China Major Lakes Guide
China has approximately 2,800 natural lakes larger than 1 km², with a combined area of roughly 80,000 km². Roughly 45% of this area is freshwater. The largest freshwater lake is Poyang Lake and the largest saltwater lake is Qinghai Lake. China's lakes are distributed across five major lake regions, with the densest concentrations in the Jiangxi-Hunan plain and the Qinghai-Tibet plateau.
Major Lakes — Complete Data Table
The table below covers 20 of China's most significant lakes, sorted by surface area (largest to smallest).
| # | Lake | Chinese | Type | Area (km²) | Max Depth (m) | Elevation (m) | Province / Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Qinghai Lake | 青海湖 | Saltwater | 4,583 | 27 | 3,196 | Qinghai |
| 2 | Poyang Lake | 鄱阳湖 | Freshwater | 3,150 | 25.1 | 14 | Jiangxi |
| 3 | Dongting Lake | 洞庭湖 | Freshwater | 2,579 | 30.8 | 24 | Hunan |
| 4 | Taihu (Lake Tai) | 太湖 | Freshwater | 2,250 | 4.8 | 3 | Jiangsu / Zhejiang |
| 5 | Hulun Lake | 呼伦湖 | Freshwater | 2,339 | 8 | 545 | Inner Mongolia |
| 6 | Nam Co (Namtso) | 纳木错 | Saltwater | 1,920 | 90 | 4,718 | Tibet |
| 7 | Siling Co | 色林错 | Saltwater | 2,390 | >30 | 4,530 | Tibet |
| 8 | Bosten Lake | 博斯腾湖 | Freshwater | 1,013 | 16 | 1,048 | Xinjiang |
| 9 | Hongze Lake | 洪泽湖 | Freshwater | 1,597 | 5.5 | 12 | Jiangsu |
| 10 | Chaohu | 巢湖 | Freshwater | 780 | 7.98 | 8 | Anhui |
| 11 | Erhai | 洱海 | Freshwater | 256 | 20.7 | 1,972 | Yunnan |
| 12 | Dianchi | 滇池 | Freshwater | 298 | 8 | 1,886 | Yunnan |
| 13 | Jingpo Lake | 镜泊湖 | Freshwater | 95 | 62 | 351 | Heilongjiang |
| 14 | Tianchi (Heavenly Lake) | 天池 | Freshwater | 9.8 | 312.7 | 2,189 | Jilin (border) |
| 15 | Khanka Lake (Xingkai) | 兴凯湖 | Freshwater | 4,190 | 10.6 | 69 | Heilongjiang (border) |
| 16 | Qarhan Salt Lake | 察尔汗盐湖 | Salt Lake | 5,800 | — | 2,677 | Qinghai |
| 17 | Yamdrok Lake | 羊卓雍错 | Saltwater | 638 | 59 | 4,441 | Tibet |
| 18 | Zhaling Lake | 扎陵湖 | Freshwater | 526 | 13.1 | 4,293 | Qinghai |
| 19 | Eling Lake | 鄂陵湖 | Freshwater | 610 | 30.7 | 4,268 | Qinghai |
| 20 | Ulungur Lake | 乌伦古湖 | Freshwater | 1,035 | 12 | 468 | Xinjiang |
The Five Great Freshwater Lakes
Eastern China's plain regions contain the country's most productive freshwater lakes:
| Rank | Lake | Province | Area (km²) | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Poyang Lake | Jiangxi | 3,150 | Largest freshwater lake; connects to Yangtze; critical bird habitat (wintering site for Siberian cranes) |
| 2 | Dongting Lake | Hunan | 2,579 | Second largest; receives Yangtze floodwater; "800-li Dongting" in classical poetry |
| 3 | Taihu | Jiangsu/Zhejiang | 2,250 | Core of Jiangnan water region; UNESCO Heritage cultural landscape; severe eutrophication challenges |
| 4 | Hongze Lake | Jiangsu | 1,597 | Shallowest of the five; key flood control for Huai River system |
| 5 | Chaohu | Anhui | 780 | One of China's most polluted lakes; ongoing remediation efforts since 2010s |
Tibet Plateau Lakes
The Tibet-Qinghai plateau hosts the highest concentration of large lakes in China and the world's highest-altitude lake district:
- Qinghai Lake — China's largest lake overall; saltwater; shrinking from 5,000+ km² to ~4,583 km² in recent decades; important migratory bird stopover
- Nam Co (Namtso) — highest large saltwater lake at 4,718 m; sacred in Tibetan Buddhism ("Heavenly Lake")
- Siling Co — now Tibet's second-largest lake; expanding due to glacial melt; recently surpassed Nam Co in area
- Yamdrok Lake — stunning turquoise color at 4,441 m; one of Tibet's three sacred lakes
Lakes by Region
Inner Mongolia & Northeast
- Hulun Lake — largest lake in Inner Mongolia; fed by Kerulen River; supports major fishery
- Jingpo Lake — volcanic dam lake in Heilongjiang; deepest freshwater lake at 62 m in northeast
- Tianchi (Heavenly Lake) — crater lake on Changbai Mountain; China's deepest lake at 312.7 m; China-Jilin/North Korea border
- Khanka Lake (Xingkai) — China-Russia border lake; 4,190 km² total (China portion ~1,160 km²); UNESCO wetland reserve
Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau
- Erhai — fault lake near Dali; "Er" means ear shape; crucial water source for Dali plain
- Dianchi — largest lake in Yunnan and sixth-largest freshwater lake; "Pearl of the Plateau"; heavily polluted, massive cleanup ongoing
Xinjiang
- Bosten Lake — largest inland freshwater lake in China; Tarim Basin's "pearl"; vital for regional irrigation
- Ulungur Lake — second largest in Xinjiang; split into Buluntuo (fresh) and Jili (slightly saline) sections
China's Lakes in Numbers
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Total natural lakes (>1 km²) | ~2,800 |
| Combined lake area | ~80,000 km² |
| Freshwater lake area | ~36,000 km² (45%) |
| Lakes >1,000 km² | 11 |
| Largest freshwater lake | Poyang Lake: 3,150 km² |
| Largest saltwater lake | Qinghai Lake: 4,583 km² |
| Deepest lake | Tianchi (Changbai): 312.7 m |
| Highest large lake | Nam Co: 4,718 m elevation |
| Lowest lake | Ayding Lake (Turpan): −154 m elevation |
| Five major lake regions | Eastern Plain, Tibet-Qinghai, Inner Mongolia-Xinjiang, NE, Yunnan-Guizhou |