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The largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area, the deepest and northernmost of North America's Great Lakes, shared by Canada and the United States.
Lake Superior is the largest and deepest of North America's five Great Lakes, and the largest freshwater lake in the world measured by surface area. It lies on the border between Canada and the United States, with the Canadian province of Ontario along its northern shore and the American states of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan along its southern and western shores. Water leaves the lake through the St Marys River into Lake Huron, and eventually reaches the Atlantic Ocean through the St Lawrence River. Because it is both large and deep, Lake Superior holds an enormous volume of fresh water and moderates the climate of the surrounding region.
Type: PhenomenonLargest freshwater lake in the world by surface area
The largest and deepest of the five Great Lakes of North America
Shared between Canada, through the province of Ontario, and the United States, through Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan
Drains through the St Marys River into Lake Huron
Part of the Great Lakes-St Lawrence Seaway navigation system connecting the interior of North America to the Atlantic
Northernmost and westernmost of the Great Lakes
Its size and depth moderate temperatures in the surrounding region
Frequency: A standard world geography topic in SSC, Railway and UPSC Prelims papers
| Superlative | Lake | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Largest lake in the world by area | Caspian Sea | Saline, not freshwater; bordered by five countries |
| Largest freshwater lake by surface area | Lake Superior | Shared by Canada and the United States |
| Deepest lake in the world | Lake Baikal | In Siberia, Russia; also holds the greatest volume of fresh water |
| Largest lake entirely within Canada | Great Bear Lake | In the Northwest Territories, on the Arctic Circle |
| Largest Great Lake wholly within the United States | Lake Michigan | The only one of the five not shared with Canada |
The Great Lakes together hold a very large share of the world's surface fresh water, and Lake Superior alone accounts for the greatest part of it, which makes the system one of the most significant freshwater reserves on the planet. Its economic role has been equally important: the St Lawrence Seaway allows ocean-going vessels to reach ports deep in the North American interior, and the movement of iron ore from the Lake Superior region to steel mills further south underpinned the industrial development of the American Midwest. For examination purposes, the lake is most often tested through its superlatives, and the safest way to hold them is by contrast — the Caspian is the largest lake but saline, Baikal is the deepest and holds the most fresh water, and Superior is the largest freshwater lake by surface area. Confusing these three accounts for most errors on this topic.
Largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area
Largest and deepest of the five Great Lakes
Shared by Canada (Ontario) and the United States (Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan)
Drains via the St Marys River into Lake Huron
Part of the Great Lakes-St Lawrence Seaway system to the Atlantic
Great Lakes mnemonic: HOMES — Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior
Lake Michigan is the only Great Lake entirely within the United States
Caspian Sea is the largest lake overall but saline; Lake Baikal is the deepest
It is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area. The Caspian Sea is larger overall but is saline, and Lake Baikal holds a greater volume of fresh water despite a smaller surface area.
Canada, through the province of Ontario, and the United States, through Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan.
Through the St Marys River into Lake Huron, and eventually to the Atlantic Ocean via the St Lawrence River.
Lake Michigan. The other four — Superior, Huron, Erie and Ontario — are shared with Canada.
HOMES — Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie and Superior.