-- Lake Superior has 10 percent of the surface freshwater in the world

-- Lake Baikal in Russa contains the largest volume of freshwater in the world (20 %)

-- Lake Superior is the only Great Lake with a sustainable spawning source of Lake Trout

-- Lake Superior could contain all the other Great Lakes plus three more lakes the size of Lake Erie

-- The lake's level, controlled by gates on the St. Marys River at Sault Ste. Marie, may not exceed 602 ft (183 m) above sea level. Each year a small percentage of the lake's water flows out through the St. Marys River, and it takes almost two centuries for the water to be completely replaced (retention time).

-- Lake Superior is the largest of the Great Lakes in surface area and volume. It is the second largest lake in the world by volume.

-- The shoreline length of Lake Superior is 2,938 kilometers or 1826 miles. This distance is comparable to driving from Thunder Bay to Orlando, Florida.

-- Lake Superior is the cleanest lake of the Great Lakes.

LENGTH: 350 miles / 563 km.

WIDTH: 160 miles / 257 km.

AVERAGE DEPTH: 483 ft. / 147 m.

DEEPEST SPOT: 1,332 ft. / 406 m.

VOLUME: 3,000,000,000,000,000 gallons

WATER SURFACE AREA: 31,700 sq. miles / 82,100 sq. km.

DRAINAGE BASIN AREA: 49,300 sq. miles / 127,700 sq. km.

SHORELINE LENGTH (including islands): 2,726 miles / 4,385 km.

TRIBUTARIES: 336

LARGEST TRIBUTARIES: Nipigon River (Ontario), St. Louis River (WI)

ELEVATION: 600 ft. / 183 m.

OUTLET: St. Mary’s River to Lake Huron

WATER RETENTION/REPLACEMENT TIME: 191 years

NUMBER OF FISH SPECIES: 78

AVERAGE UNDERWATER VISIBILITY: 27 feet

AVERAGE WATER TEMPERATURE: 40º F / 4º C

MAXIMUM WAVE HEIGHT RECORDED: 31 feet