| Parameter | Lakes | Ponds |
| Origin | Naturally made bodies of water | Usually man-made |
| Type of waterbody | Standing body of water | Standing body of water |
| Size of waterbody | Big | Small |
| Morphometry of waterbody | Larger and/or deeper | Smaller and/or shallower, shallow enough for rooted water plants to grow throughout |
| Type of water | Surface waters | Surface waters |
| Water flow | Absent | Absent |
| Point of light reach of the waterbody | Light does no reach the bottom of the deepest point of the waterbody | Light reach the bottom of the deepest point of the waterbody |
| Temperature of the waterbody | Relatively non-uniform in temperature; lakes have more stable water temperatures, but they may develop distinct layers with different water temperatures | Relatively uniform in temperature; ponds generally have a uniform water temperature from top to bottom that may change with air temperature |
| Size of waves of the waterbody | Waterbody only get big waves | Waterbody only get small waves |
| Wave action on the shoreline | Present; lakes have enough surface water exposed to the wind to develop waves | Absent; ponds experience very little wave action |
| Fluctuations in water level | Yearly fluctuations in water level are minor | Yearly fluctuations in water level are more |
| Water retention time | Longer; lakes contain water permanently | Shorter; ponds contain water temporarily |
| Species richness | Relatively high | Relatively low |
| Plant life at the bottom | Absent; because sunlight is unable to reach that point | Present; plant life abounds in almost every level |