Important Lakes in India: Quick Answer
The most asked lakes in SSC and Railway exams are Wular (largest freshwater lake, Jammu and Kashmir), Chilika (largest brackish-water coastal lagoon, Odisha), Sambhar (largest inland saltwater lake, Rajasthan), Vembanad (longest lake, Kerala), Loktak (floating phumdis, Manipur), Lonar (meteorite crater lake, Maharashtra) and Dal (Srinagar). Most of them are also Ramsar wetlands of international importance.
Key takeaway: Remember the superlatives as a set: Wular = freshwater, Chilika = brackish lagoon, Sambhar = inland salt, Vembanad = longest, Loktak = floating islands, Lonar = meteorite. Pulicat is the second-largest brackish lagoon after Chilika.
Largest Lakes in India (Superlatives Table)
| Record | Lake | State/UT | Fact to remember |
|---|---|---|---|
| Largest freshwater lake | Wular | Jammu and Kashmir | Fed and drained by the Jhelum |
| Largest brackish-water lagoon | Chilika | Odisha | Separated from the Bay of Bengal by a sand spit; known for Irrawaddy dolphins and migratory birds; India's first Ramsar site (1981, with Keoladeo) |
| Largest inland saltwater lake | Sambhar | Rajasthan | Major salt-producing lake; flamingos in winter |
| Longest lake | Vembanad | Kerala | Backwaters around Kochi and Alappuzha; Nehru Trophy boat race on Punnamada Lake, a part of Vembanad |
| Largest freshwater lake of North-East India | Loktak | Manipur | Floating vegetation mats called phumdis; Keibul Lamjao, the world's only floating national park, home of the sangai deer |
| Second-largest brackish lagoon | Pulicat | Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu | Sriharikota (ISRO launch site) lies between the lagoon and the sea |
| Meteorite impact crater lake | Lonar | Maharashtra (Buldhana) | Saline and alkaline water; formed by a meteorite impact |
| Largest freshwater oxbow lake in Asia | Kanwar (Kabartal) | Bihar | Bihar's first Ramsar site |
Important Lakes in India State-wise List
| State/UT | Lakes |
|---|---|
| Jammu and Kashmir | Wular, Dal, Nagin, Manasbal, Anchar |
| Ladakh | Pangong Tso (shared with Tibet, China), Tso Moriri, Tso Kar |
| Himachal Pradesh | Chandra Taal, Renuka (largest natural lake of HP), Prashar, Khajjiar; reservoirs Govind Sagar (Bhakra dam) and Pong Dam lake (Maharana Pratap Sagar) |
| Uttarakhand | Nainital (Naini Lake), Bhimtal, Sattal, Roopkund ("skeleton lake"), Hemkund |
| Rajasthan | Sambhar, Pushkar, Pichola and Fateh Sagar (Udaipur), Dhebar/Jaisamand, Nakki (Mount Abu), Didwana |
| Punjab | Harike wetland (at the confluence of the Beas and Sutlej) |
| Haryana | Badkhal, Surajkund, Sultanpur |
| Uttar Pradesh | Gobind Ballabh Pant Sagar (Rihand dam reservoir), Ramgarh Tal |
| Madhya Pradesh | Bhojtal (Upper Lake, Bhopal), Lower Lake |
| Gujarat | Nal Sarovar, Kankaria (Ahmedabad), Narayan Sarovar |
| Maharashtra | Lonar, Powai, Vihar, Tulsi (Mumbai), Venna (Mahabaleshwar) |
| Odisha | Chilika, Anshupa |
| West Bengal | East Kolkata Wetlands, Rabindra Sarobar, Senchal |
| Bihar | Kanwar (Kabartal) |
| Assam | Deepor Beel, Chandubi, Son Beel |
| Manipur | Loktak |
| Meghalaya | Umiam (Barapani) reservoir |
| Sikkim | Gurudongmar, Tsomgo (Changu), Khecheopalri |
| Andhra Pradesh | Kolleru (between the Godavari and Krishna deltas), Pulicat (shared with Tamil Nadu) |
| Telangana | Hussain Sagar (Hyderabad, with a monolithic Buddha statue), Osman Sagar, Himayat Sagar |
| Karnataka | Ulsoor, Bellandur, Pampa Sarovar |
| Tamil Nadu | Pulicat, Ooty Lake, Kodaikanal Lake, Chembarambakkam, Veeranam |
| Kerala | Vembanad, Ashtamudi, Sasthamkotta (largest freshwater lake of Kerala), Periyar (reservoir) |
Types of Lakes in India (with Examples)
| Type | How it forms | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Tectonic | Earth movements create a basin | Wular, Pangong Tso, Tso Moriri |
| Glacial | Glaciers carve basins in the Himalaya | Chandra Taal, Gurudongmar, Roopkund, Hemkund |
| Crater | Meteorite impact | Lonar |
| Lagoon (brackish) | Sea water cut off by a sand bar | Chilika, Pulicat, Vembanad, Ashtamudi |
| Oxbow | A river meander is cut off | Kanwar (Kabartal) |
| Saline (inland) | Inland drainage in dry areas evaporates and leaves salt | Sambhar, Didwana, Pachpadra |
| Artificial (reservoir) | Dams across rivers | Gobind Ballabh Pant Sagar, Govind Sagar, Umiam, Hussain Sagar |
Lakes in India Trick to Remember
- "W-C-S" = Water, Coast, Salt: Wular (fresh water), Chilika (coastal lagoon), Sambhar (salt).
- Loktak floats: phumdis + Keibul Lamjao (floating park) + sangai deer.
- "L for Lonar, L for landing": the only lake formed by a meteorite landing.
- Kerala's "V" and "S": Vembanad is the longest; Sasthamkotta is the largest freshwater lake of Kerala.
- Pulicat hides ISRO: Sriharikota sits between Pulicat and the Bay of Bengal.
Important Lakes MCQs for SSC and RRB (with Answers)
Q1. Which is the largest freshwater lake in India? (a) Dal (b) Wular (c) Loktak (d) Chilika Answer: (b).
Q2. Chilika Lake is located in: (a) Andhra Pradesh (b) West Bengal (c) Odisha (d) Tamil Nadu Answer: (c).
Q3. "Phumdis" are associated with which lake? (a) Loktak (b) Dal (c) Vembanad (d) Wular Answer: (a).
Q4. Lonar Lake, formed by a meteorite impact, is in: (a) Karnataka (b) Rajasthan (c) Maharashtra (d) Madhya Pradesh Answer: (c).
Q5. Which is the longest lake in India? (a) Vembanad (b) Chilika (c) Sambhar (d) Pulicat Answer: (a).
Q6. Sambhar Lake is known for: (a) Fresh water (b) Salt production (c) Floating islands (d) Houseboats Answer: (b).
Q7. Hussain Sagar Lake is located in: (a) Bengaluru (b) Hyderabad (c) Chennai (d) Bhopal Answer: (b).
Q8. Pangong Tso lies in: (a) Sikkim (b) Himachal Pradesh (c) Ladakh (d) Arunachal Pradesh Answer: (c). It is shared with Tibet (China).
Q9. Kolleru Lake lies between the deltas of: (a) Godavari and Krishna (b) Krishna and Kaveri (c) Mahanadi and Godavari (d) Ganga and Brahmaputra Answer: (a).
Q10. Keibul Lamjao National Park, the only floating national park in the world, is on: (a) Dal Lake (b) Loktak Lake (c) Umiam Lake (d) Deepor Beel Answer: (b).
Important Lakes in India FAQs
Which is the largest lake in India?
By type: Wular is the largest freshwater lake, Chilika the largest brackish-water lagoon and Sambhar the largest inland saltwater lake. Vembanad is the longest lake.
Which is the largest saltwater lake in India?
Sambhar Lake in Rajasthan is the largest inland saltwater lake. Chilika, a coastal lagoon, is the largest brackish-water body.
Which lake in India was formed by a meteorite?
Lonar Lake in Buldhana district, Maharashtra.
Which lake is called the "skeleton lake"?
Roopkund in Uttarakhand, where hundreds of old human skeletons have been found.
Which is the largest freshwater lake in Kerala?
Sasthamkotta Lake in Kollam district.
Which lakes are Ramsar sites?
Many, including Chilika, Wular, Loktak, Sambhar, Vembanad, Lonar, Kanwar, Deepor Beel, Harike, Renuka, Tso Moriri and Ashtamudi. See our full, updated Ramsar list for the current count.
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