Which Great Lake is the smallest by water volume?

Lake Erie is the smallest Great Lake by water volume.

Its volume is about 484 cubic kilometres (116 cubic miles), far below the totals for Lakes Ontario, Michigan, Huron, and Superior. Erie is also the shallowest Great Lake, averaging roughly 19 metres deep, which explains why it warms quickly and freezes more readily than the others.

Despite its smaller volume, Erie ranks fourth among the five Great Lakes by surface area. It stretches between Ontario and the U.S. states of Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York. Water leaves through the Niagara River, eventually reaching Lake Ontario and the Atlantic Ocean.

The lake’s name comes from the Erie people, an Indigenous nation that lived along its southern shore. A common mix-up is confusing volume with area: Lake Ontario has the smallest surface area, but Lake Erie holds the least water.