Lake St. Clair (North America)
Water type: Natural lake
Basin: Detroit river -> Lake Erie -> Niagara -> Lake Ontario -> St. Lawrence River -> Gulf of St. Lawrence -> Atlantic Ocean -> Planet Earth
Continent:
North America
Climate:
Continental
Countries:
Canada, United States of America
Largest tributaries
Perciformes - Perches
Salmoniformes - Salmons and Trouts
Esociformes - Pikes
Siluriformes - Catfishes
Centrarchiformes - Basses and sunfishes
Cypriniformes - Carps
Acipenseriformes - Sturgeons and Paddlefish
Lepisosteiformes - Gars
Amiiformes - Bowfins
Gadiformes - Cods
Clupeiformes - Herrings
Acanthuriformes - Surgeonfishes
Moroniformes - Temperate basses
Anguilliformes - Eels and morays
Gobiiformes - Gobies
Gasterosteiformes - Sticklebacks
Percopsiformes - Trout-perches
Hiodontiformes - Mooneyes
Cyprinodontiformes - Toothcarps
Petromyzontiformes - Lampreys
Perciformes - Perches
Salmoniformes - Salmons and Trouts
Esociformes - Pikes
Siluriformes - Catfishes
Centrarchiformes - Basses and sunfishes
Cypriniformes - Carps
Acipenseriformes - Sturgeons and Paddlefish
Lepisosteiformes - Gars
Amiiformes - Bowfins
Gadiformes - Cods
Clupeiformes - Herrings
Acanthuriformes - Surgeonfishes
Moroniformes - Temperate basses
Anguilliformes - Eels and morays
Gobiiformes - Gobies
Gasterosteiformes - Sticklebacks
Percopsiformes - Trout-perches
Hiodontiformes - Mooneyes
Cyprinodontiformes - Toothcarps
Petromyzontiformes - Lampreys
Lake St. Clair is a freshwater lake that lies between the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Michigan. It was named in 1679 by French Catholic explorers after Saint Clare of Assisi, on whose feast day they first sighted this body of water.
It is part of the Great Lakes system, and along with the St. Clair River and Detroit River, Lake St. Clair connects Lake Huron (to the north) with Lake Erie (to the south).
It has a total surface area of about 430 square miles (1,100 km2) and an average depth of just 11 feet (3.4 m); to ensure an uninterrupted waterway, government agencies in both countries have maintained a deep shipping channel through the shallow lake for more than a century.
