What is the deepest lake in North America?

The deepest lake in North America is Great Slave Lake. Located in Canada’s Northwest Territories, it reaches a maximum depth of about 614 metres (2,014 feet), making it deeper than Lake Superior, Lake Tahoe, and Crater Lake.

Great Slave Lake is a vast glacial lake with a complex shoreline divided into arms, bays, and channels. Its deepest recorded water lies in Christie Bay in the eastern part of the lake. The lake drains westward through the Mackenzie River, which eventually reaches the Arctic Ocean.

Despite its great depth, Great Slave Lake is not North America’s largest lake by surface area; that distinction belongs to Lake Superior. Lake Baikal in Siberia is deeper still and is the world’s deepest lake, so the continental qualifier matters in this question.

The lake’s name reflects an old term applied by Cree-speaking peoples to Dene groups in the region. Several communities sit along its shores, including Yellowknife, Hay River, Fort Resolution, and Łutselk’e. Much of the lake freezes during winter.