Uncountable islands and 6 more Lake Erie facts every Ohioan needs to know

Labor Day is a great time to hit the road for one last summer vacation. For many Ohioans and other Midwesterners, Lake Erie is the perfect place to take a dip in the water, participate in watersports, catch a fish, or soak up some sun while relaxing on the shores.

Headed up to the lake this Labor Day weekend? Here are a seven more Lake Erie facts about the popular vacation spot.

1. Almost all of Lake Erie's water comes from the other Great Lakes

According to the Ohio Sea Grant College Program , 80% of Lake Erie's water comes from the other Great Lakes through the Detroit River, 10% from precipitation, and 10% from other tributaries.

2. It takes less than three years for a drop of Lake Erie water to go over Niagara Falls

A drop of Lake Erie water spends just 2.6 years in the lake before getting to Niagara Falls.

In comparison, a drop of water from Lake Superior, Lake Erie's cousin, spends 191 years in the lake before moving on.

3. Lake Erie and the other Great Lakes hold a LOT of water

Did you know Lake Erie and the other Great Lakes contain 95% of the nation's freshwater supply? Whoa.

Picture this: If the water from all the Great Lakes was spread evenly across the United States, the country would be covered in 9.5 feet of water.

4. Lake Erie is a young lake

After the last ice age, Lake Erie and the other Great Lakes still haven't developed permanent elevation due to compression from glaciers. The ground under the lake is still rising, just a little bit each year, in a process known as isostatic rebound.

Permanent drainage is still yet to materialize. The drainage areas are still changing beneath Lake Erie and the other lakes.

5. Lake Erie has islands, but there's no clue to how many

Ohio's portion of Lake Erie contains at least 26 islands in the western basin, but the exact number of islands varies, depending on water levels, per the Ohio Sea Grant College Program. The total may rise depending on water level changes from precipitation and weather patterns.

6. Lake Erie beats out the other Great Lakes for fishing

Aside from being the shallowest and warmest Great Lake, Lake Erie supplies more fish for human consumption than any other of its Great Lakes cousins. If you’re looking for a great place to fish, Lake Erie provides great catches. Per the Ohio Sea Grant College Program, its walleye sport fishery is widely considered the best in the world.

Lake Erie was also named the No. 3 lake for swimming in another poll for USA TODAY's 2024 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards .

"With hundreds of miles of shoreline to explore between both Canada and the United States, the sprawling Lake Erie is rife with sandy beaches to swim along," 10Best said. "Headlands Beach State Park [in Mentor] is a popular bathing destination for Ohio residents, while Pennsylvanians can take a dip at the scenic Presque Isle State Park (during the warmer months, at least)."

Make it o-fish-ial: Ohio hooks walleye as official state fish. What to know about the species

7. Lake Erie is small for a Great Lake but still one of the biggest lakes in the world

It's the second-smallest of the Great Lakes by surface area and the smallest by water volume, but Lake Erie is still massive. It's the 11th-biggest lake in the world based on surface area and has 871 miles of shoreline; Ohio has 262 miles of it. Lake Erie happens to be the warmest and most biologically productive of the Great Lakes.

• Average depth: 62 feet
• Maximum depth: 210 feet
• Size: 9,910 square miles
• Shoreline: 871 miles, including islands
• Named for: A nearby Native American tribe

It's worth noting that Lake Erie was just named the No. 1 Best Lake in USA TODAY's 2024 10Best Readers' Choice Awards .

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Uncountable islands and 6 more Lake Erie facts every Ohioan needs to know