Which lake has the largest volume in North America?

Lake Superior has the largest volume of any lake in North America. It contains about 12,070 cubic kilometres of water, far more than the other Great Lakes.

Superior is shared by Ontario and the US states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. It is also the world’s largest freshwater lake by surface area, covering roughly 31,700 square miles. Its average depth is about 483 feet, and its deepest point reaches approximately 1,333 feet.

The name reflects its position and scale. French explorers called it “le lac supérieur,” meaning the upper lake, because it lies above Lake Huron in the Great Lakes system. Its Ojibwe name, Gichigami, means “great sea,” a fitting description for a lake whose horizon can resemble an ocean.

A frequent confusion is whether Superior is the world’s largest lake overall. The Caspian Sea is larger, but it is generally classified as a saline or brackish inland sea rather than a freshwater lake. Superior drains through the St. Marys River into Lake Huron.