Lake MichiganThe largest lake in the world lying wholly within one country
The largest lake in the world within one country.
- Surface area
- 57,800 km²
- Water volume
- 4,920 km³
- Max depth
- 282 m
See its true size
One shared area scaleBoth outlines share one area scale. The bars compare water volume.
Reference data: Encyclopædia Britannica: jezioro Bajkał (2024).
Simplified outlines: Natural Earth (public domain), reprojected to one shared scale.
among the 18 lakes in this section
It is the world's largest lake wholly within one country. It belongs to the Great Lakes system, but its volume remains well below that of the deep rift lakes.
The map intuition
One of many large North American lakes.
About the lake
Michigan is the only one of the five Great Lakes entirely within the USA. The others share a shore with Canada. At 57,800 km², it is the world's largest lake within a single country's borders.
Hydrologically, Michigan and Huron form one body joined at the Straits of Mackinac, sharing the same water level. With a mean depth of 85 m, Michigan holds about 4,920 km³ of water.
- Mean depth
- 85 m
- Surface elevation
- 176 m a.s.l.
- Location
- USA
- Type
- glacial lake
Where the lake is
Lake Michigan: Questions
It is the only Great Lake entirely within the USA and has no Canadian shore. It is also the world's largest lake inside a single country's borders.
Hydrologically, yes. They meet at the Straits of Mackinac and share a water level, so they are sometimes treated as one body called Michigan and Huron. By convention, they are counted separately.
About 4,920 km³, over a surface of 57,800 km² with a mean depth of 85 m.
Sources and data year
Outline: Natural Earth, public domain. Simplified and reprojected.