Lakes are water bodies on the land surface. Lakes can be natural or artificial. Man made lakes or artificial lakes are constructed for the purpose of hydroelectric power generation and for irrigation. There are numerous lakes in India man made as well as natural mainly found in the states of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan. Other lakes are scattered throughout the country. Nainital district of Uttarakhand is known as the lake district of India.

The Sambhar Salt Lake is the largest salt lake in India located in the west of Jaipur in Rajasthan. The Ramsar Convention has recognized it as a wetland of international importance.

The Dhebar Lake is the second largest artificial lake in India located in the Udaipur district of Rajasthan.

The largest coastal lake in India is located in Orissa, the Chilka Lake that was formed due to the silting action of the Mahanadi River. It is a brackish water lake.

The Belsagar Lake is located in Uttar Pradesh, which is a main source of irrigation in the Belatal village.

The Bhimtal Lake is the largest lake in the Nainital district of India. The river supports variety of aquatic life and is also the resting place for trans Himalayan birds.

The Ramsar Convention has notified the Bhoj Wetland located in the city of Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh as a wetland of international importance.

The Brighu Lake located in the Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh is a high altitude lake.

The Chandra Taal Lake is situated in the Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh. Located at an altitude of 4300 meters, it is a popular destination among trekkers.

Chembarambakkam Lake is located in the Chengalpattu district of Tamil Nadu.

The Dal Lake located in Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir is a popular tourist destination. It is famous for its houseboats.

The Dal lake located in Kangra district in Himachal Pradesh is located at a height of 1,755 metres above mean sea level.

The Dashair Lake is located near the Rohtang Pass.

The Dhankar Lake is located near the monastery of Dhankar in Spiti.

The Ghadhasaru Lake is a high altitude lake situated in the Churah tehsil of Chamba.

The Mahakali Lake is a sacred lake located at a height of 4,080 metres above mean sea level.

The Gurudongmar Lake is one of the high altitude lakes in the world situated at an altitude of 17,100 feet above mean sea level. The Lake is located close to the Indo-China border in the northern part of Sikkim.

Hebbal Lake is located in the northern part of Bangalore and is a home to seventy species of water birds and also provides boating.

Himayat Sagar is located at a distance of twenty kilometers from Hyderabad and along with the Osman Sagar is a major source of drinking water for Hyderabad and Secunderabad.

The Hussain Sagar Lake is an artificial lake situated in the city of Hyderabad. The lake is built on the tributary of the Musi River and is a source of drinking water and irrigation for the city.

The Kaliveli Lake is a coastal lake situated in the Viluppuram district of Tamil Nadu. The lake is a seasonal wetland.

Kamalasagar is a man made lake situated in Tripura in India.

Kankaria Lake is the largest lake in the city of Ahmedabad in Gujarat.

Karanji Lake is a beautiful lake in the city of Mysore in Karnataka and is surrounded by a butterfly park and a aviary which is open to public.

Kareri Lake is situated in the Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh.

Kumarwah Lake is located in the Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh.

The Khajjiar Lake is situated at a height of 1,900 metres above mean sea level and is a holy place of the Khajjinags.

The Kedartal Lake is located at a height of 15,000 feet above mean sea level in the Himalayas.

The Khecheopalri Lake in the West Sikkim district of Sikkim is a sacred lake for the Buddhist and the Hindus.

The Khindasi Lake is located near Ramtek in Nagpur district of Maharastra.

The Kolleru Lake has beeen designated as the largest freshwater lake in Andhra Pradesh and is fed by the seasonal rivers Budameru and Tammileru.

The Kukkarahalli Lake is located in the city of Mysore in Karnataka.

The Lama Dal Lake is located at a high altitude in the district of Chamba.

The Chander Naun Lake is the source of Pabbar River and is located in the shimla district of Himachal Pradesh.

Lingambudhi Lake is situated in the city of Mysore in the state of Karnataka.

The largest freshwater lake in northeastern India is the Loktak Lake which is amajor source of drinking water, irrigation and hydroelectric generation in Manipur.

The Macchial Lake is situated in the Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh.

Menmecho Lake is located in the East Sikkim district of Sikkim and is a major source for the Rangpo chu river, a tributary of the Teesta River.

The Nako Lake is located in the district of Kinnaur in Himachal Pradesh at an altitude of 3,662 metres above mean sea level.

The Nal Sarovar Bird Sanctuary is the largest wetland bird sanctuary in India which is a shelter for migratory birds in winters and spring.

Osman Sagar is an artificial lake located in Hyderabad.

Pangong Tso or Pangong Lake is situated at a height of 4,250 metres above mean sea level. It has been identified as a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention.

The Prasar Lake is located in the Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh. Near the lake there is a temple dedicated to sage Prashar.

Pulicat Lake lying at the border of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh is the second largest brackish water lake on the Coromandel Coast.

Rankala Lake is a beautiful lake situated in the Kolhapur district of Maharastra.

The Red Hills Lake also called the Puzhal Lake is located in the Thiruvallur district of Tamil Nadu.

The Renuka Lake is situated at an altitiude of 672 metres above mean sea level in the Sirmaur district of Himachal Pradesh.

The Rewalsar Lake is a square shaped lake located in the Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh.

Sasthamkotta Lake is a large freshwater lake in Kerela`s Kollam district. The Sastha Temple is located near the lake.

Sattal is a group of seven freshwater lakes in the Lower Himalayan Range.It is a home for several migratory birds.

Seruvalsar Lake is locatd in the Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh. It is located at a height of 3,100 metres above mean sea level.

Manimahesh Lake is located in the Chamba district at a height of 4,080 metres above mean sea level.

Shamirpet Lake is an artificial lake situated in Hyderabad and is a perfect picnic spot owing to its serenity.

The Shivajisagar Lake is a reservoir in Maharastra and was formed after the construction of the Koyna Dam.

Sholavaram Lake is situated in the Thiruvallur district of Tamil Nadu.

The artificial Sukhna Lake is located in the foothills of the Shivalik Range in Chandigarh and provides exciting water activities like boating, yatching, water sking etc.

The Tsomoriri is a high altitude lake in Ladakh situated at a height of 4595 metres above mean sea level.

Tsongmo Lake also called Changu Lake, located in the east Sikkim district of Sikkim is a popular tourist destination

Situated in the northern part of Mumbai, Tulsi Lake is a fresh water lake which is a source of drinking water in the city.

Umaim Lake is a lake located in Shillong in the northeastern state Meghalaya.

The Vastrapur Lake, situated in Ahmedabad is surrounded by lush green lawns. Sometimes, the Narmada River flows into the lake.

Veeranam Lake is situated in Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu.

The northern part of the Vembanad Lake is the Veeranpuzha Lake located in Cochin in Kerela.

The Vembanad Lake is the largest lake in Kerela is spread over an area of two hundred square kilometers.

The Vembanattu Lake is a vast network of rivers and canals located at a distance of sixteen kilometers from Kottayam.

Located between the Tulsi Lake and the Powai Lake, the Vihar Lake is the largest lake in Mumbai.

The Ashtamudi Lake is a freshwater lake located in the Kollam district of Kerala. It has been designated as a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention.

The Punnamada Lake is located near Alappuzha in Kerela.

The Nakki Lake is situated in the beautiful hill station of Mount Abu at a height of 1200 metres above mean sea level.

The artificial Pushkar Lake is located near the town of Pushkar in Ajmer district of Rajasthan.

The Rajsamand Lake was built in the seveteenth century and is situated near the Rajsamand town in Rajasthan.