Which Great Lake is the shallowest overall?

Lake Erie is the shallowest of North America’s five Great Lakes.

Its average depth is only about 62 feet, and its deepest point is approximately 210 feet. The lake’s shallow basin allows sunlight to warm a relatively large proportion of its water, so it generally warms faster than the deeper Great Lakes.

Lake Erie’s shallow depth has also made it especially responsive to wind. Strong winds can move water across the basin and produce large temporary changes in local water levels, a phenomenon associated with seiches.

Its name is linked to the Erie people, an Indigenous nation historically associated with the southern shore. Despite being the shallowest Great Lake, Erie remains a major freshwater body and supports important commercial and recreational fisheries.