Lakes of India List: Largest, Freshwater, Salt Water and Crater Lakes with State Names for SSC

Questions on the lakes of India are asked in almost every SSC General Awareness paper: "Which is the largest freshwater lake?", "In which state is Loktak Lake?" or "Which lake is a crater lake?" These lakes of India notes for SSC give the important lakes by type, with the state and the special fact of each.

Important Lakes by Type

Artificial Lakes (Reservoirs)

Important Facts

• Chilika is the largest brackish water lagoon in India and in Asia.
• Sambhar Lake is the largest inland salt lake, and it gives salt in Rajasthan.
• Lonar Lake in Buldhana, Maharashtra was formed by a meteor strike, and it is a crater lake.
• Loktak Lake has the world’s only floating national park (Keibul Lamjao), where the Sangai deer lives.
• Kolleru, Chilika, Loktak and Wular are Ramsar wetlands. India has more than 80 Ramsar sites, so check the latest number.

Lakes by State (Quick Table)

Quick Tips

• Learn the lakes by type (freshwater, salt, lagoon, crater, artificial).
• Learn the lakes by state in the quick table.
• Remember the six famous firsts: Wular, Chilika, Sambhar, Lonar, Loktak and Vembanad.
• Check the latest Ramsar site number before the exam.

Quick Revision Points

• Wular is the largest freshwater lake of India.
• Chilika is the largest lagoon of India.
• Sambhar is the largest inland salt lake.
• Lonar is a crater lake in Maharashtra.
• Loktak has floating islands called phumdis.

Practice Questions With Answers

1. Which is the largest freshwater lake of India?
   Answer: Wular Lake
2. Which is the largest lagoon of India?
   Answer: Chilika Lake
3. Which is the largest inland salt lake of India?
   Answer: Sambhar Lake
4. In which state is the Lonar Lake?
   Answer: Maharashtra
5. In which state is the Loktak Lake?
   Answer: Manipur
6. Which is the longest lake of India?
   Answer: Vembanad Lake
7. In which state is the Pulicat Lake (in part)?
   Answer: Andhra Pradesh (and Tamil Nadu)
8. Which lake has floating islands called phumdis?
   Answer: Loktak Lake
9. Pangong Tso lies in which UT?
   Answer: Ladakh
10. Which lake lies on the Bhakra Dam?
    Answer: Gobind Sagar

How to Practise This Chapter

Practise 10 questions every day and write the steps on paper. Then attempt timed sets from our practice papers and the previous year papers page. See all topics on the Indian Geography notes page, read the previous topic Plains, Plateau and Coastal Plains and the next topic Natural Vegetation and Forests. Also read the Indian Geography mind map and Rivers of India.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the largest freshwater lake in India?

Wular Lake in Jammu and Kashmir.

Which is the largest lagoon in India?

Chilika Lake in Odisha.

Which is the largest saltwater inland lake?

Sambhar Lake in Rajasthan.

Which lake was formed by a meteor impact?

Lonar Lake in Maharashtra.

Which lake has the floating national park?

Loktak Lake in Manipur has the Keibul Lamjao National Park.

Which is the longest lake in India?

Vembanad Lake in Kerala.

Which lake is shared by India and China?

Pangong Tso.

In which states is the Pulicat Lake?

In Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

What is a lagoon?

A lagoon is a shallow body of water separated from the sea by a sand bar, such as Chilika.

Is this topic asked in SSC exams?

Yes. Lakes of India are asked in almost every General Awareness paper.

How can I remember the lakes?

Learn them by type and by state in the tables, and mark them on a map.

Which lake is a famous Srinagar lake?

Dal Lake.