Recursive islands and lakes

A recursive island or lake is an island or lake that is itself within an island or lake.[1]

Recursive islands

Islands in lakes

Idjwi, in the central-southern region of Lake Kivu

Island	In lake	Country	Size (km^2)	Coordinates	notes
Manitoulin Island	Lake Michigan–Huron	Canada	2,766	45°39′07.8″N 82°06′32.4″W	Largest lake island in the world[1][2]
René-Levasseur Island	Manicouagan Reservoir	Canada	2,020	51°23′50″N 68°41′30″W	The island is technically artificial as the lake it is in was made by flooding a smaller existing lake due to the creation of the Daniel-Johnson dam
Sääminginsalo	Saimaa	Finland	1,090	61.9827°N 29.0815°E	If Sääminginsalo is considered an island, as it is separated from one side by an artificial canal (Raikuu canal).
Olkhon Island	Lake Baikal	Russia	730	53°9′24″N 107°23′1″E
Isle Royale	Lake Superior	United States	535	48°0′0″N 88°55′0″W	Stated first order parent island to the now debunked moose boulder myth
Ukerewe Island	Lake Victoria	Tanzania	530	2°1′45.48″S 33°0′35.27″E
St. Joseph Island	Lake Michigan–Huron	Canada	365	46°13′11″N 83°56′47″W
Drummond Island	Lake Michigan–Huron	United States	347	46°0′0″N 83°40′0″W
Idjwi	Lake Kivu	DR Congo	340	2°9′57.07″S 29°3′21.93″E
Kotasaari	Kallavesi	Finland	285	62.8811°N 28.0063°E	If Kotasaari is considered an island, as it is separated from one side by an artificial canal (Summa canal).
Ometepe	Lake Nicaragua	Nicaragua	276	11°30′0″N 85°35′0″W	Made of two conjoined volcanic islands
Zapatera	Lake Nicaragua	Nicaragua		11°43′48″N 85°49′12″W
Big island	Great Slave Lake	Canada	About 200	61°07′44.6″N 116°45′23.9″W
Wizard Island	Crater Lake	United States	1.3	42°56′19″N 122°08′44″W	Crater Lake itself is a caldera formed by the eruption of Mount Mazama; a series of smaller eruptions later formed cinder cones on the caldera floor, of which Wizard Island is the highest, and the only one now visible above the lake's surface.[3]

Islands in lakes on islands

Samosir is in the middle of Lake Toba.

Name	In lake	On island	Country	Size (km^2)	Coordinates	notes
Samosir	Lake Toba	Sumatra	Indonesia	630	2° 35′ 0″ N, 98° 49′ 0″ E	Largest island in a lake on an island.[1] Manmade from digging canal [note 1]
Gatter Island	Lake Hazen	Ellesmere Island	Canada	0.2	81°55'04.8"N 69°05'34.8"W
Glover Island	Grand Lake	Newfoundland	Canada	178	48° 46′ 52″ N, 57° 41′ 54″ W
Volcano Island[5]	Lake Taal	Luzon	Philippines	26.1	14°00'44.0"N 120°59'06.6"E
Motutaiko Island	Lake Taupo	North Island	New Zealand	0.11	38°51'17.3"S 175°56'36.4"E
Mou Waho	Lake Wānaka	South Island	New Zealand	1.2	44°33'10.1"S 169°04'50.4"E
Pomona Island	Lake Manapouri	South Island	New Zealand	2.6	45° 30′ 30″ S, 167° 28′ 30″ E
Unknown name	West Lake	Brownsea Island	United Kingdom	0.0008	50°41'34.1"N 1°58'21.0"W
Belle Isle	Windermere	Great Britain	United Kingdom	0.17	54° 21′ 43″ N, 2° 56′ 4″ W
Storgrynnan	Vandöfjärden	Fasta Åland	Finland	0.12	60.2960°N 19.9200°E
unnamed island	Senanayaka Samudra	Sri Lanka	Sri Lanka	0.02	7°11'59.7"N 81°31'10.2"E
Derrywarragh Island	Lough Neagh	Ireland	United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland	0.56	54°30'57.3"N 6°34'11.1"W
Sveta Marija	Veliko jezero	Mljet	Croatia	0.017	42°46'08.4"N 17°21'36.6"E
Pulau Loeha	Lake Towuti	Sulawesi	Indonesia	12.5	2°46'21.6"S 121°32'50.7"E

Islands in lakes on islands in lakes

There are nearly 1,000 islands in lakes on islands in Finland.[6]

Name	In lake	On island	In lake	Country	Size (km^2)	coordinates	Notes
Kokkosaari[7]	Kokkohauta	Sääminginsalo	Saimaa	Finland	0.88	61.9889°N 29.2154°E	If Sääminginsalo is considered an island, as it is separated from one side by an artificial canal (Raikuu canal). Claimed by some to be the world largest island in a lake in an island in a lake. Another island, Suursaari (62.0912°N 28.9911°E) in Hanhijärvi, is also located in Sääminginsalo, and it is about half the size of Kokkosaari.
unnamed island	Lake Chaunoy (Lac du Chaunoy)[8]	René-Levasseur Island	Manicouagan Reservoir	Canada	0.44	51°33'05.1"N 68°49'07.5"W	There exist more than 10 other islands in lake chaunoy, the largest of which is less than a tenth of the size of the one mentioned here
Treasure Island	Lake Mindemoya	Manitoulin Island	Lake Michigan–Huron	Canada	0.4	45°45′50″N 82°10′41″W
Kakawaie Island	Lake Kagawong	Manitoulin Island	Lake Michigan–Huron		0.24	45°48'44.8"N 82°18'22.3"W
Ryan Island[9]	Siskiwit Lake	Isle Royale	Lake Superior	United States	0.141	48.0098831°N 88.7709104°W
unnamed island	second lake	Drummond Island	Lake Michigan–Huron	United States		46°03'02.4"N 83°35'54.8"W
unnamed island[10]	Mackaysee Lake	Chambers Island	Green Bay, Lake Michigan	United States	0.009	45°11'40.5"N 87°20'42.7"W
unnamed island	Frith Lake	Kelvin Island	Lake Nipigon	Canada	0.0013	49°52'28.8"N 88°40'52.8"W
Piiroonsaari[7]	Saravesi	Kotasaari	Kallavesi	Finland	0.22	62.8447°N 28.0766°E	If Kotasaari is considered an island, as it is separated from one side by an artificial canal (Summa canal).
Suurisaari[7]	Oininki	Äitsaari	Saimaa	Finland	0.14	61.3159°N 28.6335°E
Ukonsaari[7]	Kulkemus	Partalansaari	Pihlajavesi (Saimaa)	Finland	0.12	61°40'08.5"N 28°23'43.1"E
unnamed island	Lake Cancy	René-Levasseur Island	Manicouagan Reservoir	Canada	0.011	51°33'20.7"N 68°50'51.5"W
unnamed island	Lac des Pigamons	Îlots Walcott	Lake Mistassini	Canada	0.0002	51°07'17.6"N 73°21'34.3"W
unnamed island	unnamed lake	Wilson island	Great Slave Lake	Canada	0.011	61°50'06.7"N 112°46'57.1"W
Raaskasaari	Kylliönjärvi	Viljakansaari	Pihlajavesi (Saimaa)	Finland	0.05	61°33′53.0″N 28°22′55.9″E
Unnamed island	Unnamed lake	Kållandsö	Vänern	Sweden	0.0027	58°41'52.4"N 13°11'18.1"E	There is a second island in the lake, almost the exact same size
Ösjöholmen	Ösjön	Ammerön	Revsundssjön	Sweden	0.008	62.8659 15.1731
unnamed island	unnamed lake	Tynnelsö	Mälaren	Sweden	0.0005	59°25'01.2"N 17°04'43.5"E
unnamed island	unnamed lake	unnamed island	Lake Kovdozero	Russia	0.0162	66°45'23.1"N 31°58'37.4"E
unnamed island	unnamed lake	Shaganappie Island	Wollaston Lake	Canada	0.0066	58°22'21.8"N 102°57'50.7"W
unnamed island	Calder Lake	Malcolm Island	Reindeer Lake	Canada	0.0154	56.97325007459433, -102.13347264635638
unnamed island	unnamed lake	Ispatinow Island	Cree Lake	Canada	0.00019	57.46116967996479, -106.67961029816925
unnamed island	unnamed lake	Blanchet Island	Great Slave Lake	Canada	0.01	61.9944774884283, -112.51557309272108	Several small islands in this lake
unnamed island	Vanooyen Lake	Shakespeare Island	Lake Nipigon	Canada	0.0182	49.66001716952034, -88.40276688882633	There is a second, smaller island in this lake
unnamed island	Margaret Lake	Elk Island	God's Lake	Canada	0.00095	54.658766157284624, -94.17889380427248	Several small islands in this lake
unnamed island	unnamed lake	Ile Guillaume Couture	Lac Mistassini	Canada	0.0017	50.91693373523127, -73.62564379865375
unnamed island	unnamed lake	Ile Tchapahipane	Lac Mistassini	Canada	0.00125	51.07616979803798, -73.42363930566513
unnamed island	unnamed lake	Pie Island	Lake Superior	Canada	0.0086	48.23290515496794, -89.05716241120395	Two islands of similar size are in this lake
unnamed island	Muir Lake	St Ignace Island	Lake Superior	Canada	0.00325	48.807840372078104, -88.03425347977276
unnamed island	Antler Lake	St Ignace Island	Lake Superior	Canada	0.0041	48.81649037076106, -88.00151154593118	Two islands of similar size are in this lake
unnamed island	Williamson Lake	St Ignace Island	Lake Superior	Canada	0.00425	48.800997928703225, -88.02761140808781
unnamed island	Molinski Lake	Simpson Island	Lake Superior	Canada	0.01	48.82044934926026, -87.71418643468395
unnamed island	Caribou Lake	Simpson Island	Lake Superior	Canada	0.00465	48.764252479574736, -87.65916767767021
unnamed island	Veronica Lake	Slate Islands	Lake Superior	Canada	0.0065	48.65772574787964, -86.98979653852676
unnamed island	Michi Lake	Michipicoten Island	Lake Superior	Canada	0.0037	47.741115844897315, -85.90801381706514	There are 3 islands in total in this lake
unnamed island	Channel Lake	Michipicoten Island	Lake Superior	Canada	0.0084	47.730464694708296, -85.8001295558329	A second, smaller island is immediately to the west of this one.

Islands in lakes on islands in lakes on islands

Nameless isle within Victoria Island in Nunavut Territory in Canada.[11]

Name	In lake	On island	In lake	On island	Country	Size (km^2)	Coordinates	Comment
Small islet	Not specified	Not specified	Nettilling Lake	Baffin Island	Canada	0.04	66.687361°N 70.479923°W	There are more islands in lakes on the 'level 2' island in Nettling Lake.
Small islet	Not specified	Not specified	Not specified	Victoria Island	Canada	0.016	69.792259°N 108.240536°W	The sometime cited name Inception Island is not an official name
Small islet	Aek Natonang (Locally Sidihoni Lake[12])	Samosir	Lake Toba	Sumatra	Indonesia	0.013125	2°33'52.2"N 98°52'49.4"E	Two islands, the largest of which is 175m by 75m
Small islet	Unnamed lake	Glover Island	Grand Lake	Newfoundland	Canada	0.0075	48.796848°N 57.65785°W	There are several (at least seven) other, even smaller, islets in the lake
Small islet	Different Unnamed lake	Glover Island	Grand Lake	Newfoundland	Canada	0.0023	48°43'07.6"N 57°46'22.8"W	In a lake 11 km south west to the lake that contains the larger island. There are no other island in this islands lake
Small islet	Unnamed lake	unnamed island	Meelpaeg Reservoir	Newfoundland	Canada	0.0001	48°18'43.5"N 56°30'48.0"W	There are other 3 smaller islands in the same lake
unnamed island	Arethusa Pool	Mou Waho	Lake Wānaka	South Island	New Zealand	0.000225	44°33'15.0"S 169°05'03.4"E	There are 2 islands in this lake, both less than 25m across
Small islet	Not specified	Eilean Sùbhainn	Loch Maree	Great Britain	United Kingdom	0.000225	57°41'23.9"N 5°29'08.8"W	Two islets, each of which is 15m by 15m
Small islet	Not specified	Not Specified	Kooryet Lake	Banks Island (British Columbia)	Canada	about 0.0001	53°21'07.4"N 129°59'30.4"W	A number of small islets, the largest of which is only 10m across
Unnamed island	Name of lake unknown	Samosir	Lake Toba	Sumatra	Indonesia	0.0004	2°38'11.2"N 98°50'14.4"E	Lake that island is on is believed to have a name but as of yet has not been identified

Until 2020,[13] Vulcan Point was an island that existed in Main Crater Lake on Volcano Island in Lake Taal on Luzon in the Philippines.[14] Main Crater Lake evaporated during the 2020 Taal Volcano eruption.[13]

Recursive lakes

Lake Alaotra region, Madagascar

Lakes on islands

Coordinate for this table need to be added

Name	On island	Country	Size (km^2)	Coordinates	notes
Nettilling Lake	Baffin Island	Canada	5,542
Lake Alaotra	Madagascar	Madagascar	900
Laguna de Leche	Cuba	Cuba	67.2
Lough Neagh	Island of Ireland	Northern Ireland/United Kingdom	392
Lough Corrib	Island of Ireland	Republic of Ireland	176
Loch Lomond	Great Britain	Scotland/United Kingdom	71
Þingvallavatn	Iceland	Iceland	84
Lake Taupo	North Island	New Zealand	616
Lake Wakatipu	South Island	New Zealand	289
Lake Biwa	Honshu	Japan	670
Lake Toba	Sumatra	Indonesia	1130
Lake Ranau	Sumatra	Indonesia	126	4°51′45″S 103°55′50″E
Lake Singkarak	Sumatra	Indonesia	108	0° 37′ 12″ S, 100° 32′ 24″ E
Lake Towuti	Sulawesi	Indonesia	561	2° 45′ 0″ S, 121° 30′ 0″ E
Lake Poso	Sulawesi	Indonesia	323	1° 55′ 28″ S, 120° 37′ 0″ E
Lake Matano	Sulawesi	Indonesia	164	2° 29′ 7″ S, 121° 20′ 0″ E

Tourists on Laguna del Volcan Maderas on Ometepe Island in Lake Nicaragua

Lakes on islands in lakes

Name	On island	In lake	Country	Size (km^2)	coordinates	notes
Lake Manitou	Manitoulin Island	Lake Michigan–Huron	Canada	106	45° 46′ 42″ N, 81° 59′ 30″ W
Ylä-Enonvesi[7]	Sääminginsalo	Saimaa	Finland	12	62.0520°N 29.0032°E	If Sääminginsalo is considered an island, as it is separated from one side by an artificial canal (Raikuu canal). Includes Lake Saarijärvi that forms its southern part.
Kulkemus[7]	Partalansaari	Pihlajavesi (Saimaa)	Finland	5.8	61.6785°N 28.4035°E
Saajuu-Palovesi[7]	Partalansaari	Pihlajavesi (Saimaa)	Finland	4.1	61.6985°N 28.3260°E
Saravesi[7]	Kotasaari	Kallavesi	Finland	4.1	62.84703°N 28.0811°E	If Kotasaari is considered an island, as it is separated from one side by an artificial canal (Summa canal).
Oininki[7]	Äitsaari	Saimaa	Finland	2.6	61.3144°N 28.6391°E
Malosenjärvi[7]	Viljakansaari	Pihlajavesi (Saimaa)	Finland	1.4	61.5327°N 28.2697°E
Valkiajärvi[7]	Hurissalo	Saimaa	Finland	1.4	61.5075°N 27.8248°E
Ruokojärvi[7]	Partalansaari	Pihlajavesi (Saimaa)	Finland	1.3	61.6336°N 28.3941°E
Närtejärvi[7]	Viljakansaari	Pihlajavesi (Saimaa)	Finland	1.2	61.5753°N 28.5189°E
Kylliönjärvi[7]	Viljakansaari	Pihlajavesi (Saimaa)	Finland	1.1	61.5630°N 28.3830°E
Lapinjärvi[7]	Hurissalo	Saimaa	Finland	1.1	61.4925°N 27.8083°E
Shara-Nur[15]	Olkhon Island	Lake Baikal	Russia		53°06'17.5"N 107°15'16.1"E
Siskiwit Lake	Isle Royale	Lake Superior	United States	16.8	48°00′05″N 088°47′50″W
Lake Desor[16]	Isle Royale	Lake Superior	United States		47.976825°N 88.986997°W
Lake Richie[17]	Isle Royale	Lake Superior	United States		48.0438067°N 88.6953596°W
Lake Mindemoya	Manitoulin Island	Lake Michigan–Huron	Canada		45.762°N 82.209°W
Lake Kagawong	Manitoulin Island	Lake Michigan–Huron	Canada		45°50'00.0"N 82°18'35.7"W
Little Lake	Washington Island	Lake Michigan	United States	0.17	45.4100164°N 86.9413005°W
Lake Windigo	Star Island	Cass Lake (Minnesota)	United States	0.8	47.418611°N 94.570278°W
fox lagoon	Pelee island	Lake Erie	Canada	0.02	41°43'56.7"N 82°40'17.6"W
Lake Henry	Pelee island	Lake Erie	Canada	0.345	41°49'32.2"N 82°38'20.2"W
Laguna del Volcan Maderas[18]	Ometepe	Lake Nicaragua	Nicaragua	0.034	11°26'42.0"N 85°30'37.6"W
Laguna de Zapatera[19]	Zapatera	Lake Nicaragua	Nicaragua	0.19	11°45'59.1"N 85°51'24.9"W
Antoniyevskoye Lake	Valaam	Lake Ladoga	Russia	0.028	61°23'17.5"N 30°59'47.9"E
Ozero Leshchevo	Valaam	Lake Ladoga	Russia	0.27	61°21'34.7"N 30°55'57.9"E
Lake Geneserath	Beaver Island	Lake Michigan–Huron	United States	2	45°35'54.9"N 85°32'23.0"W
Ösjön	Ammerön	Revsundssjön	Sweden	0,58	62.86466 15.17249
Igelviken	Färingsö	Mälaren	Sweden	0.47	59.36477 17.70362
Ändsjön	Frösön	Storsjön	Sweden	0.32	63.17618 14.57340
Gråtjønna	Røssvassholmen	Røssvatnet	Norway	0.05	65.6961318 13.9964362

Lakes on islands in lakes on islands

Name	On island	In lake	On island	Country	Size (km^2)	Coordinates	Notes
Unnamed	Unnamed	Nettilling Lake	Baffin Island	Canada	1.55	66.387392°N 69.644737°W
Unnamed	Glover Island	Grand Lake	Newfoundland	Canada	1.40	48.802486°N 57.661476°W
Arethusa Pool	Mou Waho	Lake Wānaka	South Island	New Zealand	0.05 ?	44.554064°S 169.083845°E
Unnamed lake	unnamed island	Mölnorträsk	Fårö	Sweden	0.00006	57°55'44.6"N 19°08'28.7"E	Extremely small

Lakes on islands in lakes on islands in lakes

Name	On island	In lake	On island	In lake	Country	Size (km^2)	Coordinates	Notes
Unnamed	Not Specified	Not Specified	Not Specified	Lake Yathkyed	Canada	0.013	62°39′4.6″N 97°47′10.2″W	First of its kind discovered

Hoaxes

Moose Boulder was claimed to exist in the seasonal pond of Moose Flats on Ryan Island in Siskiwit Lake on Isle Royale in Lake Superior in the United States,[20] making it a fourth order island. In 2020, it was shown not to exist.[21]

See also

• List of endorheic basins
• Volcanic crater lake
• List of islands by area
• List of lakes by area
• List of islands by population

Notes

1. Was a peninsula until 1906 when a canal was dug, separating it from the mainland.[4]

References

1. Records, Guinness World (August 28, 2018). 2019 Guinness World Records. pp. 40–41. ISBN 978-1-912286-43-0.
2. January 2012, Natalie Wolchover 24. "World's Largest Island-in-a-lake-on-an-island-in-a-lake-on-an-island Seen on Google Earth". livescience.com.
3. "Crater Lake, Oregon". NASA Earth Observatory.
4. "Samosir Island - Everything you Need to Know about Samosir Island".
5. "Volcano Island | volcano, Philippines". Encyclopedia Britannica.
6. "Suomen saaristo- ja vesistömatkailusta" (PDF). valtioneuvosto.fi / Julkaisut.
7. Shoreline - lakes (Ranta10), 2020. Finnish Environment Centre, ELY centres. Released under CC-BY-4.0.
8. "Lac Du Chaunoy, Quebec Map:". geodata.us.
9. "GNIS Detail - Ryan Island". geonames.usgs.gov.
10. "Islands within Chambers Island's Lake Mackaysee Now Protected by Door County Land Trust". November 8, 2018.
11. "Island in a Lake on an Island in a Lake on an Island". earthobservatory.nasa.gov. February 22, 2015. Retrieved March 13, 2020.
12. "Aek Natonang Lake – A Sub-Lake of Pangururan". www.toba.indonesia-tourism.com. Retrieved August 12, 2020.
13. Freedman, Andrew; Meko, Tim; Karklis, Laris (January 17, 2020). "Taal volcano's crater lake is nearly empty". Washington Post.
14. "Some interesting islands and lakes". Topografisch Verbond Elbruz. Archived from the original on September 19, 2013. Retrieved February 1, 2014.
15. "Shara-Nur lake". BaikalNature Tour Operator. May 11, 1975. Retrieved March 13, 2020.
16. "GNIS Detail - Lake Desor". geonames.usgs.gov.
17. "GNIS Detail - Lake Richie". geonames.usgs.gov.
18. Valenzuela, Orlando. "Puerta laguna misteriosa [Door to mysterious lagoon]". El Nuevo Diario (in Spanish).
19. "Global Volcanism Program | Zapatera". Smithsonian Institution | Global Volcanism Program.
20. "Largest island on the largest lake in the world". Albert Lea Tribune. July 21, 2009. Retrieved March 13, 2020.
21. Taub, Matthew (March 10, 2020). "The Intrepid Mother and Son Who Unraveled a Geographic Hoax". Atlas Obscura.