While Lake Ontario has hogged the spotlight over the last week or so, another Canadian lake is making headlines now.
Travel + Leisure recently ranked 10 lakes around the world with the clearest waters, and Canada’s Lake Superior, which it shares with the U.S., made the list.
The massive Great Lake rounded out the publication’s top 10, with Travel + Leisure noting that Lake Superior is not only the largest of the Great Lakes, but also the clearest. In some offshore areas, visibility extends to roughly 50 feet.
And there’s no shortage of stunning spots to see that clarity for yourself. The publication also highlighted the blue-green waters along Michigan’s Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Minnesota’s rocky North Shore, and the islands and coves along the coast of Ontario.
Travel + Leisure did offer one caveat: there is no single worldwide ranking for lake clarity, and measurements can change depending on the season, weather, and location. Still, the lakes on its list have documented visibility data or long-term scientific monitoring behind their reputations for exceptionally clear water.
Lake Superior was formed roughly 10,000 years ago by depressions left behind as an ancient glacier retreated, and it has long been nicknamed the “Freshwater Sea” because its waters are notably clear and low in minerals.
Lake Superior has a surface area of about 82,100 square kilometres, making it the largest of the Great Lakes. It also contains more water than the other four Great Lakes combined.
Its water quality is impressive, too. According to Great Lakes Guide, nearly 100 per cent of Lake Superior’s drinking water meets water-quality standards set by the Province of Ontario. The pristine waters are an important source of safe, clean drinking water for communities and wildlife in the area.
Given its enormous size and proximity to several American states, it can be easy to forget just how much of Lake Superior belongs to Canada.
The lake is bordered by Ontario to the north and east, while Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan sit along its southern and western shores. The two largest Canadian cities that sit on the lake are Thunder Bay and Sault Ste. Marie.
The rest of Travel + Leisure’s top 10 list includes clear-water lakes from New Zealand, Japan, and other parts of the world.
- Rotomairewhenua (Blue Lake), New Zealand
- Waldo Lake, Oregon
- Crater Lake, Oregon
- Lake Mashū, Japan
- Lake Baikal, Russia
- Lake Tahoe, California and Nevada
- Lake Matano, Indonesia
- Lake Khövsgöl, Mongolia
- Lake Malawi, East Africa
- Lake Superior, Canada and the U.S.
If you’re lucky enough to travel soon to Lake Superior or any of the other lakes on this list, take pride in knowing you’re about to take a dip in some of the clearest water in the world.
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