Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake on Earth by surface area - about 82,100 sq km. Toggle the depth bands to see how the floor drops toward the deep east-central basin, and the Edmund Fitzgerald marker to see where the storm-famous wreck lies.
Published figures: surface area about 82,100 sq km; maximum depth about 406 m; mean depth about 147 m; volume about 12,100 cubic km, holding roughly 10% of the world's surface fresh water.
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Lake Superior 3D Explorer
This browser explorer shows Lake Superior in cross-section: the largest freshwater lake on Earth by surface area, an elongated basin with a deep east-central trough, Isle Royale rising above the surface near the northwest shore, and a marker at the storm-famous Edmund Fitzgerald wreck site near Whitefish Bay.
Lake Superior is the northernmost and largest of the five Great Lakes of North America, bordered by the United States (Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan) and Canada (Ontario). Its basin holds about 12,100 cubic km of water - roughly 10% of the world's surface fresh water - and the lake's long retention time of about 191 years means water entering today stays for generations before it leaves. Cold, deep water and sudden storms have claimed more than 350 known shipwrecks, most famously the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, which sank on November 10, 1975 near Whitefish Bay.
- Toggle the depth bands to see the shallow shoreline shelf and the deep east-central basin
- Toggle the Edmund Fitzgerald marker to see where the wreck lies near Whitefish Bay
- Read surface area, depth, volume, and retention-time figures in the panel
- Drag to orbit, scroll or pinch to zoom
- Runs fully in the browser with the vendored three.js engine - no account, no upload
| Figure | Published value |
|---|---|
| Surface area | about 82,100 sq km - the largest freshwater lake on Earth by area |
| Maximum depth | about 406 m |
| Mean depth | about 147 m |
| Volume | about 12,100 cubic km - about 10% of the world's surface fresh water |
| Elevation | about 183 m above sea level |
| Length / width | about 563 km long, about 257 km wide |
| Water retention time | about 191 years |
| Notable wreck | SS Edmund Fitzgerald, sank November 10, 1975 near Whitefish Bay |
For a connected pair of Great Lakes at one shared water level, see the Lake Michigan-Huron 3D Explorer, or compare with the deepest lake on Earth in the Lake Baikal 3D Explorer.
Everything renders on your device with WebGL. The 3D engine loads once (about 0.7 MB) and is cached.
This is an educational approximation - the basin profile, island shape, and vertical scale are schematic teaching cues, not survey bathymetry.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lake Superior really the largest freshwater lake?
Yes, by surface area - about 82,100 sq km, the largest freshwater lake on Earth. Lake Baikal holds more water by volume, but Superior covers more surface.
How deep is Lake Superior?
About 406 m at its deepest point, with a mean depth of about 147 m across the whole basin.
What happened to the Edmund Fitzgerald?
The SS Edmund Fitzgerald, a 729-foot ore freighter, sank in a severe Lake Superior storm on November 10, 1975 near Whitefish Bay, with the loss of all 29 crew.
Which countries and states border Lake Superior?
The United States (Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan) and Canada (Ontario).
Why does the water stay so cold?
Its large volume, depth, and northern location mean the lake absorbs and releases heat very slowly, so deep water stays cold year-round even in summer.
Is this a scientific terrain model?
No. It is an educational explorer using published figures - the basin profile, island shape, and vertical scale are schematic teaching cues, not survey bathymetry.