There are over 1,500 lakes in Italy ranging from very small to the enormous Lake Garda which has an area of approximately 143 square miles (370 square kilometers). On this page we list 10 of Italy's largest lakes followed by a list of the top 5 with a short description of each. For each of these major Italian lakes you will find a list of interesting facts including how large it is, where the lake is located, and why the lake is important. This information is written for both kids and adults.
10 Largest Lakes in Italy
Lake Garda
Lake Maggiore
Lake Como
Lake Trasimeno
Lake Bolsena
Lake Iseo (Lago d'Iseo)
Lake Bracciano (Lago di Bracciano)
Lake Lugano (Lago di Lugano)
Lake Omodeo (Lago Omodeo)
Lago d'Orta
Description of 5 Largest Lakes in Italy
Lake Garda
Lake Garda is Italy's biggest lake.
This lake is called "Lago di Garda" in Italian.
The lake's name comes from the town of Garda. The word "Garda" is derived from the word warda (Germanic), which translates to "place of guard".
This lake has a total surface area of approximately 143 square miles (370 square kilometers).
Garda's deepest point is 1,135 feet (346 meters) with an average depth of 446 feet (136 meters).
Its shore stretches for 98.4 miles (158.4 km).
Lake Garda is located in northern Italy.
Lake Maggiore
This is Italy's second largest lake.
Lake Maggiore is 40 miles long (64 kilometers) which makes it Italy's longest lake. Lake Garda has a much larger total surface area.
Maggiore's shoreline extends 105.6 miles (170 kilometers).
This lake is called "Lago Maggiore" in Italian and translates to "Greater Lake".
Lake Maggiore is located on the southern side of the Alps in northern Italy.
Lake Maggiore has a surface area of 82 square miles (212 sq. km).
Its deepest point is 1,220 feet (372 meters) with an average depth of 582 feet (177 meters).
The border between Italy and Switzerland crosses through Lake Maggiore.
Lake Como
Lake Como is Italy's third largest lake.
This lake has a surface area of 56 square miles (145 sq. km).
It is located in the Lombardy region of Northern Italy.
Lake Trasimeno
Lake Trasimeno is located in the Umbria region of Italy; it is the largest lake in southern Italy (south of the Po river).
This lake has an area of 49 square miles (127 sq. km).
Trasimeno's maximum depth is 20 feet (6 meters).
Lake Bolsena
Lake Bolsena is located in central Italy; northwest of Rome.
This lake has an area of 44 square miles (114 sq. km).
This lake is formed in the crater of an extinct volcano.
