Major naval battles fought on lakes and rivers

Have famous naval actions taken place on lakes and rivers?

Yes. Examples include the Great Lakes, American Civil War rivers and Chinese waterways, where some battles involved hundreds of ships.

The Great Lakes have a substantial history of naval fighting, and rivers feature in accounts of the American Civil War. Chinese history provides examples of much larger inland fleets. One battle associated tentatively with the collapse of the Song dynasty is recalled as involving roughly 300 to 500 ships on each side. Fireships formed part of the fighting, which could become a battle of annihilation. The Song China volume of The Cambridge History of China, covering 960 to 1279, is recommended for the period.