Split Rock Lighthouse above a snowy Lake Superior cliff at dawn.

The Great Lakes · 01

Lake Superior

Big water, rocky shorelines and the wild heart of the Great Lakes.

Photo: MichaelDPhotos · CC BY-SA 4.0

Split Rock Light Station.jpg by MichaelDPhotos · CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized and converted to WebP; display crops vary.

Follow the water

About Lake Superior

Superior is a lake of basalt headlands, sandstone cliffs, agate beaches and boreal forest. Its open water stays cold all summer, storms build quickly across hundreds of miles of fetch, and harbor towns are spaced far apart. Travelers who give it time are rewarded with some of the wildest coastline in North America.

Surface area31,700 sq mi
Deepest point1,332 ft
Shoreline2,726 mi
Average depth483 ft
Shoreline states & provinces Michigan Minnesota Ontario Wisconsin

U.S. EPA reference measurements; rounded, not current water levels.

Live · Lake Superior

What's going on right now.

Weather, alerts, the water, the sky and local headlines, gathered from official sources as you read.

Gathering the latest conditions…

National Weather Service Environment Canada NOAA buoy observations Aurora forecast

Live data from the U.S. National Weather Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, NOAA's National Data Buoy Center and Space Weather Prediction Center; headlines link to the publishers. Sun and moon times are calculated. Conditions change quickly—check official forecasts before going on the water. Not for navigation.

Signature experiences

The largest, deepest and coldest — a freshwater sea.

Split Rock at sunrise

Minnesota's best-known light station crowns a cliff above the North Shore; walk the shoreline below for the classic view.

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Sea caves and sandstone islands

Paddle with a guide or take a cruise among the 21 islands and wave-carved caves of the Apostle Islands.

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Painted cliffs from the water

Mineral-streaked cliffs rise straight from the lake at Pictured Rocks; boat tours and overlooks show them at their best.

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The shipwreck coast

Whitefish Point's light station and museum tell the stories of the lake's most dangerous stretch of water.

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The Sleeping Giant

Trails across the Sibley Peninsula climb to the cliffs of the landform that frames Thunder Bay's harbor.

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Ontario's wild east shore

Agawa Rock pictographs, cobble beaches and rugged trails line Lake Superior Provincial Park.

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When to go

The best time to visit Lake Superior.

July through mid-September brings the warmest weather and fullest services. Late September and early October are prime for fall color on the North Shore and in the Upper Peninsula. Winter is for ice formations, snowshoeing and lake-effect snow — with many seasonal businesses closed.

Know the water

Superior's water rarely warms enough for comfortable swimming outside sheltered shallows in late summer. Cold-water shock is the main hazard: wear a life jacket on any boat, kayak or paddleboard, and save open-water paddling for guided trips or calm, well-forecast days.

Water safety & official forecasts

Get your bearings

Around the lake.

Loading the map. The links and itinerary below are always available.

Towns Lighthouses Parks Grouped pins expand when selected.

9 of 17 places mapped. 8 remain in the list without a map pin. Unverified locations and precise shipwreck sites are not plotted. Pins are representative locations, not verified entrances.

Black-and-white basemap by OpenStreetMap. Great Lakes highlighted in color. Hold Ctrl (or Command) while scrolling to zoom. Use two fingers on touch screens.

Lake outlines: Natural Earth (public domain). Town centers: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). Not for navigation.

Along the shore

Lake Superior towns, lighthouses & beaches.

All places
National Lakeshore Wisconsin · Lake Superior Apostle Islands National Lakeshore A Lake Superior archipelago of forests, beaches, sea caves and lighthouses. Explore place
Photo: Sharon Mollerus · CC BY 2.0

Devil's Island Sea Caves (28462731415).jpg by Sharon Mollerus · CC BY 2.0. Resized and converted to WebP; display crops vary.

Coastal town Wisconsin · Lake Superior Bayfield A small harbor town and gateway to the Apostle Islands. Explore place
Photo: Dls4832 · CC BY-SA 4.0

Bayfield Wisconsin.jpg by Dls4832 · CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized and converted to WebP; display crops vary.

Coastal town Minnesota · Lake Superior Duluth A working harbor city at the western tip of Lake Superior. Explore place
Photo: Bspor.88 · CC0

Duluth, MN - Aerial Lift Bridge and harbor, aerial, August 2024.jpg by Bspor.88 · CC0. Resized and converted to WebP; display crops vary.

State Park Minnesota · Lake Superior Gooseberry Falls State Park Waterfalls, river trails and a rocky Lake Superior shore on Minnesota's North Shore. Explore place
Photo: Edward Morrissey · CC BY-SA 4.0

Middle Gooseberry Falls, Gooseberry Falls State Park, Minnesota.jpg by Edward Morrissey · CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized and converted to WebP; display crops vary.

Coastal town Minnesota · Lake Superior Grand Marais An artist's harbor at the meeting of Lake Superior and the Gunflint Trail. Explore place
Photo: Pete Markham from Loretto, USA · CC BY-SA 2.0

North Shore Trip - Beautiful Grand Marais, MN (14969233032).jpg by Pete Markham from Loretto, USA · CC BY-SA 2.0. Resized and converted to WebP; display crops vary.

Provincial Park Ontario · Lake Superior Lake Superior Provincial Park Ontario's eastern Lake Superior coast of bays, forest and rugged shoreline. Explore place
Photo: D. Gordon E. Robertson · CC BY-SA 3.0

Gargantua Harbour, Lake Superior PP.jpg by D. Gordon E. Robertson · CC BY-SA 3.0. Resized and converted to WebP; display crops vary.

Coastal town Michigan · Lake Superior Marquette A northern Michigan city with sandstone shoreline, trails and a historic ore harbor. Explore place
Photo: ThiloG · CC BY-SA 2.0

Marquette Lower Harbor Ore Dock, 2013.jpg by ThiloG · CC BY-SA 2.0. Resized and converted to WebP; display crops vary.

Coastal town Michigan · Lake Superior Munising The harbor gateway to Pictured Rocks and a coastline of cliffs and waterfalls. Explore place
Photo: Notorious4life · CC0

Munising, Michigan (02 August 2016).jpg by Notorious4life · CC0. Resized and converted to WebP; display crops vary.

National Lakeshore Michigan · Lake Superior Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore Sandstone cliffs, beaches and waterfalls along Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Explore place
Photo: National Park Service · Public domain

Pictured Rocks Bridalveil Falls.jpg by National Park Service · Public domain. Resized and converted to WebP; display crops vary.

Provincial Park Ontario · Lake Superior Sleeping Giant Provincial Park A forested Ontario peninsula with dramatic views of Lake Superior. Explore place
Photo: Tony Webster · CC BY 2.0

Sleeping Giant Provincial Park Cliffs - Amethyst Harbour - Ontario - Canada in Autumn.jpg by Tony Webster · CC BY 2.0. Resized and converted to WebP; display crops vary.

Lighthouse Minnesota · Lake Superior Split Rock Lighthouse An iconic beacon perched above Minnesota's rugged North Shore. Explore place
Photo: MichaelDPhotos · CC BY-SA 4.0

Split Rock Light Station.jpg by MichaelDPhotos · CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized and converted to WebP; display crops vary.

Shipwreck story Michigan · Lake Superior SS Edmund Fitzgerald The Great Lakes' best-known shipwreck and a lasting story of Lake Superior. Explore place
Photo: Unknown photographer · Public domain

Edmund Fitzgerald-USACE.jpg by Unknown photographer · Public domain. Resized and converted to WebP; display crops vary.

State Park Minnesota · Lake Superior Tettegouche State Park Clifftop Lake Superior scenery and forested river country. Explore place
Photo: Desertson67 at English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0

Northern MN Spring 2005 099.jpg by Desertson67 at English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0. Resized and converted to WebP; display crops vary.

Coastal town Ontario · Lake Superior Thunder Bay An Ontario port city facing the Sleeping Giant across Lake Superior. Explore place
Photo: P199 · CC BY-SA 3.0

Thunder Bay skyline.JPG by P199 · CC BY-SA 3.0. Resized and converted to WebP; display crops vary.

Coastal town Minnesota · Lake Superior Two Harbors Ore docks, a historic lighthouse and a working Lake Superior waterfront. Explore place
Photo: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, photographer not specified or unknown · Public domain

Two Harbors Minnesota aerial view.jpg by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, photographer not specified or unknown · Public domain. Resized and converted to WebP; display crops vary.

Lighthouse Minnesota · Lake Superior Two Harbors Lighthouse A harbor light overlooking Minnesota's historic ore-shipping waterfront. Explore place
Photo: pmarkham · CC BY-SA 2.0

Two Harbors Light Minnesota.jpg by pmarkham · CC BY-SA 2.0. Resized and converted to WebP; display crops vary.

Lighthouse Michigan · Lake Superior Whitefish Point Light Station A Lake Superior light station at a shoreline known for shipping and shipwreck stories. Explore place
Photo: TCP04 · CC BY 4.0

Whitefish Point Light 2026.jpg by TCP04 · CC BY 4.0. Resized and converted to WebP; display crops vary.

Did you know

A few things worth knowing.

Superior holds about 2,900 cubic miles of water — more than the other four Great Lakes combined, with room left over for three more Lake Eries.

A drop of water entering Superior stays, on average, for nearly two centuries before flowing on toward Lake Huron.

Its deepest point is 1,332 feet below the surface — far below sea level, even though the lake's surface sits about 600 feet above it.

Ships descend about 21 feet through the Soo Locks at Sault Ste. Marie when they leave Superior for the lower lakes.

Start a route with road trips on Lake Superior, or compare it with the other four lakes.