What is the largest lake in Europe by surface area?

What is the largest lake in Europe by surface area? Lake Ladoga is the largest lake located entirely in Europe by surface area.

Lake Ladoga lies in northwestern Russia, between the Republic of Karelia and Leningrad Oblast, near Saint Petersburg. Its average surface area is about 17,891 square kilometres, though measurements vary slightly with water levels and whether islands are included. It is a freshwater lake and ranks among the world’s largest inland lakes.

Ladoga is fed by rivers including the Svir, Volkhov, and Vuoksi, and its outflow is the Neva River, which runs toward the Gulf of Finland. The lake contains around 660 islands, including the well-known Valaam archipelago, and reaches a maximum depth of roughly 230–260 metres.

The main source of confusion is Lake Baikal: Baikal is much larger by volume and is often described as Europe’s neighbouring giant, but it lies in Siberia and is generally classified as an Asian lake. Lake Onega, Lake Vänern, and Lake Saimaa are also major European lakes, but each has less surface area than Ladoga.