Lake Michigan is a cheap and easy getaway for Chicagoans to cool off in the summer, but swimming in the lake can be dangerous. Drowning is the leading cause of death for children aged one to four, according to the Centers for Disease, Control and Prevention.
Contents
Do people swim in Lake Michigan in the summer?
Fifteen miles of sandy beach along the southern shore of Lake Michigan offer a wide variety of recreational activities. Whether it’s enjoying a summer sunset stroll or marveling at the arctic beauty of Lake Michigan’s shelf ice, you can enjoy the beach in all seasons.
Can you swim in Lake Michigan in July?
Lake Superior, upper Lake Huron and upper Lake Michigan will be pretty cold all summer. Some can’t even take dipping their toes in Lake Superior on a hot, muggy day in mid-July.
Is Lake Michigan warm in the summer?
Lake Michigan is a town close to Great Lakes,lake. Hot-summer humid continental climate would be the climate here.
Lake Michigan Summary.
| Description | Value |
|---|---|
| Warmest Month Water Temperature: | August with 77.9°F / 25.5°C |
| Warmest Month Air Temperature: | August with 72.5°F / 22.5°C |
Is Lake Michigan warm enough to swim in June?
Lake Michigan is usually chilly still in mid-June, so this year the water is downright cold. The average surface temperature is 53.9 degrees F. That’s about like swimming in Lake Superior in early June. Those water temperatures can cause hypothermia very quickly.
Is Lake Michigan safe to swim in?
Swimming in Lake Michigan is an ‘ at your own risk’ activity. Bradford Beach is the only beach with lifeguards, all other beaches managed by Milwaukee County parks do not have lifeguards.
Are there sharks in Lake Michigan?
Scientifically, NO sharks have been documented in Lake Michigan. Now, there is always more to the story than the simple one word answer. Across the Great Lakes region, “unofficial” shark sightings seem to emerge every year. These sightings are usually proven to be a hoax.
Is Lake Michigan too cold to swim?
Lake Michigan water temperature today
Water temperature throughout Lake Michigan is not yet warm enough for swimming and does not exceed 68°F. The warmest water temperature in Lake Michigan today is 50.2°F (Holland), and the coldest temperature is 41.5°F (Green Bay).
Are there leeches in Lake Michigan?
Leeches are world wide. There are hundreds of species with 40 or more of them in Michigan alone. It’s not unusual to find them in woodsy creeks, ponds, and streams; sometimes they stick to you when you come out of the water, sometimes they don’t, depending if it’s the predatory type.
Why is Lake Michigan water so blue?
Light that hits the surface of the lake from straight above penetrates more deeply, reflecting less. When the lake is deep, and the angle of incoming light is smaller, Lake Michigan’s color appears deep blue. This is because the light travels down with little obstructions and dissipates far below the surface.
Is Lake Michigan warm enough to swim in in summer?
When Lake Michigan water temperatures will warm up for the summer.The lake’s water is about 56 degrees considering the entire basin — cooler waters near Grand Traverse Bay and warmer waters along the West Michigan shoreline. It’s the west coast that’ll be most comfortable for swimmers.
How hot does it need to be to swim in a lake?
Most lap swimmers like the water temperature to be somewhere between 75-80 degrees. Being active by swimming laps will cause the body to heat up fairly quickly.
Does Lake Michigan ever get warm?
However, what you may not have noticed on all those gorgeous days is the temperature of Lake Michigan. Milwaukee’s Great Lake stayed warmer than it ever has later than it ever has. It’s another sign that the lake is changing. For the first three weeks of October, every day’s average temperature was warmer than average.
What is the best month to swim in Lake Michigan?
Show Fahrenheit
| Month | Avg. High (°F) | Avg. Low (°F) |
|---|---|---|
| Sep | 71.3 | 50.6 |
| Oct | 58.9 | 41.4 |
| Nov | 46.8 | 32.6 |
| Dec | 35.5 | 25 |
How cold is too cold to swim?
77-82F(25-28C) Swimming pool temperature range for Olympic competition. 70F(21C) Water feels quite cold to most people. Treat any water temperature below 70F (21C) with caution. 40F(4.4C) or lower Water is painfully cold.
Why is Lake Michigan so cold?
The northerly wind produces a condition called upwelling. In upwelling, the north wind pushes the warmer surface water out into Lake Michigan, and pulls much colder water up to the surface at the shoreline.Fortunately it is so cold, most people wouldn’t dare get in the water.
How dirty is Lake Michigan?
Despite this, Lake Michigan is the most polluted of the Great Lakes, according to estimates by the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). Last year, nearly 22 million pounds of plastic were dumped into the Great Lakes — over half of which were dumped into Lake Michigan — according to estimates by RIT.
Are there really whales in Lake Michigan?
Whales don’t live in the Great Lakes.But that doesn’t stop visitors – spurred on by ongoing pranks such as the Lake Michigan Whale Migration Station Facebook page – from asking for whale-watching tours. “We get a few a year,” said Mike Norton, who does media relations for Traverse City Tourism.
Is Lake Michigan open for swimming?
Swimming is permitted at beaches during the beach season when lifeguards are on duty from 11 am – 7 pm daily. Swimming anywhere else along the lakefront is not permitted. For questions regarding Chicago beaches, call (312) 74-BEACH (312-742-3224) or (312) 742-PLAY (7529).
How many dead bodies are in Lake Michigan?
So far, 110 people have died in the Great Lakes, including 39 in Lake Michigan and 35 in Lake Erie. Though many of the Lake Michigan drowning deaths happen on the Illinois and Wisconsin side of the lake, eight people died on the Michigan lakeshore this year so far.
Are there piranhas in Lake Michigan?
Piranha has turned up in smaller lakes but so far, no confirmed report of any in Lake Michigan. However, a relative of the Piranha, the Pacus, has been discovered in Lake St. Clair in Port Huron.
