Is Lake Michigan safe to swim today?

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. For current water quality reports along Lake Michigan visit the Wisconsin Beach Health website for water-quality reports.

Why you shouldn’t swim in Lake Michigan?

“It’s a very dangerous body of water that has a whole host of different considerations when you’re out there, especially for a swimming population.” Roberts said the Great Lakes have strong structural and long shore currents which run parallel to the shore. Rip currents are dangerous, too.

Can you swim at Lake 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.

What are the waves like on Lake Michigan today?

Waves 7 to 11 feet this afternoon and tonight.

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 47.1°F (Benton Harbor), and the coldest temperature is 36.3°F (Green Bay).

Is there undertow in Lake Michigan?

When I was growing up, we had “undertow” on Lake Michigan. It’s literally a “river in the lake or ocean.” An undertow is a brisk bottom flow in shallow water (2 to 4 feet deep) that transports water carried onto the beach by breaking waves, and is a far lesser threat.

Are there any sharks in Lake Michigan?

No shark reports have been officially, “scientifically” documented in Lake Michigan. However, even one venturing up the Mississippi River Basin would have to get through the electric barrier at Chicago that’s designed to keep invasive species out of Lake Michigan. One venturing from the Atlantic Coast into the St.

Does Lake Michigan have waves?

When storm fronts move rapidly from across a large body of water such as Lake Michigan, air pressure changes and strong downbursts of wind can form one large wave or a series of large waves. The height of the waves depends on the strength of the wind and air pressure contrasts that form the seiche.

How warm is Lake Michigan water right now?

Lake Michigan water temperature today The warmest water temperature in Lake Michigan today is 50.9°F (Holland), and the coldest temperature is 41.9°F (Sturgeon Bay).

Is it dangerous to swim in Michigan Lakes?

The season is short, the water is often chilly, and the lakes can be dangerous. But a plunge into Michigan’s pine-dark seas is always a sensuous experience, bringing the swimmer into intense contact with sun, water, wind and the unknown.

Why do you swim in the Great Lakes?

It protects me against a constant enemy, the cold, and lengthens the time I can safely spend in the water. Great Lakes swimming in Michigan has many possibilities. There are beaches, piers, docks and rivers that flow into the lakes.

Do you have to be a good swimmer to swim in lakes?

You don’t have to be a great swimmer to swim in the Great Lakes. But you have to be a cautious swimmer no matter how good you think you are. I’m 69 years old and actually a weak swimmer, but I’ve found ways to enjoy the water and remain safe as I’ve grown older. Jamie Racklyeft of Canton found out the hard way about water safety.

Do the Great Lakes embody summer in Michigan?

It’s a pastime I’ve enjoyed since playing as a child with cousins in rocky, cold, northern Lake Michigan. “Watch out for the undertow!” my Aunt Fran often yelled. “The Great Lakes embody summer in Michigan,” said Drew Mason, a Michigander who swam in each of the four lakes that touch the state one day in 2019.