Map of Ontario's Great Lakes Shoreline

Ontario touches four of the five Great Lakes. Here's how each shoreline fits the province, what's on it, and how to use it for trip planning or reference.

Last reviewed on April 27, 2026

Which Great Lakes border Ontario?

Ontario shares a border with four of the five Great Lakes: Superior, Huron, Erie, and Ontario. The fifth, Lake Michigan, lies entirely within the United States and does not touch Canada. Ontario's combined Great Lakes shoreline runs for several thousand kilometres, including the deeply indented coastline of Georgian Bay (a large arm of Lake Huron) and the North Channel west of Manitoulin Island.

The shoreline is the defining geographic feature of southern and central Ontario. Roughly 90% of the provincial population lives within an easy drive of one of the Great Lakes, and the lakes shape climate, agriculture, transportation, and tourism across the south of the province. For broader context, see the Ontario regions map and the Ontario map with cities.

Quick comparison

LakeApprox. Ontario shoreline characterMajor Ontario cities on the shore
Lake Superior Rugged Canadian Shield coast, cliffs, deep cold water, sparse population Thunder Bay, Sault Ste. Marie, Marathon, Wawa
Lake Huron (incl. Georgian Bay) Long sandy beaches on the western Bruce coast; rocky islands in Georgian Bay Goderich, Owen Sound, Tobermory, Parry Sound, Midland, Penetanguishene
Lake Erie Shallow, warm; long beaches; a wine and tobacco belt; some erosion on bluffs Windsor, Leamington, Port Stanley, Port Dover
Lake Ontario Densest urban shoreline in Canada, plus orchards and vineyards in Niagara Toronto, Hamilton, Oakville, Burlington, Kingston, Cobourg, Port Hope

Lake Superior

Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area, and the deepest, coldest, and clearest of the Great Lakes. Its Ontario shoreline runs roughly from the Minnesota border at Pigeon River, east past Thunder Bay, around the headland at Pukaskwa National Park (federal), past Marathon and Wawa, and into Sault Ste. Marie at the connection with Lake Huron. The drive between Thunder Bay and Sault Ste. Marie along Highway 17 is one of the most scenic routes in Canada.

Most of the shoreline is wilderness or very sparsely populated. Lake Superior Provincial Park preserves a long stretch of coast between Wawa and Sault Ste. Marie, and Pukaskwa National Park covers another major segment. Sleeping Giant Provincial Park, on a peninsula directly across the bay from Thunder Bay, is one of the most photographed landforms on the lake. For a wider regional overview, see the Northern Ontario map.

Lake Huron and Georgian Bay

Lake Huron has two distinct Ontario coastlines. The first is the Bruce Coast on the west side of the Bruce Peninsula, running from Sarnia in the south up through Goderich, Kincardine, and Southampton to Tobermory at the tip. This stretch is famous for long, gently sloping sand beaches, particularly around Sauble Beach, Inverhuron, and Pinery Provincial Park.

The second coastline is Georgian Bay, the large eastern arm of Lake Huron east of the Bruce Peninsula. Georgian Bay is rocky, dotted with the Thirty Thousand Islands, and characterized by Canadian Shield landscapes. It includes communities such as Tobermory, Wiarton, Owen Sound, Collingwood, Wasaga Beach, Midland, Penetanguishene, Honey Harbour, Parry Sound, and the Killarney area. Manitoulin Island, the world's largest freshwater island, separates Georgian Bay from the North Channel and the open lake.

Killbear, the Massasauga, French River, and Killarney provincial parks all sit on or near the eastern Georgian Bay shoreline. The MS Chi-Cheemaun ferry connects Tobermory to Manitoulin Island as a popular shortcut between the Bruce Peninsula and northern Ontario. See the related Ontario provincial parks map.

Lake Erie

Lake Erie is the smallest by volume and shallowest of the lakes that touch Ontario. Its Ontario shoreline runs from Windsor and Point Pelee in the southwest, east through Leamington (Canada's southernmost town), Wheatley, Erieau, Port Stanley, Port Burwell, Long Point, Port Dover, and on to the Niagara River at Fort Erie. Point Pelee is the southernmost point on Canadian mainland and a famous bird-migration site.

Because Lake Erie is shallow it warms up the most in summer, supporting Ontario's longest sandy beach corridor and the warmest swimming on the Great Lakes. The shoreline is also Canada's primary commercial freshwater fishery and the heart of southwestern Ontario's wine, fruit, and greenhouse industries. Leamington alone is responsible for a substantial share of North America's greenhouse vegetable production. The Western Ontario map covers the region.

Lake Ontario

Lake Ontario has Ontario's most densely populated shoreline, including the entire Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. The shore runs from the Niagara River at Niagara-on-the-Lake, west around the head of the lake through St. Catharines, Hamilton, Burlington, Oakville, Mississauga, and Toronto, then east through Pickering, Whitby, Oshawa, Bowmanville, Cobourg, Port Hope, the Bay of Quinte, and on to Kingston where the lake empties into the St. Lawrence River.

The Niagara Escarpment runs along the western and southern edge of the lake, producing dramatic cliffs at Hamilton and the wine-country plateau in the Niagara Region. The Toronto waterfront and the Toronto Islands are the most-visited parts of the lake. Sandbanks Provincial Park in Prince Edward County hosts one of the largest freshwater dune systems in the world. For trip planning along this corridor, see the Ontario road trip map and the city pages for Toronto, Hamilton, and Kingston.

How the lakes connect

The Great Lakes form a single navigable system that drains east to the Atlantic Ocean. From west to east the connections are: Lake Superior empties into Lake Huron through the St. Marys River at Sault Ste. Marie, with the Sault Ste. Marie Canal locks allowing ship passage. Lake Huron flows into Lake Erie through the St. Clair River, Lake St. Clair, and the Detroit River, passing Sarnia and Windsor. Lake Erie empties into Lake Ontario through the Niagara River, including Niagara Falls. The Welland Canal cuts across the Niagara Peninsula to let ships bypass the falls. Lake Ontario then drains into the St. Lawrence River at Kingston, ultimately reaching the Atlantic.

This route is the St. Lawrence Seaway, and it allows ocean-going ships to reach the inland Great Lakes ports. The Welland Canal alone has eight locks and lifts ships approximately 100 metres between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie.

Planning a Great Lakes trip

  • Beach holiday: the Lake Erie shore (warmest water) and the Lake Huron Bruce coast (longest beaches) are the most popular choices for swimming.
  • Wilderness drive: the Lake Superior coast between Sault Ste. Marie and Thunder Bay along Highway 17 is the most scenic but the longest. Plan multiple days.
  • Island hopping: Manitoulin Island (Lake Huron) and Pelee Island (Lake Erie) are the two large island destinations. Both are reached by car ferry.
  • Wine and food: the Niagara Region (Lake Ontario / Niagara Escarpment) and Prince Edward County (Lake Ontario) are the main wine-tourism areas.
  • Day trip from Toronto: the Toronto Islands, Niagara Falls, Cobourg, Port Hope, and Burlington's waterfront are all reachable in under two hours.

Common questions

Does Ontario border Lake Michigan?

No. Lake Michigan is the only Great Lake that lies entirely within the United States.

Which Great Lake is the warmest?

Lake Erie. Because it is the shallowest, it warms up fastest in summer and supports the warmest swimming temperatures on the Ontario side of the Great Lakes.

Which is the coldest?

Lake Superior. It is the deepest, has the largest volume, and the surface temperature rarely climbs above the mid-teens Celsius even in midsummer.

Where can I see all four lakes in one trip?

The shortest practical route to touch all four Ontario Great Lakes is the southern Ontario circle: Toronto (Lake Ontario) → Niagara Falls (Lake Erie via the Niagara River) → Windsor (Lake St. Clair / Detroit River, with Lake Erie immediately south) → up the Bruce Peninsula to Tobermory (Lake Huron) → ferry to Manitoulin Island and on to Sault Ste. Marie (Lake Superior). It's about 2,000 km of driving and at least four to five days.

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