The following is a list of populated islands of the

Great Lakes The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes in the mid-east region of North America that connect to the Atlantic Ocean via the Saint Lawrence River. There are five lak ...

and connecting rivers. The islands listed have a specified year-round population of over 50 residents. Many islands are popular tourist destinations, and experience a sharp population increase during peak travel seasons. In 2017, the Great Lakes Island Coalition was founded, a group dedicated to representing the interests of Great Lakes island residents. At an annual summit, related issues of discussion include environmental issues facing the Great Lakes island inhabitants, such as water levels and quality, invasive species, and even government policy topics, such as nuclear water storage and shipment in the Great Lakes region.

Ontario, Canada

Algonquin Island

Part of the city of

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...

, Algonquin Island is one of the Toronto Islands, an archipelago in

Toronto Harbour Toronto Harbour or Toronto Bay is a bay on the north shore of Lake Ontario, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is a natural harbour, protected from Lake Ontario waves by the Toronto Islands. Today, the harbour is used primarily for recreational b ...

. Unlike most of the archipelago, which is made up of parkland and amusement facilities, Algonquin Island is residential.

Amherst Island

Amherst Island is, at 70 square kilometers, the largest island wholly within

Lake Ontario Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north, west, and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south and east by the U.S. state of New York. The Canada–United States border ...

(Wolfe Island is larger, but the eastern end of the island is in the

St. Lawrence River The St. Lawrence River (french: Fleuve Saint-Laurent, ) is a large river in the middle latitudes of North America. Its headwaters begin flowing from Lake Ontario in a (roughly) northeasterly direction, into the Gulf of St. Lawrence, connecting ...

). Amherst Island has a year-round population of 450, which grows slightly in the summer. The island, which is served by a ferry out of Millhaven, is entirely rural, and is located in Loyalist Township,

Lennox and Addington County Lennox and Addington County is a county and census division of the Canadian province of Ontario. The county seat is Greater Napanee. It is located in the subregion of Southern Ontario named Eastern Ontario. Around the middle of the 19th century, t ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

Barrie Island

The municipality of Gordon/Barrie Island is a township in

Manitoulin District Manitoulin District is a district in Northeastern Ontario within the Canadian province of Ontario. It was created in 1888 from part of the Algoma District. The district seat is in Gore Bay. It comprises Manitoulin Island primarily, as well as a ...

in Lake Huron in north central Ontario, Canada. The island has a significant summer recreational population. It is connected to

Manitoulin Island Manitoulin Island is an island in Lake Huron, located within the borders of the Canadian province of Ontario, in the bioregion known as Laurentia. With an area of , it is the largest lake island in the world, large enough that it has over 100 ...

by Highway 540A, which crosses the water via a causeway at the narrowest part of the strait.

Bois Blanc Island

Bois Blanc Island is located in the

Detroit River The Detroit River flows west and south for from Lake St. Clair to Lake Erie as a strait in the Great Lakes system. The river divides the metropolitan areas of Detroit, Michigan, and Windsor, Ontario—an area collectively referred to as Detro ...

. It was previously the site of the

Boblo Island Amusement Park Boblo Island Amusement Park is an abandoned amusement park which operated from 1898 until its closure on September 30, 1993. Its amusement rides were sold in 1994. The park was located on Bois Blanc Island, Ontario, just above the mouth of the ...

. It is accessed by private ferry from Amherstburg, Ontario and has a winter population of 50 - 60.

Centre Island

Centre Island is the largest of the Toronto Islands, an archipelago located in

's harbour on

. Most of the islands' residences and businesses were demolished beginning in 1955 in favor of parkland and other recreational facilities. A year-round community of approximately 260 homes, concentrated at the eastern end of the island chain on Ward's Island and Algonquin Island, remains.

Cockburn Island

Cockburn Island is an

island An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island ...

in the Canadian province of Ontario, located in the Manitoulin District. Most of the island is incorporated as the municipal

township A township is a kind of human settlement or administrative subdivision, with its meaning varying in different countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, that tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, C ...

of Cockburn Island. While having a low permanent population, its population grows significantly in the summer, to about 200 residents.

Manitoulin Island

Manitoulin Island is a Canadian island in Lake Huron, and is the largest island in a freshwater lake in the world. It has two incorporated towns, and eight townships with a population of 13,000, thus making it the most populous island in the Great Lakes.

Pelee Island

Pelee Island is the largest island in Lake Erie, and is the southernmost populated place in Canada. It has a year-round population of 170 with much higher numbers in summer.

St. Joseph Island

St. Joseph Island is a Canadian Island in Lake Huron, and is the second largest island in Lake Huron. It has a year-round population of around 2000, and is connected to the mainland by the

Bernt Gilbertson Bernt Nicole Gilbertson (March 17, 1912 – June 21, 1995) was a Canadian politician, who represented the electoral district of Algoma in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1967 to 1975. He was a member of the Progressive Conservatives ...

Bridge spanning the North Channel of Lake Huron along Highway 548.

Walpole Island

Walpole Island (Bkejwanong) lies on the Canadian side of the

St. Clair River The St. Clair River (french: Rivière Sainte-Claire) is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed November 7, 2011 river in central North America which flows from Lake Huron int ...

delta. It is the main part of Walpole Island 46

Indian reserve In Canada, an Indian reserve (french: réserve indienne) is specified by the '' Indian Act'' as a "tract of land, the legal title to which is vested in Her Majesty, that has been set apart by Her Majesty for the use and benefit of a band." In ...

and has a population over 2,200. It neighbors the U.S. Harsens Island. It is accessible by bridge from the Canadian mainland and ferry from the U.S.

Wolfe Island

Wolfe Island is an island located at the entrance to the Saint Lawrence River in Lake Ontario near

Kingston, Ontario Kingston is a city in Ontario, Canada. It is located on the north-eastern end of Lake Ontario, at the beginning of the St. Lawrence River and at the mouth of the Cataraqui River (south end of the Rideau Canal). The city is midway between To ...

. The resident population is approximately 1400 people, but this number can double or triple during the summer months.

United States

Michigan

Beaver Island

Beaver Island is the largest island in Lake Michigan and part of the Beaver Island

archipelago An archipelago ( ), sometimes called an island group or island chain, is a chain, cluster, or collection of islands, or sometimes a sea containing a small number of scattered islands. Examples of archipelagos include: the Indonesian Arc ...

Michigan Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...

in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. It lies about 32 miles (50 km) from the city of

Charlevoix Charlevoix ( , ) is a cultural and natural region in Quebec, on the north shore of the Saint Lawrence River as well as in the Laurentian Mountains area of the Canadian Shield. This dramatic landscape includes rolling terrain, fjords, headlands ...

on the mainland, and can be reached by air or boat. St. James is the name of the unincorporated community on the island, which has a population of 551.

Bois Blanc Island

Bois Blanc Island is located in Lake Huron southeast of Mackinac Island and almost due north of the city of Cheboygan, Michigan. Plaunt Transportation is the sole provider of ferry services for the island.

Drummond Island

Drummond Island is one of the largest islands in Lake Huron, and consists of

Drummond Township, Michigan Drummond Township is a civil township of Chippewa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,058 at the 2010 census. The township consists of Drummond Island, the seventh-largest lake island in the world. With an area of , it ...

. The

unincorporated area An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

had a population of 992 residents as of the 2000 Census. The island lies along the Canada–US border, and is adjacent to Manitoulin Island.

Grand Island (Michigan)

Grand Island in Lake Superior has a population of 47 according to the 2010 Census. The island is in the U.S. state of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Most of the island is a federal park.

Grosse Ile

Grosse Ile lies in the Detroit River, downriver from

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...

. It is part of Wayne County, Michigan and had a population over 10,000. The largest island in the Detroit River, it is one of the most populous islands in the Great Lakes system. It is reached by two bridges or a small airport.

Harsens Island

Harsens Island is an island in the

delta on the U.S. border opposite Canada's Walpole Island. It has a population of over 1,200 year-round residents and perhaps 5,000 in summer. It is served by Champion's Auto Ferry.

Mackinac Island

Mackinac Island is an island and resort area covering 4.35 square miles in Lake Huron, located between the state of Michigan's Upper and Lower Peninsulas

Neebish Island

Neebish Island is an island in the U.S. state of Michigan in the St. Marys River between the

and the Canadian province of Ontario. There is one store and one church on the island, and a car ferry service operates April 1 to January 15.

Sugar Island

Sugar Island is an island in the U.S. state of Michigan in the St. Marys River between the United States and the Canadian province of Ontario. The entire island constitutes Sugar Island Township in Chippewa County at the eastern tip of the Upper Peninsula. According to the 2000 census, there were 683 people living on the island.

New York

Cayuga Island

Cayuga Island is part of the city of Niagara Falls, New York, located in the Niagara River several miles upstream of the falls themselves. Part of the LaSalle neighborhood, the island contains a mix of parkland and middle-class housing.

Grand Island (New York)

Located in the Niagara River, Grand Island is located in

Erie County, New York Erie County is a county along the shore of Lake Erie in western New York State. As of the 2020 census, the population was 954,236. The county seat is Buffalo, which makes up about 28% of the county's population. Both the county and Lake Erie w ...

and is a suburb of the city of Buffalo with a population of 20,374 as of the 2010 Census. It is the most populous freshwater island in the United States.

Ohio

Kelleys Island

Kelleys Island is both a

village A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred ...

in Erie County,

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

, and the island which it fully occupies in

Lake Erie Lake Erie ( "eerie") is the fourth largest lake by surface area of the five Great Lakes in North America and the eleventh-largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also h ...

. The population is 367.

Middle Bass Island

Middle Bass Island is an Ohio island in western Lake Erie with a year-round population of 95. It lies near Kelleys Island and South Bass Island (Put-In-Bay). The island has an airport and is a stop on the inter-island ferry.

South Bass Island

South Bass Island is located in western Lake Erie, and a part of

Ottawa County, Ohio Ottawa County is a county located in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 40,364. Its county seat is Port Clinton. The county is named either for the Ottawa (Odawa) Indigenous peoples w ...

. It contains the village of Put-in-Bay, which has a population of 128 as of the 2000 Census. Ferry service connects the community with Catawba Island, Kelleys Island, Port Clinton, and Sandusky, Ohio.

Wisconsin

Madeline Island

Madeline Island is located in

Lake Superior Lake Superior in central North America is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface areaThe Caspian Sea is the largest lake, but is saline, not freshwater. and the third-largest by volume, holding 10% of the world's surface fresh wa ...

and contains the town of La Pointe, with a population of 246. The island has a rich history and was once the home of a French fur trading post.

Washington Island

Washington Island is located about 7 miles northeast of the tip of

Door Peninsula The Door Peninsula is a peninsula in eastern Wisconsin, separating the southern part of the Green Bay from Lake Michigan. The peninsula includes northern Kewaunee County, northeastern Brown County, and the mainland portion of Door Co ...

Door County, Wisconsin Door County is the easternmost county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 30,066. Its county seat is Sturgeon Bay. It is named after the strait between the Door Peninsula and Washington Island. The dangero ...

. The island has a year-round population of 708 people as of the 2010 Census. The unincorporated community of Detroit Harbor is located on the island.

References

External links

Island Directory @ United Nations Environment Programme
*
World island information @ WorldIslandInfo.comWhat it's like to live on an island in the Great Lakes
{{Greatlakes * Great Lakes, Populated Great Lakes, Populated Populated islands

Islands An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island ...

Islands, Great Lakes

Islands sq:Lista e ishujve të Ameriës Veriore

Ontario, Canada

Algonquin Island

Amherst Island

Barrie Island

Bois Blanc Island

Centre Island

Cockburn Island

Manitoulin Island

Pelee Island

St. Joseph Island

Walpole Island

Wolfe Island

United States

Michigan

Beaver Island

Bois Blanc Island

Drummond Island

Grand Island (Michigan)

Grosse Ile

Harsens Island

Mackinac Island

Neebish Island

Sugar Island

New York

Cayuga Island

Grand Island (New York)

Ohio

Kelleys Island

Middle Bass Island

South Bass Island

Wisconsin

Madeline Island

Washington Island

See also

References

External links