Which Patagonian lake is Argentina's largest freshwater lake?

Argentino Lake is Argentina’s largest freshwater lake.

Known in Spanish as Lago Argentino, it occupies part of Santa Cruz Province in southern Patagonia. The lake covers about 1,415 square kilometres and lies near the town of El Calafate, within the spectacular landscape of Los Glaciares National Park. Its waters ultimately reach the Atlantic Ocean through the Santa Cruz River.

Argentino Lake is glacial in origin and has several major arms. Glaciers feed its western reaches, including the Upsala Glacier and Perito Moreno Glacier. Ice and meltwater have cut deep underwater trenches; the lake’s maximum depth is about 719 metres, placing it among the world’s notably deep lakes.

The lake is sometimes confused with Viedma Lake, another major Patagonian lake nearby, or with Fagnano Lake farther south in Tierra del Fuego. Argentino Lake is not the largest lake in all of Patagonia: the Argentina–Chile lake shared by General Carrera and Lake Buenos Aires is larger overall. Its glacier scenery, fishing, boat trips, and proximity to El Calafate make it one of Argentina’s best-known natural landmarks.