alaska’s lakes, which are popular for a variety of recreational activities.
