What is the difference between a lake and a pond?

Lake

Generally, a pond is described as a small body of still water without an outlet.  Lakes are usually much larger and deeper and often are fed by rivers and streams.  Generally, lakes differ from ponds in size.

A lake is commonly descried as a large body of water with land all around it.

A pond is usually smaller than a lake.  It is a quiet pool of water so shallow that rooted plants often grow completely across it and the bottom is usually covered with mud.

The cool water in a lake is often too deep for plants to grow except around the shore.  What people know as a pond or a lake, however, may differ from one place to another.

Pond

In some places, for example, a pond may be called a marsh.  And some large bodies of water commonly known as seas are really lakes, such as the Caspian Sea and the Dead Sea.

The “bowl” that holds a lake or pond is called the basin.  The basins of ponds and lakes may get their water from rain or be filled with water that flows into them from rivers, streams, or sometimes even from underground springs.–Dick Rogers