Lakes in Madhya Pradesh :

The state of Madhya Pradesh is located in central India. The geographical terrain of this state is characterized by a plateau streaked with the hill ranges of the Vindhyas and the Satpuras, rivers and dense forests. The natural beauty of Madhya Pradesh, along with world heritage sites, several cities, hill stations, national parks, etc. draw tourists to this state. Geographical feature called lakes also form part of Madhya Pradesh. These lakes are described below :

Bhojtal :

Bhojtal, formerly known as Upper Lake, is a large lake which lies on the western side of the capital city of Madhya Pradesh, Bhopal, India. It is a major source of drinking water for the residents of the city, serving around 40% of the residents with nearly 30 million imperial gallons (140,000 m3) of water per day. Bada talaab, along with the nearby Chhota Talaab, meaning small lake in Hindi, constitute Bhoj Wetland, which is now a Ramsar site.

According to the local folklore, Bhojtal is said to have been built by the Paramara Raja Bhoj during his tenure as a king of Malwa (1005–1055). He is also said to have established the city of Bhopal (also named after him, then as Bhojpal) to secure the eastern frontier of his kingdom. 

Halali Reservoir :

The Halali reservoir is a reservoir in the Raisen district of Madhya Pradesh, India. It is built on the Halali River, and lies 40 km away from the state capital Bhopal. The major fish species found in the reservoir include catla, rohu, mrigal, wallago attu, mystus and chitala.

Halali River : The Halali River is a tributary of the Betwa River. It was formerly known as Thal River. In the 18th century, Dost Mohammad Khan's forces killed a rival Rajput force near Jagdishpur (later renamed to Islamnagar) on the bank of the river. The river was renamed to "Halali river" (the river of slaughter), because it appeared red with the blood of the victims. Another name for the river is Banganga. The Halali reservoir was commissioned in 1973.

Lower Lake (Bhopal) :

The Lower Lake or Chhota Talaab is a lake in Bhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh state of India. Along with the Upper Lake, it forms the Bhoj Wetland. The lake was built by creating in 1794 to beautify the city. The construction was commissioned by Chote Khan, a minister of Nawab Hayat Muhammad Khan Bahadur. A number of earlier wells were merged in this lake.The bridge that separates the Lower Lake and the Upper Lake is called "Pul Pukhta" or Lower Lake bridge. The lower lake has also been mentioned as "Pukhta-Pul Talao" in literature.The Lower Lake is located to the east of the Upper Lake. An earthen dam separates the two lakes. The two lakes are built in a terraced manner, the lowest level of the Upper Lake is just below the highest level of the Lower Lake.The Lower Lake has an area (water spread) of 1.29 , and its catchment area is 9.6 km2. The lake receives subsurface seepage from the Upper Lake. In the 1850s, the maximum and minimum depths of the lake were 11.7 m and 6.16 m respectively. As of 2011, the maximum depth was 10.7m.

Tawa Reservoir :

Tawa Reservoir is a reservoir on the Tawa River in central India. It is located in Itarsi of Hoshangabad District of Madhya Pradesh state, above Betul district. The reservoir was formed by the construction of the Tawa Dam, which began in 1958 and was completed in 1978. The dam provides for irrigation to several thousand hectares of farming land in Hoshangabad and Harda districts. It is also a big tourist attraction during the monsoon months. A cruise boat service has been started by the tourism department for visitors to the dam and reservoir. The dam was made by late Shri Vinay Kumar Diwan also known as Denva Ke Gandhi for his work for public welfare being public representative in the region for almost two decades serving as MLA.Tawa Reservoir forms the western boundary of Satpura National Park and Bori Wildlife Sanctuary.

Sakhya Sagar Lake :

Sakhya Sagar Lake is located on the edge of the forests of Madhav National Park in Shivpuri District. It was established in the year 1918. There is a boat club on the shores of this lake. Marsh or mugger crocodile, Indian python and the monitor lizards are the faunal species evident here.

Ranguan Lake :

Ranguan Lake is located at the confluence of Ken and Simri Rivers, about 20 km from Khajuraho in Chhatarpur District. This lake is open to boating and angling.

Benisagar Lake :

Benisagar Lake is situated about 10 km from the town of Khajuraho. It serves as a local picnic spot and boating is a fun filled possibility on this lake.