Michigan’s Great Lakes are the Warmest in Decades

The Great Lakes are heating up this summer, and in some spots the water is warmer than it’s been in decades. Every one of the five lakes is running above its long-term average temperature, and a couple of them are within a fraction of breaking 30-year records.

Lake-by-Lake Breakdown of Temperatures

Lake Michigan is sitting comfortably in the 70s, with the southern end warming all the way up to around 80 degrees. That’s about as close to “bath water” as it gets on a Great Lake. While it’s still a couple of degrees cooler than the warmest year on record back in 2010, it’s more than warm enough for swimmers who want to take advantage before the cooler weather sets in.

READ MORE: Boat Explosion on Lake Huron

Lake Huron is leading the pack right now. Its average surface temperature is at the warmest ever recorded for this date, with areas like Saginaw Bay feeling more like an inland lake than a Great Lake. Lake Erie isn’t far behind, especially on the western side, where 80-degree readings are common.

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Lake Ontario is also flirting with record warmth, nearly matching its peak back in 2016. And even Lake Superior, usually the coldest of the bunch, has warmed up to levels you don’t see very often.

Peak August Warmth Won’t Last Long

August is typically the warmest stretch for the Great Lakes, and that’s holding true this year. But with cooler nights ahead, the water will slowly start to dip in the coming weeks. For now, though, if the storms stay away and the winds don’t kick up, the lakes are about as inviting as they’ll ever get.