How deep are the Great Lakes?
Lake Superior is the deepest at 1,332 ft; Lake Erie is the shallowest at 210 ft. The full table below is copied from the physical-features factsheet in the EPA's Great Lakes atlas.
| Superior | Michigan | Huron | Erie | Ontario | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surface elevation (ft) measured at Low Water Datum | 600 | 577 | 577 | 569 | 243 |
| Surface elevation (m) | 183 | 176 | 176 | 173 | 74 |
| Average depth (ft) | 483 | 279 | 195 | 62 | 283 |
| Average depth (m) | 147 | 85 | 59 | 19 | 86 |
| Maximum depth (ft) | 1,332 | 925 | 750 | 210 | 802 |
| Maximum depth (m) | 406 | 282 | 229 | 64 | 244 |
| Volume (cu mi) | 2,900 | 1,180 | 850 | 116 | 393 |
| Water area (sq mi) | 31,700 | 22,300 | 23,000 | 9,910 | 7,340 |
From U.S. EPA and Environment Canada, PDF linked from the EPA Great Lakes Facts and Figures page: The Great Lakes: An Environmental Atlas and Resource Book, third edition (1995), EPA 905-B-95-001, Great Lakes Factsheet No. 1, Physical Features and Population (PDF page 8). Read on 2026-09-28.
The atlas is a 1995 document. EPA's Great Lakes Facts and Figures page links to it under the heading "Physical Features of the Great Lakes". A footnote in the factsheet says the surface elevations are measured at Low Water Datum; they are not a reading of today's water level.
Lake by lake
- Lake Superior: maximum 1,332 ft (406 m), average 483 ft (147 m).
- Lake Michigan: maximum 925 ft (282 m), average 279 ft (85 m).
- Lake Huron: maximum 750 ft (229 m), average 195 ft (59 m).
- Lake Erie: maximum 210 ft (64 m), average 62 ft (19 m).
- Lake Ontario: maximum 802 ft (244 m), average 283 ft (86 m).
Lake Ontario's surface sits far lower than the other four: 243 ft, against 569 ft for Lake Erie.
The lakes as a whole
Shared with Canada and spanning more than 750 miles (1,200 kilometers) from west to east
Applies to: The Great Lakes as a whole, shared with Canada
From U.S. EPA, Great Lakes Facts and Figures. Page read on 2026-09-28.