A fantasy lake has more to it than what meets the eye. They often hide forgotten drowned temples with magical treasure, or serve as the den for mermaids or sea monsters. Many come with local legends about swimmers going missing at night, victims of whatever lurks in the lake.
On the surface, lakes are perfect for fishing and trade, so people will build ports and cities nearby. In a fantasy world, lakes end up being hubs for settlement and for ancient secrets.
Good Lake Names
It is very common to name lakes after people. The explorer who first discovered a lake or the powerful king who built his city on its banks will often give their name to a lake.
- Kariba
- Turkana
- Lagdo
- Barombi
- Vanda
- Tai
- Santi
- Namak
Zarivar
Also known as “the knotted lake,” this body of water is made of several tiny lakes that flooded and merged, giving it a jagged shape and shallow depths that frogs love.
- Galilee
- Issyk
- Rara
- Lugano
- Mirik
- Dora
- Bodensee
- Chandra
- Maggiore
Sevan
At the peak of Mt. Lokmus sits this lake, frozen for ten months of the year. In the summer, fortune-seekers brave the mountain to pan the lake for gold nuggets.
- Lessing
- Rila
- Verde
- Iskar
- Garda
- Atazar
- Volta
- Parochlus
- Glazer
Champlain
Named for the human explorer who discovered it, the elves who actually live near the lake resentfully refuse to even mention the name to undermine the humans’ pride.
- Lulusar
- Basswood
- Messier
- Chapala
- Glendive
- Laguna
- Alden
- Palena
- Fangano
Ousteri
Four metropolitan cities feed their waste into this lake, creating a filthy slime that covers the water. Crocodiles have taken a liking to the sludge and stalk the lake for food.
- Eyre
- Lanao
- Stowe
- Madron
- Souris
- Cahuilla
- Komi
- Salinas
Tengger
When Lumaniel, the goddess of rain, had her heart broken, it is said she cried for three days and nights. Her tears filled a nearby crater, which grew into this lake.
- Zapatera
- Samosir
- Ozero
- Kollu
- Desor
- Hamisar
- Venna
- Osman
Funny Lake Names
Nothing makes a lake name stick out like a bit of humour. These names can also kickstart some myths in your fantasy world as people go to comical extremes trying to explain the odd naming choices.
- Mudhole
- Lacking
- Drybed
- Puddlepond
- Baithook
- Dreamstream
- Mistake
- Looney
Wishyaknew
Only by chance can one find this lake. Its exact location is unknown, but travelers stumbling through the misty shores occasionally find themselves facing the legendary expanse of water.
- Molasses
- Trouttrap
- Ratfish
- Oddlywet
- Landless
- Shipsnapper
Fishful
The name of this lake has attracted many greedy fishing people over the centuries. Because so many arrived to fish the lake, it is now almost entirely empty of fish.
- Beaverbrook
- Shortswim
- Loveless
- Nibbler
Did you enjoy this guide? Leave us a comment with your thoughts, and share this guide with your friends if you liked it. Lakes attract settlers, fishing people, and all manner of aquatic monsters. Giving yours a good name can help make it an integral part of your fantasy world.