Ports and Shipping

The lake has been a shipping highway for maritime vessels for centuries. Ships headed eastwards use the Welland Canal and a series of eight locks descending 326 feet to Lake Ontario. The ship traffic in Lake Erie is among the highest in the Great Lakes.

Lake Erie ports: Monroe, Toledo, Kellys Island, Sandusky, Huron, Lorain, Cleveland, Fairport Harbor, Ashtabula, Conneaut, Erie.

Click here for more information about Lake Erie and Great Lakes shipping.

​The lake has been a "bustling thoroughfare" for maritime vessels for centuries. Ships headed eastward can take the Welland Canal and a series of eight locks descending 326 feet (99 m) to Lake Ontario which takes about 12 hours. Generally there is heavy traffic on the lake except during the winter months from January through March when ice prevents vessels from traveling safely.  The ship traffic in Lake Erie being the highest among the Great Lakes  and roughest of the lakes has led to it having the highest number of known shipwrecks in the Great Lakes. The Port of Cleveland generated over $350 million and over 15 million tons of cargo in a recent year.