Question 1

True or false: Lake Ontario is the only Great Lake that doesn't border the state of Michigan.

Accepted Answer

False. Actually, Lake Ontario also doesn't border Michigan; it's bordered by Ontario and New York only.

Question 2

True or false: Lake Ontario is the smallest of the five Great Lakes by surface area.

Accepted Answer

True. It ranks fifth in surface area among the Great Lakes, but it's deeper than Lake Erie, making it the smallest by area.

Question 3

True or false: Lake Ontario has a secret underwater cave system larger than any on land.

Accepted Answer

False. No such massive cave system exists. While there are shipwrecks and some submerged features, it's not a cave network.

Question 4

True or false: The lake never freezes over completely due to its depth and constant water flow.

Accepted Answer

True. Its average depth of 283 feet and active circulation prevent a total freeze, though it can get icy near shores.

Question 5

True or false: The lake is home to a shipwreck that sank carrying a cargo of expensive wine.

Accepted Answer

False. No major wine-cargo shipwreck is documented; most wrecks are freighters or schooners carrying grain or coal.

Question 6

True or false: Lake Ontario once had a thriving population of Atlantic salmon that went extinct locally.

Accepted Answer

True. Atlantic salmon were native to Lake Ontario but disappeared by the late 1800s due to overfishing and habitat loss.

Question 7

True or false: The lake's name means 'lake of shining waters' in the Iroquois language.

Accepted Answer

True. 'Ontario' comes from the Huron word 'ontarí:io', meaning 'great lake', but is often translated as 'shining waters'.

Question 8

True or false: A rare 'seiche' once caused Lake Ontario's water level to drop six feet in an hour.

Accepted Answer

False. Seiches occur, but a six-foot drop in an hour is exaggerated; typical seiches are a few feet at most.

Lake Ontario Trivia Questions