Lakes / South Dakota / Minnehaha County / Buffalo Lake
Buffalo Lake, South Dakota
278.49 acres
Surface Area
Where It Sits, and How Deep It Goes
Locator - South Dakota
43.83 degrees N, 97.05 degrees W - Minnehaha County. State and county outlines drawn from Census boundary data; the lake marker is placed by its USGS National Hydrography Dataset coordinates, not by eye. Schematic - not a survey map.
How Buffalo Lake Stacks Up
- Larger than 72% of the 533 lakes counted in South Dakota.
- About 25 miles from Sioux Falls, as the crow flies.
Lakes Nearby
| Lake | County | Distance | Surface Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diamond Lake | Minnehaha | 2.8 mi | 176.68 acres |
| Island Lake | McCook | 4.6 mi | 280.22 acres |
| Clear Lake | Minnehaha | 5.1 mi | 491.58 acres |
| Buffalo Slough | Lake | 6.4 mi | 246.86 acres |
| Spring Lake | Lake | 6.8 mi | 55.6 acres |
| Long Lake | Lake | 7.5 mi | 192 acres |
Straight-line distance between lake centers.
Facts and Figures
Questions About Buffalo Lake
How Big Is Buffalo Lake?
Buffalo Lake covers 278.49 acres in Minnehaha County, South Dakota.
What Is the Largest Lake in Minnehaha County?
Clear Lake is the largest lake in Minnehaha County, at 491.58 acres.
Largest Lakes in South Dakota
| # | Lake | County | Surface Area | Max Depth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lake Oahe | Dewey | 309,912.57 acres | - |
| 2 | Lake Francis Case | Charles Mix | 82,166.92 acres | - |
| 3 | Lake Sharpe | Hughes | 58,419.67 acres | - |
| 4 | Lewis and Clark Lake | Bon Homme | 25,141.99 acres | - |
| 5 | Lake Thompson | Kingsbury | 13,887.93 acres | - |
All 533 South Dakota lakes ranked by surface area
Sources: USGS National Hydrography Dataset (The National Map) lake data (ID 130995653). Verified October 30, 2026.