Which lake is the world’s deepest, reaching a maximum depth of 1,642 metres?

Lake Baikal is the world’s deepest lake, reaching a maximum depth of 1,642 metres.

Located in southern Siberia, Russia, Baikal formed in an active continental rift zone. Its great depth and exceptionally clear water make it one of the most scientifically important freshwater lakes on Earth. It is also the world’s oldest existing continental lake, estimated to be about 25–30 million years old.

Baikal is often confused with Lake Tanganyika, which is the second-deepest lake at about 1,470 metres. Lake Superior is much larger by surface area, but it is considerably shallower. Baikal’s basin contains more liquid freshwater than any other lake.

The lake freezes during winter, and its ice can become more than a metre thick. The endemic Baikal seal is the only seal species living exclusively in freshwater.