The Great Salt Lake with snow covered peaks of the Rockies off in the distance. The Great Salt Lake, located in the northern part of Utah, is the largest salt water lake in the Western Hemisphere, and the 8th largest lake in the world. In an average year the lake covers an area of around 1,700 square miles (4,400 km2), but the lake's size fluctuates substantially due to its shallowness and the years snow/rain fall.