In surface area, what is the smallest of the Great Lakes?

While the Great (Review) Lakes are all immense, the one with the smallest surface area is the last in the chain. Covering approximately 7,340 square miles, it is the easternmost of the five lakes and its name is derived from an Iroquoian word meaning "Lake of Shining Waters." It is bordered by the province of Ontario in Canada and the state of New York in the United States.

This distinction often causes confusion with Lake Erie, which is commonly mistaken as the smallest. Although Lake Erie has a larger surface area (about 9,910 square miles), it is by far the shallowest of the Great Lakes. Because of its significant depth, Lake Ontario actually holds nearly four times the volume of water as its shallower neighbor. This means that while it covers the least amount of land, it is far from the smallest when measured by total water content.

Functioning as the final basin in the system, this lake collects all the water that flows downstream from Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, and Erie. From there, the water makes its final journey out to the Atlantic Ocean through the St. Lawrence River, making it the gateway between the Great Lakes and the sea.