Lake Huron is one of the Great Lakes of North America. It is shared by the Canadian province of Ontario on the north and east and the U.S. state of Michigan on the south and west. The lake’s name was given by early French explorers in reference to the Huron (Wyandot) people who lived in the region.
Hydrologically, Lake Huron forms the eastern portion of Lake Michigan–Huron and has the same surface elevation as Lake Michigan, with which it is connected by the Straits of Mackinac. Together, Lake Michigan–Huron is the largest freshwater lake by area in the world. Lake Huron includes Georgian Bay and the North Channel in its northern reaches, and Saginaw Bay in its southwest corner. Its main inlet is the St. Marys River from Lake Superior, and its main outlet is the St. Clair River, which carries water toward Lake Erie.
The lake has a large drainage basin covering parts of Michigan and Ontario, and water flows through it relatively quickly, with a retention time of about 22 years. Historically and geologically, the lake region has also been significant in the study of the Huronian glaciation.