India's largest lakes, ranked by area
Chilika covers about 1,165 km², far ahead of Pangong Tso and Pulicat. The nine lakes on our map with an area on record.
Of the 20 lakes on our map, nine have an area in our data. Ranked, they range from a vast coastal lagoon to a small sacred lake.
Source: UPSCPrep Data Atlas
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India map in the official boundary; positions are for orientation · Source: UPSCPrep Data Atlas
The list
Chilika in Odisha, about 1,165 km², is Asia's largest brackish-water lagoon, a Ramsar site and a wintering ground for migratory birds and Irrawaddy dolphins. Pangong Tso (690 km²) and Tso Moriri (about 145 km²) are high-altitude lakes of Ladakh. Pulicat (450 km²) is the second big coastal lagoon, and Loktak (287 km²) in Manipur is known for its floating islands. Dal, Hussain Sagar, Gurudongmar and Pushkar complete the nine.
UPSC angle
- Classify by type: lagoon, high-altitude, freshwater, man-made.
- Several of these are Ramsar sites – link them to wetland conservation in GS-3.
- Lakes appear in 13 Prelims questions in our bank.