Kidde Fire Extinguisher for Boats, Single-Use 5BC
Safety • Boating
Combats Marine Fires: Stop basic fires common to boats: flammable liquids and gases (Class B) & electrical equipment (Class C)
Available on Amazon.com
Overview
Lake Ontario is the easternmost and smallest by surface area of the Great Lakes - about 7,340 square miles - bordered by New York on the south and Ontario, Canada, on the north. It receives most of its inflow from the Niagara River / Lake Erie and discharges through the St. Lawrence River to the Atlantic. The lake lies about 325 feet lower than Lake Erie, receiving Niagara River inflow after the falls and Welland Canal.
Despite its smaller footprint, Ontario is deep: average depth about 283 feet and maximum about 802 feet, with roughly 712 miles of shoreline including islands. Steep south-shore bluffs, the Thousand Islands outlet region, and major urban waterfronts shape its character. The Rochester Basin holds the deepest water, while the eastern outlet region grades into the Thousand Islands.
The lake supports salmon, trout, bass, and other fisheries managed by New York and Ontario agencies, plus commercial shipping through the St. Lawrence Seaway. State parks, marinas, and cities from Niagara to Cape Vincent provide U.S. public access. Rochester, Oswego, and smaller south-shore harbors are primary New York access points for anglers and boaters.
Water levels are coordinated under international Great Lakes-St. Lawrence regulation rather than a reservoir rule curve. Chart datum / Low Water Datum is 243.3 feet IGLD 1985; long-term average levels run a few feet higher. Monitoring current lake-wide levels is important for harbors, shoreline flooding, and boating. Plan 2014 and related IJC regulation guide outflows through the St. Lawrence relative to upstream Great Lakes supplies.
Current Conditions
Lake Ontario is currently 1.11 feet above its long-term average and has fallen slightly over the past week.
- 7-day trendFallingLatest movement can be upward even while the 7-day trend remains downward.
- 7-day changeDown 0.11 ft
- 30-day changeUp 0.05 ft
About This Lake
Learn how this lake is managed, what affects its water level, and where Lake Insights gets its data.
Lake Ontario is a 4,701,270-acre Great Lake. It plays an important role in flood control, hydropower generation, navigation, and water supply.