Lake Erie Dimensions: Length, Width, Depth & Volume

Lake Erie — the shallowest, warmest, and most biologically productive Great Lake — by the numbers:

Linear Dimensions

• Length (WSW–ENE): 241 mi (388 km)
• Breadth (max N–S): 57 mi (92 km)
• Average width: ~40 mi (64 km)
• Shoreline (incl. islands): 871 mi (1,402 km)

Depth Profile

• Average depth: 62 ft (19 m) — **shallowest Great Lake**
• Maximum depth: 210 ft (64 m) — eastern basin, near Long Point
• Basin morphology: Three basins: Western (avg 24 ft), Central (avg 60 ft), Eastern (avg 80 ft)

Area & Volume

• Surface area: 9,940 mi² (25,700 km²) — 4th of 5 Great Lakes
• Volume: 116 mi³ (484 km³) — **smallest volume** (due to shallowness)
• Water residence time: 2.6 years — shortest (rapid turnover)

Elevation & Hydrology

• Surface elevation: 571 ft (174 m) IGLD 1985
• Inflow: Detroit River (80–90%), Maumee, Sandusky, Cuyahoga, Grand, others
• Outflow: Niagara River → Niagara Falls → Lake Ontario
• Level regulation: Limited (Niagara outflow uncontrolled); seasonal range ~1 ft.

Islands

• US: Bass Islands (South Bass/Put-in-Bay, Middle Bass, North Bass), Kelleys, Pelee (Canadian but US-accessible)
• Canada: Pelee (largest, 42 km²), Middle Sister, East Sister, Hen, Chickens

Why Shallowness Matters

• Rapid warming: Summer SST 24–26°C → swimming, algal blooms.
• Wind-driven mixing: No thermal stratification in west/central; seiches (storm surge) up to 3 m.
• Sediment resuspension: High turbidity; nutrient recycling.
• Vulnerability: Pollutants concentrate; ice cover volatile; climate change amplified.