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Overview
Lake Huron is the second-largest Great Lake by surface area, spanning about 14.7 million acres with an extensive Michigan shoreline from the Straits of Mackinac to the Thumb and the St. Clair River outlet. Hydrologically it forms one lake with Lake Michigan; the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Canadian partners publish coordinated water-level information.
With thousands of miles of shoreline, an average depth near 195 feet, and a maximum depth of about 750 feet, Huron includes Georgian Bay, the North Channel, Saginaw Bay, and countless islands and reefs. Wind, ice, and seiche effects can change local water levels quickly along exposed coasts.
The lake supports commercial navigation, coastal communities, and major recreational fisheries for lake trout, salmon, walleye, yellow perch, and smallmouth bass. Michigan anglers and boaters should consult the Michigan Department of Natural Resources along with marine forecasts.
Lake Huron does not use reservoir-style full, winter, or flood pools. Chart datum (Low Water Datum) for Michigan-Huron is 577.5 feet IGLD85, and lake-wide surface elevations are reported in IGLD85; levels respond to basin water supply, connecting-channel flows, and seasonal conditions.
Lake Huron is a 14,731,500-acre Great Lake. Its levels reflect basin water balance and connecting-channel flows.