America's Five Largest Lakes: The Great Lakes Dominate

The United States' largest lakes are overwhelmingly concentrated in the Great Lakes system—shared with Canada—which holds 21% of Earth's surface freshwater. Here are the top five by surface area:

1. Lake Superior — The Greatest Great Lake

• Surface Area: 31,700 sq mi (82,100 km²)
• Maximum Depth: 1,333 ft (406 m)
• Volume: 2,900 cu mi (12,100 km³) — more water than the other four Great Lakes combined
• Shore: Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Ontario

Superior's cold, clear waters, rocky shores, and ancient geology (1.1 billion-year-old Midcontinent Rift) create a unique inland sea experience.

2. Lake Huron — Island-Studded Giant

• Surface Area: 23,010 sq mi (59,600 km²)
• Maximum Depth: 750 ft (229 m)
• Volume: 850 cu mi (3,569 km³)
• Shore: Michigan, Ontario

Contains Manitoulin Island—the world's largest freshwater island—and Georgian Bay, nearly a lake unto itself.

3. Lake Michigan — The Only All-American Great Lake

• Surface Area: 22,300 sq mi (57,800 km²)
• Maximum Depth: 923 ft (281 m)
• Volume: 1,180 cu mi (4,923 km³)
• Shore: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin

Entirely within U.S. borders. Major cities (Chicago, Milwaukee) and massive sand dunes define its shores.

4. Lake Erie — Shallowest and Most Productive

• Surface Area: 9,910 sq mi (25,700 km²)
• Maximum Depth: 210 ft (64 m)
• Volume: 116 cu mi (483 km³)
• Shore: Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Ontario

Warm, nutrient-rich waters support the Great Lakes' largest fishery but also vulnerability to algal blooms.

5. Lake Ontario — Smallest Great Lake, Deepest Outlet

• Surface Area: 7,340 sq mi (19,000 km²)
• Maximum Depth: 246 ft (75 m) — average depth exceeds Erie's
• Volume: 393 cu mi (1,640 km³)
• Shore: New York, Ontario

Receives all Great Lakes outflow via Niagara River; connects to Atlantic via St. Lawrence River.

Beyond the Great Lakes

The next largest U.S. lakes—Great Salt Lake (Utah), Lake of the Woods (Minnesota/Ontario), Iliamna Lake (Alaska)—are each less than half Lake Ontario's size. The Great Lakes' dominance reflects their glacial origin in a uniquely favorable geological setting.