Lake Superior is the most northwesterly and biggest of North America’s five Great Lakes, as well as one of the world’s largest reservoirs of freshwater. It gets its name from the French Lac Supérieur (“Upper Lake”).

See the fact file below for more information on Lake Superior, or you can download our 28-page Lake Superior worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

• The earliest people arrived in the Lake Superior region 10,000 years ago, after the glaciers receded during the Last Glacial Period known as the Plano, as they hunted caribou on the northwestern shore of Lake Minong with stone-tipped spears. Shield Archaic peoples arrived circa 5000 BCE, and traces of their culture can be found on both the eastern and western ends of the Canadian coast. 
• They sailed dugout canoes, fished, pursued, extracted copper for tools and weapons, and formed trading networks. They are said to be the Ojibwe and Cree direct ancestors.
• From 900 to 1650 CE, the Terminal Woodland period was visible in the area. They were Algonquian hunters, fishermen, and berry gatherers. Snowshoes, birch bark canoes, and conical or domed shelters were used.
• Nine encampments have been unearthed at the mouth of the Michipicoten River. The majority of the Pukaskwa Pits were most likely constructed during the period.
• Furthermore, the Anishinaabe people, which include the Ojibwe or Chippewa, have lived in the Lake Superior region for over 500 years, having been accompanied by the Dakota, Fox, Menominee, Nipigon, Noquet, and Gros Ventres. After Europeans arrived, the Anishinaabe became middlemen between French fur traders and other Native peoples. 
• They quickly became the dominant Native American group in the region, driving away the Sioux and Fox and defeating the Iroquois west of Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, in the year 1662.
• Lake Superior has long been a vital connection in the Great Lakes Waterway, transporting iron ore, grain, and other mined and manufactured products. These commodities are transported across Lake Superior by large cargo vessels known as lake freighters.
• The southern coast of Lake Superior near Grand Marais, Michigan, and Whitefish Point is regarded as the “Graveyard of the Great Lakes”; more vessels have been lost near Whitefish Point than anywhere else on the lake. 
• The Whitefish Point Underwater Preserve now protects these shipwrecks. The Mataafa Storm in November 1905 and the Great Lakes Storm in 1913 claimed many ships.
• “Superior, they said, never gives up her dead,” Lightfoot sings. This is due to the icy water, which averaged less than 36 °F about 1970. Bacteria decomposing a sunken body will typically bloat it with gas, enabling it to float to the surface after a few days. However, the water in Lake Superior is cold enough all year to prevent the growth of bacteria, and bodies frequently sink and never come back.

HYDROGRAPHY

• The St. Marys River and the Soo Locks (Sault Ste. Marie locks) drain Lake Superior into Lake Huron. Lake Superior is the world’s largest freshwater lake in size and volume, trailing only Lake Baikal in Siberia and Lake Tanganyika in East Africa.
• More than 200 rivers feed Lake Superior, including the Nipigon River, St. Louis River, Pigeon River, Pic River, White River, Michipicoten River, Bois Brule River, and Kaministiquia River. 
• The St. Marys River exit features a relatively steep grade with rapids. The Soo Locks allow ships to avoid the rapids and bridge the 25-foot (8-meter) height difference between Lake Superior and Lake Huron.
• On the other hand, the lake’s water level changes from month to month, with the peak lake levels occurring in October and November. Normal high water is 1.17 feet (0.36 m) above the datum. Lake Superior attained its highest recorded level in the summer of 1985, at 2.33 feet (0.71 m) above the datum. In practically every month, 2019 and 2020 set new high-water records. In March and April, the lake’s levels are at their lowest. The usual low-water mark is 0.33 feet lower than the datum. Lake Superior hit its lowest recorded level in the winter of 1926, 1.58 feet below the datum.
• The rise in lake surface temperature could be linked to an ice cover. If current trends persist, Lake Superior, which freezes over completely every 20 years, could be ice-free regularly by 2040.

GEOLOGY

• The rocks along Lake Superior’s northern shore stretch back to the earth’s early past. The intrusive granites of the Canadian Shield were formed by magma forcing its way to the surface during the Precambrian period. 
• The area around the lake has proven mineral-rich, with copper, iron, silver, gold, and nickel being the most commonly mined. Gold from the Hemlo mine in Marathon, copper from the Keweenaw Peninsula and the Mamainse Point Formation, iron from the Gogebic Range, silver from Silver Islet, and uranium from Theano Point are among the significant deposits.
• Moreover, the mountains gradually eroded, depositing sediment layers that compressed and produced limestone, dolomite, taconite, and shale at Kakabeka Falls. The continent was later riven, resulting in one of the world’s most profound rifts.
• The lake is in the Midcontinent Rift, a long-extinct Mesoproterozoic rift valley. Magma was injected between layers of sedimentary rock, forming diabase sills.
• This hard diabase shields the sedimentary rock beneath, generating the Thunder Bay area’s flat-topped mesas. Amethyst occurred in some of the cavities caused by the Midcontinent Rift.

ECOLOGY

• Lake Superior is home to more than 80 different fish species. Banded killifish, bloater, brook trout, burbot, cisco, lake sturgeon, lake trout, lake whitefish, longnose sucker, muskellunge, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, round whitefish, smallmouth bass, walleye, white sucker, and yellow perch are all native to the lake. Many fish species, including Atlantic salmon, brown trout, carp, chinook salmon, coho salmon, freshwater drum, pink salmon, rainbow smelt, rainbow trout, round goby, ruffe, sea lamprey, and white perch, have been purposely or accidentally introduced into Lake Superior.
• Lake Superior has less dissolved nutrients per volume of water than the other Great Lakes, making it less productive for fish populations. It is also an oligotrophic lake. This is due to the comparatively small watershed’s undeveloped soils. It also reflects the limited human population and agricultural activity in its catchment. However, nitrate levels in the lake have been steadily growing over a century. Other Great Lakes fish populations have also been affected by the accidental or intentional introduction of exotic species like the Eurasian ruffe. 

Lake Superior Worksheets

This fantastic bundle includes everything you need to know about Lake Superior across 26 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use worksheets that are perfect for teaching kids about Lake Superior. Lake Superior is the most northwesterly and biggest of North America’s five Great Lakes, as well as one of the world’s largest reservoirs of freshwater.

Complete List of Included Worksheets

Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.

1. Lake Superior Facts 
2. Let’s Dive!
3. Who Are They?
4. The Rich 5!
5. The Boat Is Sinking!
6. #Big5
7. Let’s Play Bingo
8. Unravel the History
9. The Future Is Now
10. AHA!Mazing Lake

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the location of Lake Superior?

Lake Superior is located in North America, specifically in the upper Midwest region of the United States and the province of Ontario in Canada. It is the largest of the Great Lakes and is bordered by the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and the Canadian province of Ontario.

How large is Lake Superior?

Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area. It has a surface area of approximately 82,100 square kilometers (31,700 square miles). In terms of volume, it is the third largest freshwater lake globally, with an estimated volume of 12,100 cubic kilometers (2,900 cubic miles).

What are some notable features of Lake Superior?

Lake Superior is known for its stunning natural beauty and unique features. It has over 2,700 kilometers (1,700 miles) of shoreline, featuring rugged cliffs, sandy beaches, and rocky outcrops. The lake is home to numerous islands, with Isle Royale being the largest and most famous. The Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, located along Lake Superior’s southern shore, showcases breathtaking cliffs and colorful sandstone formations.

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