20 Interesting Lake Superior Facts

The greatest of the North American Great Lakes is Lake Superior. Here are 20 Lake Superior Facts! If you find these interesting you may also want to read our Lake Superior Frequently Asked Questions and our Lake Superior Circle Tour Frequently Asked Questions.

1.  Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area, contains 10% of the worlds freshwater, and covers an area of 31,700 sq mi (82,000 km sq).

2.  The average depth of Lake Superior is 483 feet (147 metres) with its deepest point reaching 1,332 feet (406 metres).

3.  All the water from the other Great Lakes, plus 3 extra Lake Erie’s, can be held by Lake Superior.

4.  The largest feed of water into Lake Superior, and the most northern point of the Lake, is the Nipigon River which is also home to the World Record Brook Trout.

5.  It is estimated that of the 10,000 shipwrecks in the Great Lakes 350 are in Lake Superior. Many have been found and recorded while half have not yet been located. One of the most popular shipwrecks is the SS Edmund Fitzgerald which to this day is the largest shipwreck in Lake Superior. A great place to learn more about Great Lake shipwrecks is the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum.

6.  The shoreline of Lake Superior borders the Canadian province of Ontario and the three U.S. states of Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.

7.  It takes 551 billion gallons of water to raise the water level one inch.

8.  Lake Superior and it’s corresponding waterways and wetlands is home to 88 species of fish.

9.  The Ojibwe name for Lake Superior is Gitchi-Gami which translates to “Great sea”.

10.  The shoreline of Lake Superior is 2,726 miles (4,385 km) long.

11.  It is extremely rare for Lake Superior to 100% freeze over. The last time it came close was in 2014 when it had 91% ice coverage. Before 2014 the closest it came to freezing over was in 1979.

12.  Lake Superior was formed roughly 1.2 billion years ago.

13.  Lake Superior Agates are one of the most sought after souvenirs from the area.

14.  The largest city on Lake Superior is Thunder Bay located in the province of Ontario within Ontario’s Superior Country Region.

15.  The water contained in Lake Superior could cover all of North and South America in one foot of water!

16.  The primary outflow of water from Lake Superior is St. Mary’s River which is 74.5 miles (120km) long. It drains from Lake Superior into Lake Huron.

17.  The largest Island on Lake Superior is Isle Royale a part of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is surrounded by 450 smaller islands all of which form the Isle Royale National Park. Isle Royale itself is 206 sq mi (534 sq km). It’s immense size makes it the fourth largest lake island in the world. It is so large that it has its own lakes with Siskiwit Lake being the largest.

18.  Lake Superior was charted in 1667 which lead to the lake becoming a major aspect in fur trading.

19.  Lake Superior is the coldest of the Great Lakes with an average temperature of between 36 and 39 degrees Fahrenheit (2 and 4 degrees Celsius).

20.  Storm season on Lake Superior is in October and November. The largest waves ever recorded on Lake Superior were 28.8 feet (8.8 meters) high and were recorded in October of 2017. The waves averaged this height for a period of an hour, meaning that some of the waves were likely over 30 feet (9 meters) high. It is also likely that Lake Superior has had even larger waves that have not been officially recorded.

Well there they are. 20 Lake Superior Facts! Lake Superior truly is a great lake and is a fantastic travel destination. To learn more about Lake Superior remember to visit our Lake Superior FAQs and Circle Tour FAQs! Interested in planning your own trip around Lake Superior? Make sure to order the Lake Superior Circle Tour Adventure Guide and to check out our online Trip Planner! Till next time… have yourself a Superior day!