What are the characteristics of lakes for kids?

Lakes are large bodies of water that are surrounded by land and are not part of an ocean. Lakes are relatively still bodies of water when compared to a river where the water flows. They can contain either salt or fresh water and are larger than ponds. For more on lake habitats see our page on the freshwater biome.



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lake, Relatively large body of slow-moving or standing water that occupies an inland basin. Lakes are most abundant in high northern latitudes and in mountain regions, particularly those that were covered by glaciers in recent geologic times.

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Lakes are normally much deeper than ponds and have a larger surface area. All the water in a pond is in the photic zone, meaning ponds are shallow enough to allow sunlight to reach the bottom. This causes plants (sometimes too many) to grow at the bottom of ponds as well as on their surface.

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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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The lake was placid. The lake glowed like it was radioactive. She touched the water of the lake and groaned. The bottom of the lake glowed with souls.

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Salty or fresh, lakes are some of the only freely available water sources on land. Aside from rivers and streams, the rest of the world's freshwater is locked up in ice or trapped underground.

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Based upon their thermal stratification, lakes are classified as either holomictic, with a uniform temperature and density from top to bottom at a given time of year, or meromictic, with layers of water of different temperature and density that do not intermix.

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Lakes are divided into three trophic categories: oligotrophic, mesotrophic and eutrophic. The prototypic oligotrophic lake is a large deep lake with crystal clear waters and a rocky or sandy shoreline.

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There are 117 million lakes on Earth, covering 3.7 percent of the continental land surface. Most lakes are relatively small – 90 million lakes are less than two football fields in size. Most lakes lie low — 85 percent are at elevations less than 1,600 feet (500 meters) above sea level.

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10 Deep Facts About the Great Lakes
  • Lake Superior is the biggest and deepest—by far. ...
  • Lake Ontario and Lake Erie are the smallest. ...
  • Only one Great Lake is located entirely within the U.S. ...
  • You can take a 6500-mile road trip around the Great Lakes. ...
  • A fire prompted massive environmental reforms for the Great Lakes.


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