Which Great Lake is the easternmost?

Lake Ontario is the easternmost of North America’s five Great Lakes.

It lies downstream from Lake Erie and receives water through the Niagara River. From Lake Ontario, water continues through the St. Lawrence River toward the Atlantic Ocean, making the lake the final major basin in the Great Lakes chain.

Its eastern position places it beside Ontario in Canada and New York State in the United States. Important shoreline communities include Toronto, Hamilton, Rochester, and Kingston.

Lake Ontario is also the smallest Great Lake by surface area, but it is deeper than Lake Erie and has a much larger average depth. Its name comes from an Indigenous term that has been interpreted in historical sources in several ways, including references to a lake or beautiful water.