Is Lake Superior the biggest in the world?

Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area. Spanning nearly 32,000 square miles, Lake Superior is not only the largest freshwater lake in the world (by surface area) but it is also one of the largest lakes in the world, second only to the Caspian Sea.



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Lake Superior is the largest of the Great Lakes and ranks as the second largest lake in the world (by surface area). Source: Lake Superior Basin statistics map produced by Michigan Sea Grant/Michigan State University Extension (2000).

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World's Largest Lake (by surface area): So, Lake Michigan-Huron could be considered the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area. It has a total surface area of 45,410 square miles (117,611 square kilometers), which is significantly larger than Lake Superior.

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The largest lake in the world is the Caspian Sea. Although it is often considered a sea because of its size and salinity, it is technically classified as an endorheic lake. With a surface area of around 371,000 km², the Caspian Sea far exceeds any other lake in terms of size.

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Spanning nearly 32,000 square miles, Lake Superior is not only the largest freshwater lake in the world (by surface area) but it is also one of the largest lakes in the world, second only to the Caspian Sea.

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Situated in south-east Siberia, the 3.15-million-ha Lake Baikal is the oldest (25 million years) and deepest (1,700 m) lake in the world. It contains 20% of the world's total unfrozen freshwater reserve.

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Located in Russia in the southern region of Siberia, Lake Baikal is the world's largest freshwater lake by both volume (22995 km3) and depth (1741m).

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So, in a line-up of the usual lake suspects, Lake Superior is the biggest by surface area and Lake Baikal is the largest by volume. But here's where things get interesting. After you've decided what measurements to use to determine “biggest,” you then have to ask yourself an even harder question – what is a lake?

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5. Lake Superior has its origins in the North American Mid-Continent Rift of 1.1 to 1.2 billion years ago, which produced a huge plume of hot mantle where the present lake sits. The crust tore apart, leaving an arc-shaped scar stretching form Kansas through Minnesota, then down to Michigan.

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Lake Superior holds a massive volume of water because of its enormous inland basin and the hundreds of rivers that feed it.

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Lake Superior's beaches are open and safe for swimming over 90% of the time, and the water is extremely clear, with an average underwater visibility of 8.3 m (27 ft).

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8 Fun Facts About Lake Superior
  • Lake Superior Holds 10% of the Planet's Fresh Water. ...
  • The Lake Covers Over 31,700 Square Miles. ...
  • You Can Really See Your Way Around in the Waters. ...
  • Summer Days are Longer on the Western Shore of Lake Superior. ...
  • The Lake Hardly Ever Freezes Entirely. ...
  • Superior is Full of Surprises.


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3. Who Owns Lake Superior? Lake Superior is shared by Canada and the United States of America.

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Although the exact number of shipwrecks on Lake Superior is difficult to track, most historians mark it at about 6,000, although some say it could be upwards of 25,000. Just to the east of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, sits Whitefish Point, the site of the most famous shipwreck of Lake Superior.

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Lake Superior freezes at least in part every year and less frequently in its entirety. The last year that it froze completely was in February 1994. It almost froze completely in March 2003 and this photograph was taken by the GOES satellite on March 7, 2003.

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