At what point is a pond considered a lake?

It may surprise you to know there is no technical difference between lakes and ponds, according to the National Park Service(Opens in a new window). However, a general rule of a thumb is if a body of water is large and deep it's a lake and if it's short and shallow it's a pond.



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In the U.S. a pond is defined as a body of water with a surface area of less than ten acres (40,000 square metres). By that definition, a puddle could be classed as a pond. On the other side of the 'Big Pond' (aka the Atlantic Ocean), in some parts of England, a pond is only called a pond if it is man-made.

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There is no absolute definition between the two. The one used most often is the 5-acre rule: Ponds are less than 5 acres while lakes are more than 5 acres. Since most ponds across the country are less than an acre, we will use the term pond for the sake of this blog post.

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A typical lake has three distinct zones (limnetic, littoral and the benthic zone; Fig. 11) of biological communities linked to its physical structure.

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The 5 Key Features that Define a Lake
  • Lakes are inland depressions filled with water. ...
  • Lakes are standing, slow-moving bodies of water. ...
  • Lakes have vast surface areas. ...
  • Lakes are homes to complex ecosystems. ...
  • Lakes are mostly freshwater, but some can be a little salty.


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Lakes are classified based on productivity, or how much photosynthesis is occurring in the water.
  • Oligotrophic lakes have low levels of productivity, these are often clearer water.
  • Mesotrophic lakes have a middle level of productivity. ...
  • Eutrophic lakes are high in productivity, so high they can be green in color.


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