The largest lake in Central America, dotted with volcanic islands.
Surface area
8,264 km²
Maximum depth
about 26 m
Elevation
32 m
Continent
North America
Countries
Nicaragua
Did you know?
Lake Nicaragua is the only freshwater lake known to host bull sharks, which swim up the San Juan River from the sea.
Little-known fact
The twin volcanoes of Ometepe island rise straight out of the lake, one of them still active.
Highlights
- Largest lake in Central America
- Home to freshwater sharks
- Crowned by twin volcanoes
Life in the Lake Nicaragua
The fish and animals, waterbirds and water plants — including some of the rarest — that this water supports.
Animals & fish
West Indian manatee
A gentle, slow-moving “sea cow” that drifts through warm rivers and lagoons grazing on water plants.
Common snapping turtle
An armoured, prehistoric-looking turtle with a powerful beak that haunts the muddy beds of North American waters.
Waterbirds
Mallard
The familiar green-headed dabbling duck — ancestor of most domestic ducks — found on waters worldwide.
Interactive · 3D dive
How deep does a lake go?
A lake is layered from the sunlit, weed-filled shallows down to a cold, dark bed. Tap a zone to dive the submersible through the water column — and meet the life that belongs at each depth.
Tip: hover the column to tilt it · tap a layer to dive
Littoral Zone
The warm, bright band close to shore where sunlight reaches the bottom. Reeds, water lilies and rooted plants grow thickly here, making it the busiest, most crowded part of the whole lake.
Who lives here