Mobilizing warships on the Great Lakes

How would a naval campaign on the Great Lakes unfold in a nineteenth-century war between the United States and Britain?

The opening would rely on ships already present or quickly moved into the lakes, with American monitors potentially useful until new construction expanded the forces.

The Great Lakes were constrained by agreements limiting warships, so the first phase of a new conflict would be improvised. Both sides would move available vessels before purpose-built construction could catch up. Surviving American monitors could be useful in confined lake waters. Season, access routes, and the scale of any Royal Navy deployment would determine whether this became a local flotilla contest or part of a much larger maritime war.