Introduction:
Lakes of India are an important topic in competitive exams like UPSC, SSC, and State PSC due to their geographical, ecological, and economic significance. India has numerous types of lakes, including freshwater, saltwater, natural, and man-made lakes. For example, Chilika Lake is the largest brackish water lake, while Wular Lake is the largest freshwater lake in India. Loktak Lake is famous for its floating islands. Questions are often asked about their location, type, and unique features, making them a scoring and important section in the geography syllabus.
Below list of 50 Important Lakes of India are given:
| Sr. No | Lake Name | Place | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kolleru Lake | Andhra Pradesh | Freshwater |
| 2 | Pulicat Lake | Andhra Pradesh / Tamil Nadu | Brackish |
| 3 | Deepor Beel | Assam | Freshwater |
| 4 | Chandubi Lake | Assam | Freshwater |
| 5 | Kanwar Lake | Bihar | Freshwater |
| 6 | Sukhna Lake | Chandigarh | Artificial |
| 7 | Bhojtal (Upper Lake) | Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh | Artificial |
| 8 | Dal Lake | Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir | Freshwater |
| 9 | Wular Lake | Jammu & Kashmir | Freshwater |
| 10 | Pangong Tso | Ladakh | Saltwater |
| 11 | Tso Moriri | Ladakh | Saltwater |
| 12 | Naini Lake | Nainital, Uttarakhand | Freshwater |
| 13 | Bhimtal Lake | Uttarakhand | Freshwater |
| 14 | Naukuchiatal Lake | Uttarakhand | Freshwater |
| 15 | Roopkund Lake | Uttarakhand | Glacial |
| 16 | Renuka Lake | Himachal Pradesh | Freshwater |
| 17 | Chandratal Lake | Himachal Pradesh | Glacial |
| 18 | Rewalsar Lake | Himachal Pradesh | Freshwater |
| 19 | Suraj Tal | Himachal Pradesh | Glacial |
| 20 | Gobind Sagar Lake | Himachal Pradesh | Artificial |
| 21 | Harike Lake | Punjab | Artificial |
| 22 | Kanjli Lake | Punjab | Artificial |
| 23 | Sambhar Lake | Rajasthan | Saltwater |
| 24 | Pushkar Lake | Rajasthan | Freshwater |
| 25 | Fateh Sagar Lake | Udaipur, Rajasthan | Artificial |
| 26 | Udai Sagar Lake | Udaipur, Rajasthan | Artificial |
| 27 | Chilika Lake | Odisha | Brackish |
| 28 | Ansupa Lake | Odisha | Freshwater |
| 29 | Nalbana Lake | Odisha | Brackish |
| 30 | Lonar Lake | Maharashtra | Crater (Saline) |
| 31 | Powai Lake | Mumbai, Maharashtra | Artificial Freshwater |
| 32 | Venna Lake | Mahabaleshwar, Maharashtra | Artificial |
| 33 | Shivsagar Lake | Maharashtra | Artificial |
| 34 | Rankala Lake | Kolhapur, Maharashtra | Freshwater |
| 35 | Loktak Lake | Manipur | Freshwater |
| 36 | Umiam Lake | Meghalaya | Artificial |
| 37 | Tam Dil Lake | Mizoram | Freshwater |
| 38 | Shilloi Lake | Nagaland | Freshwater |
| 39 | Rudrasagar Lake | Tripura | Freshwater |
| 40 | Vembanad Lake | Kerala | Brackish |
| 41 | Ashtamudi Lake | Kerala | Brackish |
| 42 | Sasthamkotta Lake | Kerala | Freshwater |
| 43 | Periyar Lake | Kerala | Artificial |
| 44 | Ulsoor Lake | Bengaluru, Karnataka | Artificial |
| 45 | Bellandur Lake | Bengaluru, Karnataka | Freshwater |
| 46 | Kodaikanal Lake | Tamil Nadu | Artificial |
| 47 | Veeranam Lake | Tamil Nadu | Artificial |
| 48 | Chembarambakkam Lake | Tamil Nadu | Artificial |
| 49 | Hussain Sagar Lake | Telangana | Artificial |
| 50 | Osman Sagar | Telangana | Artificial |
Also Read
Important Notes:
- Freshwater Lakes
Lakes that contain no-salt i.e. sweet water, which is suitable for drinking and irrigation.
Example: Wular Lake - Brackish Lakes
Lakes that have a mixture of fresh water and salt water, usually found near sea coastal area.
Example: Chilika Lake - Saltwater Lakes
Lakes that contain high salt content, similar to seawater, and are not suitable for drinking.
Example: Sambhar Lake - Glacial Lakes
Lakes formed by melting glaciers, mostly found in mountainous (Himalayan) regions.
Example: Roopkund Lake - Artificial Lakes
Lakes that are man-made, usually created by dams for water storage, irrigation, or electricity.
Example: Gobind Sagar Lake
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q.1 Which is the largest brackish water lake in India?
Answer: The largest brackish water lake in India is Chilika Lake, located in Odisha.
Q.2 Which is the largest freshwater lake in India?
Answer: Wular Lake is the largest freshwater lake in India, located in Jammu & Kashmir.
Q.3 Which Lake in India is famous for floating islands?
Answer: Loktak Lake is famous for floating islands called phumdis.
Q.4 Which type of lakes are mainly found in the Himalayan region?
Answer: Glacial lakes are mainly found in the Himalayan region, such as Roopkund Lake and Chandratal Lake.
Q.5 Which is the largest saltwater lake in India?
Answer: The largest saltwater lake in India is Sambhar Lake, located in Rajasthan.
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