Our Great Lakes -

Click on the different lakes to view specific information.

World's largest freshwater lake by surface area and third largest by volume.
Largest, deepest and coldest of the five lakes: Superior could contain all the other Great Lakes and three more Lake Eries. Lake Superior is the least polluted of the five lakes.
Water entering the lake will stay there for almost 200 years (retention time).
Drainage basin rich in natural resources and scenic beauty.
Sparsely populated and economically dependent on natural resources, including metals, forest and recreational opportunities.
Researchers estimate that almost all (95 percent) of some persistent toxic substances enter Lake Superior from the air.
Seven Areas of Concern, including Thunder Bay, Nipigon, Jackfish and Peninsula Harbour on the Canadian side.

Third largest of the Great Lakes and the only one entirely within the United States.
Northern part is in the colder, less developed upper Great Lakes region, sparsely populated and economically dependent on natural resources and tourism.
Southern end supports a large industrial region.
Rich agricultural land throughout the basin.
Although similar in size and depth to Lake Huron, it has a longer retention time of approximately 100 years because water enters and exits through the same path, slowing circulation.

Second largest of the Great Lakes and fifth largest lake in the world.
Georgian Bay, largest bay on the Great Lakes, is big enough to be one of the world's 20 largest lakes.
Home to the 30,000 islands, including Manitoulin Island the world's largest island in a freshwater lake.
Surrounded by world's largest limestone quarries.
Highest number of fish-eating birds that breed along lake shorelines, such as cormorants, caspian terns, and even pairs of bald eagles.
Receives water flow from both Lake Superior and Lake Michigan but water flows through Lake Huron much more quickly: lake water retention time is 22 years.
Known as the lake in the middle: geographically and environmentally.
Four Areas of Concern, including St. Mary's River, Spanish River, Severn Sound on the Canadian side and Saginaw Bay on the American side.
Collingwood Harbour, originally an Area of Concern, was successfully cleaned up and taken off the concern list in 1994.

Different from all the other Great Lakes in that it is shallow, warm, lies on rich soil and averages 95 percent winter ice cover.
Shallowest of all the Lakes (average depth is 19 metres); warms rapidly in spring and summer and freezes over in winter.
Exposed to greatest stress of all the Lakes from industry, people and agriculture. Farming is intensive; 13 ports serve as major industrial distribution centres.
Supports largest walleye fishery in the world.
Point Pelee National Park on Lake Erie is the most southern point of Canada's mainland.
Lake Erie's waters come via the Detroit River from all the upper Lakes -- Superior, Michigan and Huron, and the St. Clair River and Lake St. Clair.
Retention time is only three years, shortest of all the Lakes.
Nine Areas of Concern; Wheatley Harbour on the Canadian side.

Slightly smaller than Lake Erie in area but much deeper, holding four times the amount of water.
Bounded by the powerful Niagara Falls on the west and the picturesque Thousand Islands on the east.
80 percent of water supply comes from the upper lakes, the rest from precipitation.
Includes major industrial urban centres such as Toronto and Hamilton in the western half of the basin. The remaining area is largely rural.
Retention time for water entering Lake Ontario is six years.
Nine Areas of Concern: Hamilton Harbour, Metro Toronto and Region, Port Hope Harbour, Bay of Quinte, Niagara River and St. Lawrence River (at Cornwall) on the Canadian side.

Our Great Lakes