Lake Michigan

Michigan, Lake, third largest of the Great Lakes, in North America. It is the largest freshwater lake wholly within the United States, with an area of 22,178 sq mi (57,441 sq km). Important ports on the lake include Milwaukee, Wis., Chicago, Ill., and Gary, Ind. In the north, Lake Michigan empties into Lake Huron by the Straits of Mackinac. It is part of the navigable Great Lakes-Saint Lawrence Seaway; a series of connections link it to the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico.

See also: Great Lakes.