Lake Superior holds about 10% of the world’s freshwater.Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake in North America with a catchment area measuring 49,300 sq mi (127686.4 sq km). Lake Superior’s surface area is 31,700 sq mi (82102.62 sq km) and the water volume in the lake is 2,900 cu mi (12087.7 cu km) with the average depth being 483 ft (147.2 m).In relation to volume and surface area, Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake on Earth. Parts of it lie in Ontario, Canada, and various states of the United States. In the south, it covers the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and in the west, it occupies Minnesota.This river drains via the St. Mary’s River into Lake Huron. The St. Mary’s River flows through the southeastern edge of the United States.  It is also the highest in elevation. The British anglicized the name to Lake Superior after they defeated the French in the 1760s and took control of the area. The surface area of the lake is equal to the area covered by Austria and South Carolina.The person who reached the lowest part of the lake was the American limnologist J. Val Klump on 30 July 1985 as part of a scientific expedition. The lake occupies the second-lowest spot in the continental interior of the country. The temperature of the lake’s surface stays below 110 fathoms. However, the temperature varies seasonally.Read on to find out more about the Sault Ste. Marie lakes, the lake effect due to iron ore deposits, and more interesting topics! After reading all about the size and volume of Lake Superior, also check facts on Lake Erie Canada, and Lake Michigan facts.The Deepest Point In Lake SuperiorLake Superior, as its name suggests, is indeed one of the largest lakes in the entire world. The surface area of the lake is 31,700 sq mi (82102.62 sq km). The average depth of the lake is 483 ft (147.2 m) and the maximum depth is about 1,333 ft (406.2 m).In terms of volume, it houses about 22,900 cu mi (12087.7 cu km) of water. It shelters various islands like Isle Royale, the State Islands, Michipicoten Island, and the Apostle Islands. It can accommodate a large quantity of water and has a large surface area. The lake contains about 10% of the Earth’s entire freshwater supply. Many rivers drain into the lake. Geographers have estimated that about 300 rivers empty into the lake. It is elevated about 602 ft (183.49 m) above sea level. It has a broad shoreline and if it can be stretched, it can connect the Bahama Islands and the Duluth.Lake Superior is one of the cleanest lakes amongst all the great lakes with underwater visibility of 27 ft (8.2 m). Running for about 350 mi (563.27 km) in length and about 160 mi (257.4 km) in width it indeed covers a large surface area. The deepest point of Lake Superior is about 1,300 ft (396.2 m) below the surface of the water and lies about 40 mi (64.3 km) north of Munising, Michigan. The lake also records huge waves with heights of about 40 ft (12.1 m).The Great Lakes combined to form the world’s surface fresh water. There are many great lakes, but Lake Michigan or Lake Huron, in South America, is the largest lake here. Many great lakes are found around Lake Michigan including Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.There is a Lake Superior magazine which is an authority on Lake Superior, with continuous updates of information and a calendar of events, amongst other interest items.Talking about fish life, four different species of trout can be found and fished in Lake Superior. The fish population is abundant and has been compared to the Ontario shore or the western shore with more than 100 species of fish present underwater. The visibility of this big lake is quite clear. The land around the lake usually gets soggy since there is water under the land due to seepage. Lake Superior is unlike other lakes in that it rarely freezes.Even during milder winters, like the one that we’re currently sweating through, you can expect to see ice in harbors and on some of the more sheltered sections of the lake. Iron ore deposits were found in enough water of Lake Superior to set up an iron mining operation there. Isle Royale is the largest island in Lake Superior. The world’s oldest rocks in the North American continent, called Nuvvuagittuq, are said to be 4.28 billion years old. However, in Canada, along the Ontario shore of Lake Superior, there are said to be rocks that are around 2.7 billion years old.The Temperature Of Lake SuperiorLake Superior experiences different climates that vary seasonally. The lake is about 10,000 years old and it was formed after the last glacial retreat.Seiches can be produced in the lake by sudden changes in wind or in barometric pressure. In seiches, the level of water rises and also falls for about six feet along the coast within a short interval of time. The lake is a meeting point for a number of freshwater rivers making it the largest freshwater lake. During summer the lake is quite warm and hot.You can travel to Lake Superior by car from Ontario airport. You might even take the assistance of a tour guide to help you to learn more about the place and to take you to the best view point at the lake to watch as the sun sets. The lake, being part of the Great Lakes, has a humid continental climate with warm summers. During August, the water temperature rises about 65.1 F (18.3 C)  making it the hottest month.During March, the temperature of water falls to about 32.4 F (0.2 C)  making it quite cool. However, the coolest month is February when the temperature of water falls to about 16.3 F (-8.7 C) in this big lake. During May, it rains only a little and the precipitation is about 0.2 in (0.5 cm). December marks the highest precipitation of about 3.4 in (8.6 cm) increasing the water levels in Lake Superior.Therefore, the best months to visit Lake Superior are the summer months of June, July, August, and September. During winters at Lake Superior, it often snows giving you a splendid aesthetic view. However, if you are looking for warm weather conditions then it is best to visit it during June, July, and August. The water temperature stays about 40 F (4.4 C) all throughout the year. During winter it can get too cold and you might face difficulty in swimming.Comparison Of Lake Superior With OthersLake Superior is larger than many other great lakes of the world. It is quite clean and allows clear underwater visibility to a greater depth which is not found in many other lakes due to the excessive pollutants floating above the surface of the water.It is about the same surface area as Maine and is about 31,700 sq mi (82102.62 sq km). It is the third-largest in the world in terms of volume and comes right after Lake Baikal of Siberia and Lake Tanganyika of East Africa. It consists of about three quadrillion gallons of water which are enough to cover both South and North America in a foot of water.In comparison to the famous Lake Superior, Lake Michigan has a volume of 1179.89 cu mi (4,918 cu km) and a surface area of 22,405.51 sq mi (58,030 sq km). Lake Huron has a volume of 850.01 cu mi (3,543 cu km) and a surface area of 23,011.69 sq mi (59,600 sq km). Lake Ontario has a volume of 393.45 cu mi (1,640 cu km) and a surface area of 7,340 sq mi (19010.5 sq km). Lake Eerie has a water volume of 116 cu mi (483.5 cu km) and a surface area of 9,910 sq mi (25,666.7 sq km).‎The retention time of Lake Superior is 191 years, the longest of all the great lakes, while for Lake Michigan, it is 99 years. For Lake Ontario, it is six and for Erie, it is almost two years. Thus, it is rightfully called Lake Superior.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for gallons of water in Lake Superior then why not take a look at Lake Ontario, or Lake Superior facts.

Lake Superior holds about 10% of the world’s freshwater.