Lake Michigan Field Station (2024)

FAQs

What is the deepest point in Lake Michigan? ›

Lacey Mason of the Great Lakes Environmental Laboratory in Ann Arbor, Michigan informed us that the deepest part of Lake Michigan is about 925 feet, and is located in the Chippewa Basin which is about 36 miles east of Forestville, Wisconsin on the Door Peninsula.

Lake Michigan plays an essential role in both domestic and international shipping routes. It is part of a continuous waterway extending all the way to the St. Lawrence Seaway and the Atlantic Ocean. The Port of Chicago handles cargo coming to and bound for distant places like Europe and South America.

Approximately 118 miles wide and 307 miles long, Lake Michigan has more than 1,600 miles of shoreline. Averaging 279 feet in depth, the lake reaches 925 feet at its deepest point.

Lake Michigan

But the Michigan Department of Great Lakes, Environment and Energy says before its common tongue stuck, it was first called Grand Lac by the French navigator Samuel de Champlain. It was later named Lake of the Stinking Water.

The shallowest point is about 40 meters. At the low water point in the Lake's history, this area would have been an island. If you compare the depth of Lake Michigan to that of a couple other famous freshwater lakes–Loch Ness and Lake Champlain, Lake Michigan stacks up well.

Lake Superior is the largest, cleanest, and wildest of all the Great Lakes.

Nearly two decades later, the same progression is happening in Lake Michigan. "There's an old Chinese saying, 'When there is crystal-clear water, there is no fish,' " said Yu-Chun Kao, a postdoctoral scientist at Michigan State University.

The unpredictable weather of the Great Lakes, including Lake Michigan, makes them some of the most dangerous waters in the world. They are subject to sudden storms and fog - Lake Michigan is thought to have as many as 20% of the Great Lakes' wrecks. That would make it second only to Lake Huron.

Light and the Lake's Color

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. The light then appears darker in the visible spectrum.

The blue in Lake Michigan and Lake Huron is sediment brought to the surface when strong winds churned the lakes. The green in Lake Erie and in Lake Huron's Saginaw Bay is algae, which builds on the surface when winds are calm.

What is the most famous shipwreck in Lake Michigan? ›

1. Lady Elgin. Lady Elgin sank on September 8th, 1860, and the tragic event represents the greatest loss of life on open water on the Great Lakes.

Lake Michigan has become dramatically clearer in last 20 years — but at a steep cost. Geo resource failed to load. Decades ago, Lake Michigan teemed with nutrients and green algae, casting a brownish-green hue that resembled the mouth of an inland river rather than a vast, open-water lake.

They found cars, boats, and a pier from the Civil War era but even more surprising was the underwater structure. The stones are organized in a circle 40 below the surface of Lake Michigan and is believed to be at least 10,000 years old.

On a 1688 map, Lake Michigan is called Lac des Illinois. An Indian name for Lake Michigan was "Michi gami" and through further interaction with the Indians, the lake received its final name of Michigan.

Use caution when swimming in Lake Michigan. The bottom is uneven with holes and deep drop-offs. These inshore holes are very dangerous to small children and non-swimmers. The only beach with lifeguards is West Beach.

Amphipods, worms, insect larvae, and mollusks live at the bottom of Lake Michigan. These small deepwater creatures are familiar in many lakes around the country.

The circular stone structures protect intake vents that connect with brick-lined passageways hidden 200 feet under Lake Michigan. The first Chicago water crib was built in 1865 at the tail end of the Civil War as the population boomed and water resources stretched thin.

Lake Erie is the smallest of the Great Lakes by volume and also the shallowest.

The currents around structures, such as the North Pier in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, are unpredictable and extremely dangerous. While thousands of people safely visit Lake Michigan each year, it is the most dangerous of the five Great Lakes for swimmers.

Named the “Most Beautiful Place in the United States,” Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is a must-on any Lake Michigan travel bucket list.

Which Great Lake is the coldest? ›

Lake Superior is the world's largest freshwater lake by area (31,700 mi2 /82,100 km2). It is also the coldest and deepest of the Great Lakes, with a maximum depth of 406 meters (1,332 feet).

Some fish found in Michigan's rivers, streams, and areas of the Great Lakes have high amounts of chemical contamination. PCBs, dioxins, or mercury can accumulate in the fat and flesh of fish.

Lake Michigan is considered the lake that holds the most deaths among the five Great Lakes in North America.

Lake Badwater, Death Valley.

Lake sturgeons are the biggest fish in the Great Lakes. And while individuals can pass the century mark, the species has been around since the days of the dinosaurs.

Has a Bull Shark Ever Been Found in Lake Michigan? No, there have never been any confirmed sightings of bull sharks in the Great Lakes. While there may have been some rumors and false shark sightings, there have not actually been any in the lakes.

Of the estimated 10,000 shipwrecks in the Great Lakes region, only about 350 of them are located in Lake Superior. Of those, about 50 wrecks are presumed to be within Minnesota waters. Most of Minnesota's shipwreck history can be found in Lake Superior. Many wrecks have been located, but at least half lay undiscovered.

Due to seasonal changes in sunlight intensity, surface water temperature begins to transition in the spring and fall. In the spring, the water surface warms. This causes the temperature of the top and bottom layers of the lake to equalize.

The safest fish to eat are yellow perch, smelt, coho salmon, rainbow trout and lake trout less than 20 inches long.

Lake Michigan is home to various marine organisms, including a few leech species. The amount of leeches in this lake is less than in other lakes in the United States.

Is Lake Michigan clean enough to swim in? ›

Lake Michigan Water Quality and You

Generally the water is clean and safe for swimming. However, to ensure public safety, the national lakeshore regularly tests the water for contamination by bacteria. If problems are found, signs advising the public are posted at affected beaches.

Lake Michigan is the only Great Lake entirely contained within the United States. The lake borders Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana. Connected to Lake Huron through the Straits of Mackinac, the two lakes technically behave like one big water body.

Torch Lake, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, and Lake Glen are said to be the bluest lakes in Michigan.

The Great Lakes pirates were some of the most fearsome and burly of any waters on the map. These swashbucklers ruled the high fresh-water seas and made their living sailing and searching for treasure not known to Jack Sparrow – lumber, illegal alcohol and wild-game meat.

It's believed there are about 600 shipwrecks in Lake Michigan. Altogether, 750 ships are known to have sailed from Wisconsin and never made it to their destination, according to Tamara Thomsen from the Maritime Preservation Program at the Wisconsin Historical Society.

The Lady Elgin disaster remains the greatest loss of life on open water in the history of the Great Lakes. In 1994, a process began to list the shipwreck on the National Register of Historic Places.

MDHHS recommends everyone avoid foam on lakes and rivers impacted by PFAS contamination. PFAS do not move easily through the skin, but it's always best to rinse off after contact with foam and to bathe or shower after the day's outdoor activities.

§ 334.830 Lake Michigan; small-arms range adjacent to U.S. Naval Training Center, Great Lakes, Ill. (a) The danger zone. An area bounded on the north by latitude 42°20′30″; on the east by longitude 87°47′30″; on the south by latitude 42°18′45″; and on the west by the shoreline.

The taste of chlorine (or other chemicals) in tap water can be off-putting. A home water filter system can remove those impurities without losing the healthy minerals that your water provides. The Great Lakes are an abundant source of fresh drinking water; with proper treatment, that water is safe to enjoy.

Lake Michigan Monster is a 2018 black and white American adventure comedy horror film written, produced, and directed by Ryland Brickson Cole Tews, starring Tews, Erick West, Beulah Peters, Daniel Long, and Wayne Tews.

Did the 3 year old survive in Lake Michigan? ›

The 3-year-old was in cardiac arrest when he was lifted from the water off Navy Pier around 1 p.m. He arrived at Lurie Children's Hospital in very critical condition following multiple heart attacks and seizures. He was in the water for about 30 minutes before he was rescued.

Lake Michigan Tunnels

The first tunnel was completed in 1867, connecting to an intake crib two miles offshore to the pumping station at Chicago and Michigan Avenues.

Only Lake Ontario has no direct boundary with Michigan. Here's a look at the four lakes we touch.

Chicago is located in the southwestern corner of Lake Michigan. With a population of 2.7 million, it tops all cities on Lake Michigan or, for that matter, any of the Great Lakes, including Toronto. (By population, Chicago trails only New York City and Los Angeles among all U.S. and Canadian cities.)

Lake Ontario is the only one of the Great Lakes that does not touch the state of Michigan. Lake Ontario has a surface area of approximately 7,340 square miles.

The Michigan laws regarding alcohol use on boats are similar to the rules for those driving cars and trucks. It is illegal to operate a boat with a BAC (blood-alcohol content) of . 08 or higher, the same legal standard that applies to motor vehicle drivers.

Approximately 118 miles wide and 307 miles long, Lake Michigan has more than 1,600 miles of shoreline. Averaging 279 feet in depth, the lake reaches 925 feet at its deepest point.

Torch Lake in Michigan is the state's clearest lake. It is sometimes compared to Caribbean seas and is noted for its turquoise, crystal-clear waters. The clearest lake in Michigan is Torch Lake.

In 1985, Scientist Jeffrey Val Klump of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, who was part of a research expedition, reached the bottom of Lake Michigan via a submarine. He was also the first to reach the bottom of Lake Superior in the same year.

Lake Superior is the world's largest freshwater lake by area (31,700 mi2 /82,100 km2). It is also the coldest and deepest of the Great Lakes, with a maximum depth of 406 meters (1,332 feet). By most measures, it is the healthiest of all the Great Lakes.

How did Lake Superior get so deep? ›

Although coming to Earth not more than 10,000 years ago, Lake Superior's inland basin first took action nearly 1.2 billion years ago due to the North American mid-continent rift, carving an arc-shaped depression that extends from Kansas to Minnesota.

It's believed there are about 600 shipwrecks in Lake Michigan. Altogether, 750 ships are known to have sailed from Wisconsin and never made it to their destination, according to Tamara Thomsen from the Maritime Preservation Program at the Wisconsin Historical Society.

1. The blue beauty of Crater Lake extends beyond its depth. At 1,943 feet deep, Crater Lake is the deepest lake in America.

Washington D.C. Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States and one of the deepest in the world.

Lake Erie is the shallowest, warmest, and most productive of the Great Lakes. Three distinct basins provide a variety of offshore habitats. The Detroit River, Maumee River, and smaller tributaries drain into the western basin, which averages 24 feet deep and contains extremely nutrient-rich water.

Torch Lake in Michigan is the state's clearest lake. It is sometimes compared to Caribbean seas and is noted for its turquoise, crystal-clear waters. The clearest lake in Michigan is Torch Lake. It is known for its crystal-clear turquoise waters and is often compared to Caribbean seas.

Of the estimated 10,000 shipwrecks in the Great Lakes region, only about 350 of them are located in Lake Superior. Of those, about 50 wrecks are presumed to be within Minnesota waters. Most of Minnesota's shipwreck history can be found in Lake Superior.

Lake sturgeon are the largest fish in Lake Superior.

Marvin and Annie M. Peterson—sank to the bottom of the lakebed, taking the lives of all 28 crew members. Now, researchers with the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society say they've located two of the doomed vessels, the Curtis and the Marvin. The Peterson's location is still a mystery.

Are there any states with no lakes? The only state in the US with no natural lakes is Maryland. Although Maryland has rivers and other freshwater ponds, no natural body of water is large enough to qualify as a lake.

Why don t people swim in Lake Michigan? ›

Structural currents are relentless and it is typically impossible to swim out of them and reach the shore, even for physically fit and experienced swimmers. Structural currents are the deadliest currents in Lake Michigan, seen here at a lighthouse in Ludington, Michigan.