20+ Difference Between Lake And Pond (Explained)

Lake and Pond are two terms that sound synonyms and, many a time, are used interchangeably. You will be surprised to know; actually, there is not even a major difference between the two.

Many people think lakes are bigger than ponds, and that is the only difference between a Lake and a Pond. But there are no definite criteria about whether a water body is a lake or pond. So what is the difference between a lake and a pond?

Table of Contents

Comparison Between Lake And Pond

Parameter	Lake	Pond
Size	Lakes are usually bigger in size.	Ponds are usually smaller in size.
Deepness	Lakes are deeper than ponds.	Ponds are less deep than lakes.
Sunlight Penetration	Sunlight does not penetrate to the bottom of lakes.	Sunlight easily penetrates to the bottom of ponds.
Water waves	Lake has its water waves at the top.	Pond does not have its water waves at the top.

Major Differences Between Lake And Pond

What exactly is a Lake?

A Lake is a water body other than oceans and rivers. Lakes are said to be bigger than Ponds, but there are no definite criteria for it.

Lakes are deep, and the sunlight can not reach their bottom, which is why there are no living organisms at a Lake’s bottom. Due to Lake’s deepness, Lakes are able to create waves of water.

What exactly is a Pond?

A Pond is also a water body, just like a Lake. Ponds are said to be smaller than lakes, but there are some ponds that are bigger than lakes; there are no definite criteria on how to differentiate between a lake and a pond on the basis of their size.

A pond is less deep than a lake. Because a Pond is less deep, that is why it is not able to produce its waterways. Sunlight can easily reach the bottom of a Pond, and thus, it has living organisms and their habitat at the bottom.

Contrast Between Lake And Pond

Origin Of The Word

Lake – The word Lake originated from the Old French word “lac,” which originated from the Latin word “lacus” meaning basin or pool.

Pond – The word Pond originated from the English word “pound,” pretty much with the same meaning.

Deepness

Lake – A lake is deeper than a pond.

Pond – A pond is lesser deep than a lake.

Sunlight Penetration

Lake – Sunlight can not penetrate the bottom of the Lakes.

Pond – Sunlight can easily penetrate the bottom of the Pond.

Size

Lake – Lakes are usually bigger in size.

Pond – Ponds are usually smaller in size, although there can be some exceptions.

Living Organisms At The Bottom

Lake – Lake does not have living organisms at the bottom.

Pond – The pond does have living organisms at the bottom.

Water Movement

Lake – Lake has water movements on the top.

Pond – The pond does not have water movements at the top.

Examples

Lake – Dal Lake, India; Baikal Lake, Russia; Tanganyika Lake, Africa, etc.

Pond – Blue Pond, Japan; Monet’s Pond, France; Walden Pond, Massachusetts, etc.

Conclusion

Lakes and Ponds are two water bodies that do not have many differences. The basic difference that is known to most people in Lakes is that they are bigger than ponds. But unfortunately, this is not the major difference between Lakes and Ponds.

The major difference between a Lake and a Pond is that Sunlight can not penetrate the surface of a Lake, whereas it can easily penetrate the Pond’s surface. Hence, there are no living organisms on a Lake’s surface, but they are present on Pond’s surface.

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

Q1. How to refer to a waterbody, a lake, or a pond on the basis of what a human can see?

Since the human eye can not see whether the sunlight is penetrating the surface of a water body, you can see if there are any waves present.

Lakes are deeper than ponds, and they create water movements, whereas water is still in Ponds.

Q2. What are some of the lakes that are smaller than ponds, and some of the ponds that are bigger than lakes?

Lake Echo in Conway, US, is 14 acres, whereas Pond Island in Derry, Ireland, is 500 acres.

Q3. What is the major difference between a Lake and a Pond?

The major difference between a Lake and a Pond is that sunlight can not penetrate the bottom of the Lake, whereas sunlight can easily penetrate the bottom of the Pond.