Deepest lakes in the United States
Ranked by the deepest figure each source gives. Two depths answer different questions: the maximum is the single deepest point, the average tells you how much water sits under a typical spot. Not every source gives both, and we leave a cell blank rather than fill it from somewhere else.
| Lake | Where | Max depth (ft) | Average depth (ft) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crater Lake | Oregon | 1,943 | not given | National Park Service |
| Lake Tahoe | California and Nevada | 1,645 | not given | U.S. EPA |
| Lake Superior | Great Lakes | 1,332 | 483 | U.S. EPA and Environment Canada |
| Lake Michigan | Great Lakes | 925 | 279 | U.S. EPA and Environment Canada |
| Lake Ontario | Great Lakes | 802 | 283 | U.S. EPA and Environment Canada |
| Lake Huron | Great Lakes | 750 | 195 | U.S. EPA and Environment Canada |
| Yellowstone Lake | Wyoming | 430 or 390 | 138 | National Park Service |
| Lake Erie | Great Lakes | 210 | 62 | U.S. EPA and Environment Canada |
| Lake Pontchartrain | Louisiana | not given | 12 | U.S. Geological Survey |
At their deepest points all five Great Lakes are shallower than Crater Lake and Lake Tahoe. Lake Superior reaches 1,332 ft; Lake Erie, at 210 ft, is the shallowest of the five. Yellowstone Lake shows two figures because the park's own pages disagree; see Yellowstone.
Crater Lake
Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States.
keep Crater Lake from filling beyond an average depth of 1,943 ft (592 m)
the extreme water pressures found 1,943 feet (592 meters) below the surface.
Applies to: Crater Lake, Oregon; the NPS page words it as "an average depth of 1,943 ft" in a sentence about the lake's water balance and as "1,943 feet (592 meters) below the surface" elsewhere
From National Park Service, Crater Lake National Park, Crater Lake. Page read on 2026-09-28.
The National Park Service puts the depth at 1,943 ft. One sentence on its page calls this an average depth, while another uses the same figure for the depth below the surface where bottom-dwelling animals live. We show both sentences as they are written.
Lake Pontchartrain
Searches for the depth of Lake Pontchartrain are common, but it is a shallow lake. USGS gives an average depth, not a maximum.
The shallow Lake (average depth 12 feet) is brackish
Applies to: Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana; USGS gives an average, not a maximum
From U.S. Geological Survey, Lake Pontchartrain Basin Facts (Open-File Report 96-527). Page read on 2026-09-28.
Lake Pontchartrain was formed 5,000 years ago, covering almost 630 square miles.
Applies to: Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana
From U.S. Geological Survey, Lake Pontchartrain Basin Facts (Open-File Report 96-527). Page read on 2026-09-28.