Lakes of St. Gallen 2026: 57, its own biggest is 68 ha
St. Gallen borders Lake Constance, Lake Zurich and the Walensee, and owns none of them alone. The largest lake entirely within the canton is the Gigerwaldsee: 68 ha.
Number of lakes in St. Gallen: 57
57 lakes of half a hectare or more, and yet the national map shows 1013 bodies of standing water in St. Gallen. The gap is not imprecision; it is a way of counting.
- 11013 water surfaces appear in swisstopo's landscape model for the canton.
- 2105 of them are at least half a hectare (5,000 m²).
- 382 carry an official name, however small.
- 457 are both, named and at least 0.5 ha. That is what we count as a lake.
Anyone reading a different figure has almost always drawn a different line: count every water surface and St. Gallen has 1013; count only lakes over one square kilometre and you get 3. Even a plain name such as "Weiher" counts as official: what decides is the entry in the swissNAMES3D gazetteer. Namesakes more than 50 m apart count separately, which is why "Alter Rhein" in Diepoldsau appears 4 times in the list. Our count states where the line is, so it can be checked.
Lake Finder: find any lake in St. Gallen
Every officially named lake in Switzerland with area, elevation and canton. Filter by elevation and canton, search in all national languages.
- Municipalities: Stein am Rhein · Thal · Arbon · Kreuzlingen · Eschenz · Ermatingen · Mammern · Salenstein · Güttingen · Romanshorn · Münsterlingen · Egnach · Horn · Uttwil · Bottighofen · Steinach · Kesswil · Altnau · Steckborn · Rorschach · Goldach · Rorschacherberg · Gottlieben · Berlingen · SalmsachOfficial names: Lac de Constance · Lago di Costanza · Lai da ConstanzaArea by canton: Thurgau 24% · St. Gallen 9% · Schaffhausen 0.0% · rest abroadOfficially 2 water surfaces with the same name
- Municipalities: Rapperswil-Jona · Freienbach · Zürich · Altendorf · Wangen (SZ) · Lachen · Schmerikon · Tuggen · Wollerau · Wädenswil · Meilen · Horgen · Stäfa · Richterswil · Thalwil · Männedorf · Küsnacht (ZH) · Kilchberg (ZH) · Rüschlikon · Oberrieden · Erlenbach (ZH) · Herrliberg · Zollikon · Hombrechtikon · Uetikon am SeeOfficial names: Lac de Zurich · Lago di Zurigo · Lai da TuritgArea by canton: Zurich 67% · Schwyz 21% · St. Gallen 12%
- Municipalities: Quarten · Glarus Nord · Amden · Walenstadt · WeesenOfficial names: Lac de Walenstadt · Lago di Walenstadt · Lai RivaunArea by canton: St. Gallen 81% · Glarus 19%
- Area by canton: St. Gallen 67% · rest abroadOfficially 3 water surfaces with the same name
- Area by canton: St. Gallen 50% · rest abroadOfficially 3 water surfaces with the same name
- Area by canton: St. Gallen 59% · rest abroadOfficially 2 water surfaces with the same name
Source: swissTLM3D, swissNAMES3D, swissBOUNDARIES3D (© swisstopo, 2026 edition). Area = entire water surface, including the foreign part for border lakes. Elevation = water level in the landscape model. Analysis by ConvivaPlus.
Largest lake in St. Gallen: Gigerwaldsee
The largest lake touching St. Gallen is the Bodensee (534.1 km²), but only 9% of its surface lies in the canton. The largest lake belonging entirely to the canton is the Gigerwaldsee: 68 ha at 1331 m.
| Lake | Area | Elevation | Share in canton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bodensee | 534.1 km² | 396 m | 9% |
| Zürichsee | 88.0 km² | 406 m | 12% |
| Walensee | 24.1 km² | 419 m | 81% |
| Gigerwaldsee | 68 ha | 1331 m | 100% |
| Alter Rhein | 33 ha | 408 m | 67% |
| Mapraggsee | 23 ha | 861 m | 100% |
| Alter Rhein | 22 ha | 405 m | 50% |
| Oberer Murgsee | 21 ha | 1819 m | 100% |
| Gübsensee | 18 ha | 682 m | 100% |
| Voralpsee | 15 ha | 1124 m | 100% |
Highest lake in St. Gallen: Wildsee
10 of the 57 lakes lie above 2,000 m; the highest is the Wildsee in Mels at 2435 m. The canton's median lake sits at 770 m.
The canton's lowest-lying lake is the Bodensee at 396 m. Elevation is the water level in the landscape model; for reservoirs it varies with how full they are. 6 of the 57 lakes in the canton have a dam or embankment (structures in swissTLM3D): Gigerwaldsee, Mapraggsee, Oberer Murgsee, Gübsensee, Chapfensee and Wenigerweier.
Shared lakes: which lakes St. Gallen shares
97% of the lake surface in St. Gallen lies in lakes it does not own alone. St. Gallen shares 6 of its 57 lakes, 3 with other cantons and 4 with other countries; the table shows how much of each lies in the canton. On Lake Constance there is no legal border, only a technical one (swisstopo); the Swiss share follows it and is a calculation.
List of lakes in St. Gallen
An official name does not make a lake: 25 of the 82 named bodies of water in St. Gallen measure less than half a hectare. The list shows all of them by area, the 57 lakes first, the smaller ones marked.
- 1.Bodensee · 25 municipalities534.1 km²396 m
- 2.Zürichsee · 25 municipalities88.0 km²406 m
- 3.Walensee · 5 municipalities24.1 km²419 m
- 4.Gigerwaldsee · Pfäfers68 ha1331 m
- 5.Alter Rhein · Diepoldsau33 ha408 m
- 6.Mapraggsee · Pfäfers23 ha861 m
- 7.Alter Rhein · Diepoldsau22 ha405 m
- 8.Oberer Murgsee · Quarten21 ha1819 m
- 9.Gübsensee · St. Gallen18 ha682 m
- 10.Voralpsee · Grabs15 ha1124 m
- 11.Alter Rhein · Diepoldsau15 ha404 m
- 12.Chapfensee · Mels9.5 ha1029 m
- 13.Bettenauer Weier · Oberuzwil8.4 ha586 m
- 14.Eselschwanzweier · St. Margrethen6.8 ha396 m
- 15.Wildsee · Mels6.3 ha2435 m
- 16.Grosssee · Quarten5.1 ha1619 m
- 17.Wenigerweier · St. Gallen4.3 ha838 m
- 18.Schlossweier · Untereggen4.3 ha548 m
- 19.Laichsee · Benken (SG)4.1 ha408 m
- 20.Unterer Murgsee · Quarten3.7 ha1683 m
- 21.Schwarzsee · Vilters-Wangs3.7 ha2372 m
- 22.Baggersee · Oberriet (SG)3.7 ha412 m
- 23.Schottensee · Mels3.4 ha2332 m
- 24.Vorder Schwendisee · Wildhaus-Alt St. Johann3.3 ha1159 m
- 25.Mittlerer Murgsee · Quarten3.2 ha1808 m
- 26.Grenzweiher · St. Margrethen3.1 ha398 m
- 27.Kibagweier · St. Margrethen3.0 ha396 m
- 28.Giessenparksee · Bad Ragaz3.0 ha501 m
- 29.Madseeli · Flums2.6 ha2189 m
- 30.Werdenberger See · Buchs (SG), Grabs2.3 ha446 m
- 31.Heusee · Quarten2.2 ha1627 m
- 32.Gräppelensee · Wildhaus-Alt St. Johann2.0 ha1307 m
- 33.Aatalweier · Eschenbach (SG)2.0 ha466 m
- 34.Atzenholzerweier · Häggenschwil1.7 ha529 m
- 35.Hasenlooweier · Wil (SG)1.7 ha618 m
- 36.Buebenweier · St. Gallen1.6 ha775 m
- 37.Schönebodesee · Wildhaus-Alt St. Johann1.6 ha1098 m
- 38.Chammseeli · Quarten1.6 ha2155 m
- 39.Chrüzweier · St. Gallen1.5 ha776 m
- 40.Stolzenbergweier · Uzwil1.5 ha622 m
- 41.Bildweier · St. Gallen1.5 ha641 m
- 42.Siessenweier · Eschenbach (SG)1.5 ha527 m
- 43.Oberer Weier · Niederhelfenschwil1.4 ha572 m
- 44.Mannenweier · St. Gallen1.3 ha770 m
- 45.Brändliweier · Rapperswil-Jona1.3 ha438 m
- 46.Stadtweier · Wil (SG)1.3 ha579 m
- 47.Hinder Schwendisee · Wildhaus-Alt St. Johann1.2 ha1159 m
- 48.Fabrikweier · Uznach1.2 ha490 m
- 49.Unterer Burgweier · St. Gallen1.2 ha654 m
- 50.Wangsersee · Bad Ragaz, Vilters-Wangs1.0 ha2205 m
- 51.Schwarzsee · Quarten0.98 ha1619 m
- 52.Vilterser Seeli · Bad Ragaz, Vilters-Wangs0.86 ha1896 m
- 53.Entenseeli · Uznach0.83 ha407 m
- 54.Plattenseeli · Pfäfers0.78 ha2319 m
- 55.Sächserseeli · Flums0.66 ha2096 m
- 56.Heubützlisee · Mels0.61 ha2344 m
- 57.Baschalvasee · Vilters-Wangs0.55 ha2174 m
- 58.Weier · Eschenbach (SG)0.44 ha842 m
- 59.Chammseeli · Mels0.43 ha2312 m
- 60.Käsiweier · St. Margrethen0.38 ha400 m
- 61.Forstseeli · Schwende-Rüte, Oberriet (SG)0.38 ha1196 m
- 62.Eichweier · St. Gallen0.26 ha771 m
- 63.Nestweier · St. Gallen0.20 ha756 m
- 64.Moosweier · St. Gallen0.20 ha635 m
- 65.Oberer Burgweier · St. Gallen0.20 ha661 m
- 66.Gruebeseeli · Wildhaus-Alt St. Johann0.17 ha1787 m
- 67.Brandweier · St. Gallen0.17 ha778 m
- 68.Munggenseeli · Quarten0.16 ha1803 m
- 69.Müleggweier · St. Gallen0.15 ha746 m
- 70.Moosweier · Gossau (SG)0.15 ha625 m
- 71.Strickelweier · Eschenbach (SG)0.13 ha751 m
- 72.Weier · Eichberg0.13 ha506 m
- 73.Wäbereggweiher · Eschenbach (SG)0.13 ha768 m
- 74.Wättler Weier · Mörschwil0.12 ha616 m
- 75.Sägenweier · Oberuzwil0.11 ha573 m
- 76.Altmannenweier · St. Gallen980 m²796 m
- 77.Harfenseeli · Quarten980 m²2061 m
- 78.Moosweier · Gossau (SG)930 m²625 m
- 79.Egelsee · Jonschwil900 m²571 m
- 80.Alter Rhein · Diepoldsau870 m²407 m
- 81.Egelsee · Sennwald650 m²445 m
- 82.Stauweier · Neckertal350 m²685 m
Lakes by size: 41 of 57 under 5 ha
41 of the 57 lakes in St. Gallen are smaller than five hectares. 11 are larger than ten hectares, which puts St. Gallen at rank 5 of the 26 cantons.
Measured by area, the small lakes almost vanish: the 41 of the 57 lakes of half a hectare or more that stay under five hectares together cover about 1% of the lake surface in St. Gallen.
The median lake in St. Gallen sits 1137 m lower than the median Swiss lake (1907 m).
Lakes by municipality: Quarten and St. Gallen tied
The municipalities with the most lakes, Quarten and St. Gallen, are not on the canton's largest lake (Bodensee): 7 lakes each. Counted are lakes lying entirely within the canton and in no more than two municipalities; a large lake belongs to many. The Lake Finder can search by municipality.
- Quarten7Oberer Murgsee · Grosssee · Unterer Murgsee · Mittlerer Murgsee · Heusee · Chammseeli · Schwarzsee
- St. Gallen7Gübsensee · Wenigerweier · Buebenweier · Chrüzweier · Bildweier · Mannenweier · Unterer Burgweier
- Mels4Chapfensee · Wildsee · Schottensee · Heubützlisee
- Vilters-Wangs4Schwarzsee · Wangsersee · Vilterser Seeli · Baschalvasee
- Wildhaus-Alt St. Johann4Vorder Schwendisee · Gräppelensee · Schönebodesee · Hinder Schwendisee
- Bad Ragaz3Giessenparksee · Wangsersee · Vilterser Seeli
- Diepoldsau3Alter Rhein · Alter Rhein · Alter Rhein
- Pfäfers3Gigerwaldsee · Mapraggsee · Plattenseeli
- St. Margrethen3Eselschwanzweier · Grenzweiher · Kibagweier
- Eschenbach (SG)2Aatalweier · Siessenweier
- Flums2Madseeli · Sächserseeli
- Grabs2Voralpsee · Werdenberger See
- Uznach2Fabrikweier · Entenseeli
- Wil (SG)2Hasenlooweier · Stadtweier
Lake names in several languages
Some lakes in St. Gallen carry official names in several national languages. They come from swisstopo's gazetteer; none is our translation.
- Bodensee · Lac de Constance · Lago di Costanza · Lai da Constanza
- Zürichsee · Lac de Zurich · Lago di Zurigo · Lai da Turitg
- Walensee · Lac de Walenstadt · Lago di Walenstadt · Lai Rivaun
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891 lakes of half a hectare or more, 57 of them in St. Gallen, number 5 among the 26 cantons by count of lakes. Grisons has the most, with 236.
47 lakes of 0.5 ha or more; the largest entirely within the canton is Greifensee, 8.22 km².
Residents, taxes, rents, wages and events: St. Gallen in figures.
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Writes about Switzerland in figures – official data recalculated, counting method explained.
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Source: swisstopo (swissTLM3D, swissNAMES3D, swissBOUNDARIES3D, 2026 edition), analysis by ConvivaPlus. Switzerland as a whole: 891 lakes out of 17'873 water surfaces; parts with the same name no more than 50 m apart count as one lake. Area = water surface at the shoreline of the landscape model; reference works using a different shoreline or water level sometimes give other values.
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