Well, they ARE called "The Great Lakes" for a reason!

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In Michigan we wear shirts that say "4 out of 5 Great Lakes prefer Michigan" - so yeah, we get that they're awesome.

https://www.michiganawesome.com/
https://www.michiganawesome.com/
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Lake Huron, Lake Ontario, Lake Michigan, Lake Erie, and Lake Superior were all up for "Favorite Lake in the U.S." in a USA Today and 10Best poll - honestly, I'd be pretty surprised if they weren't.

The 20 finalists were chosen by a panel of experts and then it was put up to a public vote. Well, the results are in!

What's YOUR favorite Great Lake? (Having grown up on it, I'm partial to Lake Michigan.)

How all five Great Lakes didn't rank No. 1 through 5, I'll never know... but only four made the top ten.

Here's what USA Today had to say about each Great Lake:

Lake Huron

Michael Liskey via Unsplash
Michael Liskey via Unsplash
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Along the Canada-United States border, Lake Huron showcases the abundant natural beauty found in both Michigan and Ontario. Natural sites abound across the region, with top-tier outdoor adventure destinations like Port Crescent State Park and Bruce Peninsula National Park open for exploration, while towering lighthouses and sunken shipwrecks are all waiting to be discovered along the Huron shore.

Lake Ontario

Lukasz Szmigiel via Unsplash
Lukasz Szmigiel via Unsplash
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The smallest of North America's Great Lakes, Lake Ontario makes up for its short stature with a colossal array of landmarks and attractions to explore across the Golden Horseshoe, a Canadian region that's home to more than 7 million inhabitants. During a visit, guests can explore settlements ranging from Toronto to Niagara-on-the-Lake, while the New York side of Lake Ontario is rife with scenic state parks.

Lake Michigan

Joseph DelCastillo via Unsplash
Joseph DelCastillo via Unsplash
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Perched along the borders of Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Michigan, the aptly named Lake Michigan serves as the largest lake on Earth to reside solely in one country. In addition to gorgeous natural sites like Indiana Dunes National Park and Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, the Lake Michigan coast is lined with dazzling cities like Green Bay, Milwaukee and Chicago, offering visitors an opportunity to blend outdoor adventure with urban exploration during their next trip.

Lake Superior 

MDARD
MDARD
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Measuring in at a staggering 31,700 square miles, Lake Superior has the largest surface area of any freshwater lake on planet Earth. This colossal body of water plays host to a massive array of native marine life including lake sturgeon, yellow perch and walleye, while human settlements around the region span from Canada's Thunder Bay to the scenic Michigan Upper Peninsula city of Marquette.

Lake Erie

Michael Henry via Unsplash
Michael Henry via Unsplash
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It may be the shallowest of North America's Great Lakes, but Lake Erie has a massive amount of potential when it comes to both tourism and outdoor adventure. Buffalo, Cleveland and Toledo are just a few of the storied cities that can be explored along the Erie shore, while recreation opportunities range from fishing to birdwatching to even shipwreck diving.

So how did out Great Lakes Fair?

Here are the Top Ten Best Lakes in the Country according to USA Today:

  1. Lake Cumberland, Kentucky
  2. Lake Havasu, Arizona and California
  3. Lake Superior, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin
  4. Big Bear Lake, California
  5. Lake Champlain, New York and Vermont
  6. Lake Tahoe, California and Nevada
  7. Lake Michigan, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin
  8. Lake Huron, Michigan
  9. Lake Erie, Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania
  10. Crater Lake, Oregon

Lake Michigan def should have been No. 1, but whatever. And poor Lake Ontario!

The Great Lakes (and other Michigan Lakes) were  also in the running in a few other competitions too!

For "Best Swimming Lake" in the U.S. Lake Erie came in at No. 7, Lake Charlevoix dame in at No. 5, Lake Michigan came in at No. 4, and Lake Superior came in at No. 2.

In the "Best Lake for Watersports" category Lake Huron came in at No. 10, Lake Erie No. 9, Lake Michigan No. 8, and Lake Superior No. 3.

Think you know everything about the Great Lakes? Here's 12 things you might not know.

7 Lakes With The Weirdest Names in Michigan

With so many lakes in Michigan, Great and otherwise, it must be difficult to name them all. Here are some of the weirdest lake names in Michigan and the story behind it.

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