Glaciers and the rivers they melted into carved out Lake Erie from our earth’s crust between the period of one million and 12,600 years ago. To put it in perspective, and give or take a few years, it took 987,400 years to create Lake Erie and the other Great Lakes.
The Iroquois Confederacy inhabited Lake Erie when the fur trade was taking Europe by storm in the form of fashionable beaver fur attire. History gives credit to French-Canadian explorer Louis Jolliet in 1669 and Frenchman Étienne Brûlé in 1615 for the European discovery of Lake Erie.
This brings us only to the very beginning of understanding the answer to the question, “Why is Lake Erie so famous?” Let us find out at least some of those reasons.
Lake Erie’s Bordering States
It is interesting to note that Lake Erie was more important to the development of the economic powerhouse of New York City than Lake Ontario. Neil Greenwood, of the Cleveland State College and a Lake Erie historian, reported on the New York State Legislature’s decision on where to build their canal.
Lake Erie’s shores touch Canada on its northern border, from Buffalo, New York, to the Pennsylvania border on its southeastern, a tiny part of Pennsylvania and a larger part of Ohio on its southern and southwestern, and Michigan on its northwestern.
Mr. Greenwood reported in 2017, “The New York State Legislature selected Lake Erie rather than Lake Ontario as the western terminus because Canadians would have been able to use an “Ontario” Canal to their economic advantage, possibly to the detriment of New York, among other U.S. economic interests.”
Lake Erie Facts
Lake Erie is the next smallest of the Great Lakes. Ontario is the smallest, and Lake Superior is the greatest in size. Most of Lake Erie’s islands are on its western end and near Canada’s Long Point National Wildlife Area. Pelee Island in Canada is the largest, with an airport and hotel, and the tiny island of Middle Bay is Canada’s southernmost point.
Lake Erie’s axis spans west-southwest to east-northeast for 241 miles, with a maximum width of 57 miles. Its surface area covers 9,910 acres, its average depth is 62 feet, its deepest point is 210 feet at 570 feet above sea level, and it has 871 miles of shoreline.
Lake Erie’s major tributary rivers are the Detroit, Huron, and Raisin Rivers in Michigan, the Cuyahoga, Grand, Maumee, Portage, and Sandusky Rivers in Ohio, Cattaraugus Creek of New York State, and the Grand River in Ontario, Canada. Lake Erie’s outflow is the Niagara River on its east, and Lake Huron discharges into the Detroit River.
Is it Okay to Swim in Lake Erie?
Lake Erie’s coast can present significantly different conditions from place to place along its shorelines. Currents, drop offs, sand bars, waves, and weather conditions affect swimming safety. Swimmers should know before they go what to be aware of in Lake Erie.
Yes, it is generally safe to swim in Lake Erie as long as swimmers know the precautions they need to take. Local municipalities keep a close eye on water quality and issue weather warnings if needed. Currents that flow faster than 2 mph are considered dangerous, and rip currents in Lake Erie can exceed 5 mph.
Rip currents can pull swimmers away from shore. Lake Erie has an interlinked circulation system fueled by river flow, the sun, water density differences, waves, and wind. Even if Lake Erie appears calm, when wind swirls over its surface, the wind’s energy transfers to the water, and generates currents and builds waves.
Lake Erie’s lakebed shape, shorelines, and man-made structures influence the path of wind and currents. The huge amount of energy transferred from wind to water affects wave heights and wave periods. Rip currents pull people away from shore, not under water. Swimmers are advised to know how to escape out of a rip current before swimming in Lake Erie.
Lake Erie Swimming Season
Peak swimming season at the Great Lakes, including Lake Erie is Memorial Day to Labor Day. Many of Lake Erie’s beaches stay open year-round. Local towns and communities post when the days and hours that beaches are open if they do not open 24/7. Hardcore surfers take to Lake Erie’s high waves in the winter months, when Erie produces 12-foot waves.
Best Views on Lake Erie
U.S. and Canada
Wow! So many places to find picture perfect views of Lake Erie exist along its almost 900-mile shoreline. Each state and local municipalities publish their favorite viewing spots on Lake Erie online. After one views hundreds of Lake Erie photos, it becomes extremely difficult to differentiate what are the best views of Lake Erie.
Lake Erie boasts over 50 lighthouses. The Lake Erie lighthouse’s special appeal attracts visitors by the thousands from around the world to take their tours, learn their histories, and walk their grounds. Oh! And take pictures of the romantic lone lighthouses.
So many rooftop and shore side restaurants offer stunning views of sunsets at dinner time in Canada and the U.S. These restaurants prevail mostly in the more populated cities and towns.
Michigan
The Sterling State Park sits along the shores of Lake Erie. This park is abandoned by most Michiganders who prefer the shores of Lakes Michigan, Huron, and Superior. Sterling State Park features a sandy beach area, seven miles of trails, and a beautiful 1,300 acres of land.
Ohio
The Lake Erie Coastal Trail Scenic Byway (LECT) in Ohio spans 293 miles from Toledo on the west to Conneaut and follows the shoreline. LECT features over 150 cultural, historic, and natural attractions, including lighthouses, museums, local, state, and national parks, public beaches, and nature preserves.
New York
From Buffalo on west to the Pennsylvania border, Lake Erie’s New York shoreline offers numerous views of the lake and its beaches. Both NY Route 5 and I-90 follow Lake Erie’s coast at times. Beaches, boat launches, lighthouses, nature preserves, parks and state parks, piers, trails line the shoreline with picture perfect views.
Erie, Pennsylvania
Ninety-foot bluffs overlooking Lake Erie meet visitors in the Erie Bluffs State Park in Girard and Springfield townships in western Erie County. With stunning vistas, the Erie Bluffs make it the best spot to catch a sunrise or sunset, which is when the park is open for day use.
Take a ride on the elevator up to the Bicentennial Tower on Erie’s bayfront observation deck. Commanding views of Presque Isle Bay, Presque Isle State Park, and downtown Erie from 187-feet above the lake offer must-see experiences.
The 108-acre Millcreek Township Scott Park has bluffs that afford expansive views of Presque Isle Bay and Presque Isle State Park. Getting to the bluffs requires a hike on a well-maintained trail system that cuts through dense forest canopy and woodlands.
Climb the Erie Land Lighthouse’s 69-step, cast-iron staircase that leads to its lantern room near the top of the 48-foot-tall, sandstone structure. See Presque Isle State Park’s Gull Point, the North Pier Lighthouse, and sometimes the U.S. Brig Niagara in full sail.
The North Pier is a wonderful place to watch Lake Erie sunrises and sunsets, the perpetual parade of vessels floating in and out of Presque Isle Bay and Lake Erie. This pier is an angler’s paradise and minks come to ask for a bite or meal from anglers.
Canada
Canada advertises an Ontario road trip along the northern shoreline of Lake Erie with over 50 things to do between Fort Erie and Amherstburg, Ontario.
At Lock 8 Gateway Park, visitors can picnic and watch ships pass through the Welland Canal and into Lake Erie from a viewing platform. Lock 8 is the second longest canal lock in the world. It is a control lock with a shallow lift varying from 1 to 4 feet (0.3 to 1.2 meters) in Port Colborne.
The Peace Bridge aglow at night at Mather Arch Park in Fort Erie is a sight to behold. In 2009, an expansive renovation of the bridge installed a state-of-the-art LED system. Sophisticated computer software with unlimited color options, themes, and timings controls the bridge’s light shows. The lights operate nightly from sunset until sunrise.
The true beauty of Marcy’s Woods between Port Colborne and Fort Erie of Lake Erie is photo-worthy. Marcy’s Woods sports an intact 285-acre forest full of animals, with some that are considered endangered. Upon request, visitors can schedule tours.
Go horseback riding in the Niagara Region on guided trails on Lake Erie beaches from May to September. The Long Beach Conservation Area is a hidden Niagara hidden gem. It features a unique place to camp, fish, sailboard, sunbathe, swim, and create memories.
Lake Erie FAQ
Why Is Lake Erie Called a Dead Lake?
The New York Sea Grant in Buffalo answers this question:
“During the 1960s, Lake Erie was declared a “dead lake” due to eutrophication and pollution. The children’s book, The Lorax, written by Dr. Seuss, actually included the following line referring to fish: “They will walk on their fins and get woefully weary in search of some water that isn’t so smeary. I hear things are just as bad in Lake Erie.” Fortunately, as the conditions in Lake Erie improved, the line was removed from future editions of the book.”
What Is the Lake Monster in Lake Erie?
They named the Loch Ness-like creature South Bay Bessie, who also goes by the names Bessie, Great Snake of the Lake, the Lake Erie Monster and Lemmy. We do know that Rattlesnake Island is 85 acres on Lake Erie near Put-In-Bay, 11 miles northeast of Port Clinton, Ohio.
In 1721, Father Charlevoix, who journeyed along the north shore of Lake Erie, recorded in his journal about American rattlesnakes, “as thick as a man’s leg, and sometimes thicker, and long in proportion…and we are told they [the Lake Erie islands] are so infested with these reptiles that the air is infected with them.”
Jonathan Carver traveled from Detroit to Niagara in 1768 and recorded, “There are several islands near the west end…so infested with rattlesnakes that it is very dangerous to land. It is impossible that any place can produce a greater number of all kinds of these reptiles than this does, particularly of the water snake. The lake is covered near the banks of the islands with the large pond lily…and on each of these lay, when I passed over it, wreaths of water snakes basking in the sun, which amounted to myriads.”
It was in 1793 when the captain of the sloop Felicity was in the shallows of Erie’s western islands duck hunting. He saw something that made his blood run cold. The captain reported that a gigantic serpent, startled by his gunshots, was thrashing in the water around his boat. He reported the creature was easily over five-meters (16 feet) long, but that it sank underwater before he could see details.
Fast forward to the 1960s, when multiple reports of Bessie came from South Bass Island. Then in the 1980s, Bessie sightings start up again. They came from Cedar Point, Huntington Beach on Cleveland’s west side, the Huron firefighters, Maumee Bay, and Rye Beach.
The public’s fascination with Bessie had reached a frenzy by 1989. So much so, that the Port Clinton newspaper sponsored a naming contest for the creature. The winning name was South Bay Bessie. Locals also liked the name Lemmy, short for the Lake Erie Monster.
The Huron Town Council even offered a $102,700 reward for the capture of South Bay Bessie. In August 2001, accounts of strange bite marks from unknown lake creatures arose. But no one has ever caught Bessie. Could Bessie be a humongous rattlesnake that swims?
How Deep Is Lake Erie at its Deepest Point?
Lake Erie’s deepest point is 210 feet in the Eastern portion of the lake in what is called the Long Point Escarpment, not far from Ontario, Canada.
