What describes a lake?

A lake is a body of water that is surrounded by land. There are millions of lakes in the world. They are found on every continent and in every kind of environment—in mountains and deserts, on plains, and near seashores. Lakes vary greatly in size.



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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 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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  • Once formed, lakes do not stay the same. ...
  • All lakes are either open or closed. ...
  • The Great Salt Lake, in the U.S. state of Utah, is the largest saline lake in North America.
  • The lowest lake in the world is the Dead Sea, on the edge of Israel and Jordan.


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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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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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