Memorial Day Weekend on Lake Michigan

[SKYCHENEY]

Water temp 52. Air 72. Lake conditions---Priceless!

Spent 6hrs just floating around. No hook needed.

 

[Finalee]

When does the water get warm enough to swim in? Great pic. The currents here prevent that sort of freedom.

 

[Brent Dowsey]

05/24 Sunset 78 mile in the Gulf of Mexico

 

[Brent Dowsey]

OH YEAH water temp 74 and air temp 88

 

[magnawake]

Does the lake water ever get to 74 degrees? Come on, somebody has to be swimming in the water just for a picture. Jump in and jump out real quick. I've swam in 58 degrees in the mountains and it will take your breath away, then you just get numb and turn blue. But at least you can say you did it. Ha-Ha.

 

[mgernes]

We spent Memorial weekend at the northern most point on the St. Croix River, which starts north off the Mississippi River around Prescott, Wisconsin. It is an amazing anchorage which we can only get to in high water, at a place well named The High Bridge(there are a couple of trains per day that still pass by).
Water Temp:63
Air Temp 69-81


Beach House

 

[34Hatt]

Well at least the Ice left looks like you just missed it

GRAND RAPIDS, MI — Although the swimming season remains weeks away, Lake Michigan finally has shaken off winter's grip.

Lake Michigan is completely ice free as of Wednesday, May 14, after months of history-breaking coverage,

 

[chris piazza]

Usually Huron gets warm enough to swim in late June (upper 60's) best in Aug

 

[SKYCHENEY]

You can swim anytime after it becomes liquid. The question becomes "how long can you stay in?"

Truthfully, the lake is strange. It will get very warm near shore in July and August. Sometimes it will get into the 80's. Then it will "flip" as the warm water moves offshore and is replaced by cold water and it will be in the 50's or 60's for a couple of days. This is usually after a storm or windy couple of days. Remember, we have depths of over 900ft in Lake Michigan. That will store some pretty cold water all summer long.

 

[saltshaker]

My boys were in the Ocean this weekend. Ocean was 60.

 

[smoothmove]

You can swim anytime after it becomes liquid. The question becomes "how long can you stay in?"

Truthfully, the lake is strange. It will get very warm near shore in July and August. Sometimes it will get into the 80's. Then it will "flip" as the warm water moves offshore and is replaced by cold water and it will be in the 50's or 60's for a couple of days. This is usually after a storm or windy couple of days. Remember, we have depths of over 900ft in Lake Michigan. That will store some pretty cold water all summer long.

I've witnessed this "upwelling" effect several times and been startled by it a few times. Over here on the west and southern shores the effect is most pronounced on one of those blistering hot days with a strong southwestern breeze. The wind blows the hot top water out toward the center of the lake and water from way down comes in to take up the space. It might be 100 degrees on the boat but the water can be in the low sixties. Refreshing to say the least. The difference can just about rob you of your ability to breath. I was hoping all that water would blow over to where we are no on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan, Sounds like maybe not.
Eric

 

[Pascal]

52 degrees. That's cruel and unusual punishment.

Don't know what it is here*, but we can spend hours in it!!


* southern exumas.