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The 13 Deepest Lakes in the World – A Dive into the Abyss
Lakes are calm, beautiful, and sometimes unbelievably deep. While some are great for a swim, others seem to stretch endlessly down, hiding secrets we may never know. If you’ve ever wondered how deep some lakes go, get ready—we’re diving into the 13 deepest lakes in the world. The list is made in descending order – starting with the least deepest to the deepest.
14. Lake Toba (Indonesia) – 505 meters
Lake Toba isn’t just deep; it’s huge. It was created by a massive volcanic eruption about 74,000 years ago. That means when you swim here, you’re floating over an ancient disaster site. But don’t worry—it’s now a peaceful and beautiful lake with an island big enough to have villages.
13. Lake Kivu (Rwanda/Democratic Republic of Congo) – 480 meters
Lake Kivu is deep and mysterious. It holds a huge amount of trapped methane and carbon dioxide, which means it could explode anytime. For this reason, many guests visit this mysterious and deep lake to discover it’s amazing nature. Scientists call this a limnic eruption, but let’s just say it would be a really bad day for the fish. Despite the hidden danger, it’s a beautiful place with amazing views.
Lake Kivu visit may be combined with a Tanzania safari to Serengeti, Ngorongoro or even Kenya’s famous Masai Mara. You can as well visit Rwanda’s famous gorillas before or after your visit to Lake Kivu.
12. Lake Argentino (Argentina) – 500 meters.
Found in Patagonia, Lake Argentino is a bright blue wonder filled with water from melting glaciers. But underneath that calm surface is a 500-meter-deep cold, dark trench. Icebergs float on top, making it one of the most stunning lakes on this list.
11. Crater Lake (USA) – 594 meters.
Crater Lake in Oregon was formed after a volcanic eruption that collapsed and filled with water. The result? A bright blue lake with some of the clearest water in the world. At 594 meters, Crater Lake stands as America’s deepest lake, deep enough to hide mysteries. Because of it’s beautiful waters, many tourists visit Crater Lake to sightsee the beautiful blue waters, hike its scenic trails and explore the surrounding wilderness. This is one of your best places to visit when in the Americas.
World’s 9th deepest lake
10. Lake Matano (Indonesia) – 590 meters.
Lake Matano, in Sulawesi, is an ancient lake with some of the rarest fish on Earth. It’s the deepest lake in Indonesia, and its crystal-clear waters let you see far down—until you reach the darkness, of course.
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per person9. Great Slave Lake (Canada) – 614 meters.
Canada has many deep lakes, but Great Slave Lake is the deepest at 614 meters. It has one of the longest winters, with people ice fishing for months. Great Slave Lake gets its name from the First Nations people of theDene Family referred to as the Slavey by their enemies – the Cree. The lake has some exciting views, nice beaches, parks and fishing boats that you want to draw your attention to when next you pay a visit there.
8. Issyk-Kul (Kyrgyzstan) – 668 meters.
This is one of the largest Alpine (high-altitude) lakes. Lake Issyk-Kul is located in Kyrgyzstan’s Tien Shan Mountains and this mysterious lake never freezes, even though it’s surrounded by snowy mountains. Issyk-Kul ability to keep liquid is attributed to its vast minerals found in it’s water. It’s deeper than the Empire State Building, and local legends say there’s an ancient city at the bottom.
Many tourists visit Lake Issyk-Kul for the many adventure activities including swimming, boating and hiking. The lake is also famous for wellness tourism because of its calmness.
7. Lake Malawi (Malawi/Tanzania/Mozambique) – 706 meters
Lake Malawi isn’t just deep—it’s full of life. It has more types and variety of fish than any other lake in the world—over 1,000 different species! Shared among Tanzania, Malawi and Mozambique, Lake Malawi stands at 706 meters deep, even the fish might be afraid to go too far down.
Some most common activities at Lake Malawi include snorkeling, boat rides, diving and wildlife sighting.
6. O’Higgins-San Martín Lake (Chile/Argentina) – 836 meters
This lake, sitting in Patagonia, has bright blue water that looks like liquid sapphire. But below that beauty is a deep, 836-meter pit. If you ever visit, take a boat ride—it’s like floating on a huge mirror.
5. Lake Bunyonyi – 900 meters
Also known as the lakes of 29 islands. Lake Bunyonyi is an incredible and lesser known lake located in Uganda. Known to be the second deepest in Africa, Lake Bunyonyi stands fifth in the whole world. The lake is famous for it’s incredible sights and known for relaxation for many Uganda safari guests especially coming from the tiring Uganda gorilla trekking. Some of the most exciting activities at Lake Bunyonyi include zip-lining, mountain biking, island hopping and Batwa cultural experience among others.
Lake Bunyonyi – Second deepest lake in Africa with enticing sceneries.
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4. Lake Vostok (Antarctica) – 1,000+ meters
This is the most mysterious lake on the list. Lake Vostok isn’t just deep—it’s buried 4 kilometres under Antarctic ice! Scientists drilled into it in 2012, and they found ancient microbes that had been trapped for millions of years. Lake Vostok is also known for being Antarctica’s largest lake out of the 675 lakes, found in the southern pole of Cold.
3. Caspian Sea (Technically a Lake) – 1,025 meters
The Caspian Sea is strange. It’s salty like an ocean, but it’s really a lake. It’s huge, holding more water than all the Great Lakes combined, and its deepest point goes over 1,025 meters. If it weren’t landlocked, it would be its own sea. The Caspian Sea stretches 1,2000 kilometers with an average width of 320km2.
2. Lake Tanganyika (East Africa) – 1,470 meters
Known to be the deepest lake in Africa, and the second deepest lake in the entire globe, Lake Tanganyika stretches across four countries. It holds 16% of the world’s unfrozen freshwater—more than all of North America’s lakes put together! Its depth also allows for some unique fish, found nowhere else in the world. Shared among Tanzania, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia and Burundi. Visiting Lake Tanganyika can be exciting and combined with a safari visit to Tanzania’s famous Serengeti, Ngorongoro crater and other exciting destinations in the country.
Beautiful view of Lake Tanganyika
1. Lake Baikal (Russia) – 1,642 meters
Lake Baikal is the deepest known lake on Earth! Lake Baikal isn’t just deep—it’s a natural wonder with a depth of up to 1,642 meters, it holds 20% of the world’s freshwater. Believed to have taken about 25 million years old, making it the oldest lake on Earth.
Final Thoughts
There you have it. A list of the world’s deepest lakes. As you can see these lakes aren’t just deep; they are ancient, mysterious, and full of surprises. Surprises you want to visit and experience them for yourself. Whether it’s Lake Baikal’s unbelievable depth, Lake Vostok’s hidden world, or Lake Kivu’s secret gases, or Lake Bunyonyi’s crazy 29 islands – you must experience at least two of them yourself to witness these enticing experiences.
So, if you ever find yourself near one of these deep lakes, take a moment to think about what’s below you—or in this case, way, way below you.
Which of these deep lakes would you like to visit?
Anthony N
Anthony is a former Software Engineer tuned Safari Curator Enthusiast.
Combining technical expertise with creativity, he excels in crafting destination guides, cultural insights, and tech-enhanced travel content.
Believing in the transformative power of travel, Anthony inspires responsible travel and sustainability.
Featured in top travel publications and known for his workshops, he mentors aspiring creators while guiding audiences on authentic and meaningful journeys.
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