List of lakes in Iceland
Encyclopedia
Lakes of Iceland
(partially indicating surface or depth)
Iceland has about 67 lakes. With a few exceptions, only lakes over 2.5 km² (1 sq mi) in size are included. The figures for many of the smaller lakes are unreliable. Also, some larger lakes vary considerably in size between years or seasons or, for the reservoirs, according to the needs of the power plant.
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
(partially indicating surface or depth)
Iceland has about 67 lakes. With a few exceptions, only lakes over 2.5 km² (1 sq mi) in size are included. The figures for many of the smaller lakes are unreliable. Also, some larger lakes vary considerably in size between years or seasons or, for the reservoirs, according to the needs of the power plant.
Larger lakes (>10 km²)
- ÞórisvatnÞórisvatnÞórisvatn, is the largest lake of Iceland, situated at the south end of Sprengisandur highland road within the highlands of Iceland.It is a reservoir of a surface about 88 km² and uses the energy of the river Þjórsá, which comes down from the glacier Hofsjökull. Here in the south, it is exploited...
, 3300 Gl, 83-88 km², 109 m - ÞingvallavatnÞingvallavatnÞingvallavatn is a lake in south-western Iceland. With a surface of 84 km² it is the largest natural lake in Iceland. Its greatest depth is at 114 m. At the northern shore of the lake, at Þingvellir , the Alþingi, the national parliament, was founded in the year 930.The lake is part of the...
, 286 Gl, 84 km², 114 m - BlöndulónBlöndulónAt 57 km², Blöndulón is one of Iceland's largest lakes. It was created in 1984-1991 as a reservoir for the Blönduvirkjun power plant, and has a greatest depth of 39 m. It is situated near Kjölur highland road in the Highlands of Iceland. The hot springs of Hveravellir are situated some...
, 500 Gl, 57 km², 39 m - LagarfljótLagarfljótThe lake Lagarfljót is situated in the east of Iceland near Egilsstaðir. Its surface is measuring 53 km² and it is 25 km long, its greatest width is 2.5 km and its greatest depth 112 m...
(Lögurinn) 53 km², 112 m - MývatnMývatnMývatn is a shallow eutrophic lake situated in an area of active volcanism in the north of Iceland, not far from Krafla volcano. The lake and its surrounding wetlands have an exceptionally rich fauna of waterbirds, especially ducks...
37 km², 4.5 m - HópHópThe lake Hóp is situated in the north of Iceland near Blönduós at the Húnafjörður.In reality, the lake is more of a lagoon than a lake. Its surface area depends on the tides and oscillates between 29 and 44 km². Its greatest depth is 9 m....
29-44 km² (depending on the tide), 8.5 m - HvítárvatnHvítárvatnHvítárvatn is a lake in the Highlands of Iceland and the source of glacial river Hvítá. It is located 45 km northeast of Gullfoss. Its surface is about 30 km²; its greatest depth is 84 m....
30 km², 84 m - LangisjórLangisjórLangisjór is a lake in the Highlands of Iceland. It is around 20 km in length and up to 2 km wide, with a total surface area of about 26 km² and a depth of 75m at its deepest point....
, 26 km², 75 m - KvíslavatnKvíslavatnKvíslavatn is a lake in Iceland. The lake is situated in the Highlands of Iceland to the west of Sprengisandur highland road and to the south-east of the glacier Hofsjökull. Its surface area is about 20 km².-External links:*...
, 150 Gl, 20 km² - SultartangalónSultartangalónThe lake Sultartangarlón is situated in the Highlands of Iceland to the north of the volcano Hekla. It is a reservoir of the river Þjórsá. Its surface is measuring 20 km²....
, 116 Gl, 19 km² - JökulsárlónJökulsárlónJökulsárlón is the largest glacier lagoon or lake in Iceland. Situated in south eastern Iceland, at the head of the Breiðamerkurjökull glacier branching from the Vatnajökull, between Skaftafell National Park and Höfn, it evolved into a lagoon after the glacier started receding from the edge of...
, 18 km², 248 m (Iceland's deepest)(1999 estimate - size and depth increasing because of glacier melting) - GrænalónGrænalónGrænalón is one of the glacier lakes of the Icelandic glacier Vatnajökull. It is situated in the south of Iceland. Its surface measures 18 km²....
, 18 km² - SkorradalsvatnSkorradalsvatnSkorradalsvatn is a lake in the west of Iceland. It is situated in a narrow valley between the Hvalfjörður and the valley Reykholtsdalur . Its length is about 15 km....
, 15 km², 48 m - SigöldulónSigöldulónThe lake Sigöldulón is a reservoir in Iceland, also known as Krókslón. Situated in the south of the country, not far from Landmannalaugar, it is one of the country's 20 largest lakes at 14 km²....
, 195 Gl, 14 km² (also known as "Krókslón") - Krókslón, another name for SigöldulónSigöldulónThe lake Sigöldulón is a reservoir in Iceland, also known as Krókslón. Situated in the south of the country, not far from Landmannalaugar, it is one of the country's 20 largest lakes at 14 km²....
- ApavatnApavatnApavatn is a lake in southwest Iceland. With a surface area of around 13 km² it is slightly larger than the neighbouring lake of Laugarvatn, which lies to the north of Apavatn.Apavatn is renowned for its good fishing, especially trout.-External links:...
, 13-14 km² - SvínavatnSvínavatnThere are three lakes of the name Svínavatn in Iceland.1) A lake to the south of Blönduós. Its surface measures 12 km².2) A very small lake in the valley Heydalur near Hvammsfjörður on the peninsula of Snæfellsnes....
, 12 km², 39 m - ÖskjuvatnÖskjuvatnÖskjuvatn is a lake in the Highlands of Iceland. Its surface area is about 11 km². With a depth of , it is the deepest lake in Iceland.The lake is situated in the crater of the volcano Askja in the north-east of the glacier Vatnajökull. Its name simply means the lake of Askja...
, 11 km², 220 m - Vesturhópsvatn, 10 km², 28 m
- Höfðavatn, 10 km², 6 m
- GrímsvötnGrímsvötnThe Grímsvötn sub-glacial lakes and the volcano of the same name are in South-East Iceland. They are in the highlands of Iceland at the northwestern side of the Vatnajökull ice-cap. The lakes are at , at an elevation of...
- Hestvatn
Smaller lakes (<10 km²)
- Litlisjór, 9.2 km², 17 m
- KleifarvatnKleifarvatnKleifarvatn is the largest lake on the Reykjanes peninsula in Iceland, situated in the southern part of the peninsula on the fissure zone of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The lake can be reached via a track, and there are two areas with high temperature that can be found not far from it: Seltún/Krýsuvík...
, 9.0 km², >90 m (sensitive to climatic and geological change and was getting smaller - started recovering again in 2004) - BreiðárlónBreiðárlónBreiðárlón is a glacier lake at the south end of the Icelandic glacier Vatnajökull.It is not far from Skaftafell National Park and the better known glacier lake Jökulsárlón. From the glacier lake Breiðárlón a little river flows into the Fjallsárlón....
, 8 km² ? - Reyðarvatn, 8.3 km²
- Hítarvatn, 7.6 km², 24 m
- Miklavatn, 6.6 km², 23 m
- Sigríðarstaðavatn, 6.2 km²
- Laxárvatn, 6.0 km²
- Íshólsvatn, 5.2 km², 39 m
- Úlfljótsvatn, 60 m
- Langavatn, 5.1 km², 36 m
- Ánavatn, 4.9 km², 24 m
- Hlíðarvatn, 4.4 km², 21 m
- Arnarvatn hið stóra, 4.3 km²
- Þríhyrningsvatn, 4.3 km², 33 m
- HvalvatnHvalvatnThe lake Hvalvatn is situated some kilometers to the east of Hvalfjörður in the western portion of Iceland. It lies to the east of the volcano Hvalfell. The surface measures 4.1 km², and its greatest depth is 180 m....
, 4.1 km², 160-180 m - Másvatn, 4.0 km², 17 m
- FjallsárlónFjallsárlónFjallsárlón is a glacier lake at the south end of the Icelandic glacier Vatnajökull. Fjallsjökull which is part of the bigger glacier reaches down to the water of the lake and some ice-bergs are drifting by on its surface....
, 4.0 km² ? - Skjálftavatn, 4.0 km², 2.5 m
- Stífluvatn, 3.9 km², 23 m
- Fljótavatn, 3.9 km²
- Úlfsvatn, 3.9 km²
- Kálfborgarárvatn, 3.5 km²
- Langavatn, 3.5 km²
- Hraunhafnarvatn, 3.4 km², 3 m
- Haukadalsvatn, 3.3 km², 41 m
- Grænavatn, 3.3 km², 14 m
- Eskihlíðarvatn, 3.3 km², 5 m
- Ljósavatn, 3.2 km², 35 m
- Sandvatn, 3.0 km², 4 m
- Ölvesvatn, 2.8 km²
- Kýlingavötn (Kýlingar), 2.5-3.0 km² (actually two adjoining lakes that nearly form a single body of water)
- Sandvatn, 2.6 km²
- Kvíslavatn nyrðra, 2.6 km²
- Hraunsfjarðarvatn, 2.5 km², 80 m
- Stóra-Viðarvatn, 2.5 km², 20 m
- Oddastaðavatn, 2.5 km², 18 m
- FrostastaðavatnFrostastaðavatnFrostastaðavatn is a lake in Iceland. It is situated in the Highlands of Iceland, not far from the famous mountains of Landmannalaugar and the volcano Hekla....
, 2.3 km², >6 m - LaugarvatnLaugarvatnLaugarvatn is a lake and small town in the south of Iceland. It is a bit smaller than the neighbouring Apavatn.It is situated at a popular touristical round-trip, the Golden Circle and acts as a popular staging post in the area. There is a small but popular hostel situated in the town...
, 2.1 km² - Meðalfellsvatn, 2.0 km², 19 m
- ElliðavatnElliðavatnElliðavatn is a lake in Iceland. It is situated in the area of Reykjavík.Not far from it, there is the well known natural park Heiðmörk with its hiking and biking trails, small forests and lava formations....
, 1.8 km², 7 m - HreðavatnHreðavatnHreðavatn is a lake in the west of Iceland. It is situated near Route 1 between Borgarnes and the pass of Holtavörtuheiði. Nearby is the university faculty of Bifröst and the Grábrók craters as well as the mountain Baula....
, 1.1 km², 20 m - Skyggnisvatn
- HvítavatnHvítavatnHvítavatn is a small lake in the southern Highlands of Iceland. It is situated between Sídujökull and Skeiðarájökull, two of the southern arms of the big glacier Vatnajökull, and lies 15 km to the north of the infamous Skeiðará sander....
- TjörninTjörninTjörnin is a small lake in central Reykjavík, the capital of Iceland. Although it is not among the biggest lakes in the country, it is one of the best known....