{"id":9145,"date":"2023-11-14T17:35:14","date_gmt":"2023-11-14T16:35:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lakebeyond.com\/?p=9145"},"modified":"2023-11-14T17:35:14","modified_gmt":"2023-11-14T16:35:14","slug":"how-cold-is-lake-superior-today","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lakebeyond.com\/how-cold-is-lake-superior-today\/","title":{"rendered":"How Cold Is Lake Superior Today"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Background Information on Lake Superior<\/h2>\n

Lake Superior is one of the Great Lakes located in North America, and it is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area. It is located on the boarder between Canada and the United States, and is the northernmost of the five Great Lakes. It is over 600 feet deep and averages out at about 500 feet deep.<\/p>\n

The surface water temperature of the lake varies from season to season, but the majority of the year it is between around 12 and 18 degrees Celsius. In June, the lake can reach temperatures close to 20 degrees Celsius. However, the lake is still considered to be a very cold lake because the deep water temperatures can get as low as 5 degrees Celsius – this is because the water coming into the lake from rivers is even colder than the surface water.<\/p>\n

Impacts of Cold Water on Fauna and Flora<\/h2>\n

Due to the colder temperatures of Lake Superior, it has a unique ecosystem which is not found in the other four Great Lakes. The cold water is not conducive to most types of aquatic life, particularly the fish populations which are limited compared to the other lakes. This is due to the slower rate of oxygen production in the cooler water. The lake does have some species like the Cisco and Lake Herring that can survive in the colder temperatures.<\/p>\n

The lake is also home to a wide variety of plant life. Algae concentrations are usually quite low in the lake due to the cold temperatures of the water, and aquatic vegetation is quite limited. The lake’s shorelines, however, contain a number of plants including cattails, prairie dock, aster, and prairie grasses.<\/p>\n

Factors Influencing Water Temperature<\/h2>\n