Lake WinnipegOne of the shallowest large lakes in the world for its area
A vast surface with remarkably little depth for such a large lake.
- Surface area
- 24,514 km²
- Water volume
- 284 km³
- Max depth
- 36 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
At a mean depth of 12 m, Winnipeg holds 284 km³. Issyk-Kul has about one quarter of Winnipeg's surface area but holds more than six times as much water because it is far deeper.
The map intuition
One of Canada's largest lakes, so lots of water.
About the lake
Winnipeg is a long, broad lake in central Canada covering 24,514 km². It is a remnant of glacial Lake Agassiz, which covered a large part of central North America near the end of the last ice age.
Winnipeg is exceptionally shallow for its area. Its mean depth is about 12 m and its maximum depth 36 m. Its vast surface therefore holds 284 km³ of water, less than many much smaller but deeper lakes.
- Mean depth
- 12 m
- Surface elevation
- 217 m a.s.l.
- Location
- Canada
- Type
- glacial lake (remnant of Lake Agassiz)
Where the lake is
Lake Winnipeg: Questions
It is exceptionally shallow for its area, averaging about 12 m. Across 24,514 km², that yields 284 km³, less than many much smaller, deeper lakes.
A vast lake of glacial meltwater that covered central North America at the end of the last ice age. Winnipeg is its modest remnant.
Its mean depth is about 12 m and its maximum depth 36 m. That is very shallow compared with other lakes of a similar area.
Sources and data year
- Encyclopædia Britannica: Winnipeg (2024)
- Province of Manitoba: Lake Winnipeg physical characteristics (2024)
Outline: Natural Earth, public domain. Simplified and reprojected.