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what is the world's deepest lake?

The world’s deepest lake is Lake Baikal in southern Siberia, Russia.

Quick Scoop

  • Lake Baikal reaches a maximum depth of about 5,387 feet (1,642 meters) , making it the deepest lake on Earth by maximum depth.
  • It is also one of the oldest lakes (around 25 million years) and holds roughly 20% of the planet’s unfrozen surface freshwater , more than all the North American Great Lakes combined by volume.
  • Baikal lies in an active continental rift zone that is slowly widening and subsiding, so the lake can become even deeper over geologic time.

In geography and science discussions today, when people ask “what is the world’s deepest lake?”, the accepted answer is Lake Baikal, Russia.

TL;DR: Lake Baikal in Russia is the world’s deepest lake at about 1,642 meters (5,387 feet) deep and is also the largest freshwater lake by volume. Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.