Great Lakes Maps

The Great Lakes constitute one of the largest freshwater systems on earth, containing 18% of the world's surface freshwater. Only the polar ice caps and Lake Baikal in Siberia contain more freshwater than the Great Lakes! Spanning more than 1 200 kilometres from west to east, the Lakes provide water for consumption, transportation, industry and recreation and are integral to the ecology, climate culture and economy of North America.

Drainage Basin Maps

• The Great Lakes
• Lake Superior
• Lake Huron
• Lake Erie
• Lake Ontario

Physical Features of the Great Lakes Basin

Physical Features of the Great Lakes Basin

Parameter	Superior (map)	Michigan	Huron (map)	Erie (map)	Ontario (map)	Basin Totals (map)
Elevationa (metres)	183	176	176	173	74
Length (metres)	563	494	332	388	311
Breadth (metres)	257	190	245	92	85
Average Deptha (metres)	147	85	59	19	86
Maximum Deptha (metres)	406	282	229	64	244
Volume (cubic kilometres)	12 100	4 920	3 540	484	1 640	22 684
Water Area (square kilometres)	82 100	57 800	59 600	25 700	18 960	244 160
Land Drainage Areab (square kilometres)	127 700	118 000	134 100	78 000	64 030	521 830
Total Area (square kilometres)	209 800	175 800	193 700	103 700	82 990	765 990
Shoreline Lengthc (kilometres)	4 385	2 633	6 157	1 402	1 146	17 017
Retention Time (years)	191	99	22	2.6	6

^a measured at low water datum.
^b land drainage area for Lake Huron includes the St. Marys River, Lake Erie includes the St. Clair-Detroit system and Lake Ontario includes the Niagara River.
^c including islands.
^d these totals are greater than the sum of the shoreline length from the lakes because they include the connecting channels (excluding the St. Lawrence River).

Source: The Great Lakes: An Environmental Atlas and Resource Book, Factsheet #1.