Has the bottom of Lake Michigan been explored?

In 2007, a row of stones paralleling an ancient shoreline was discovered by Mark Holley, professor of underwater archeology at Northwestern Michigan College. This formation lies 40 feet (12 m) below the surface of the lake. One of the stones is said to have a carving resembling a mastodon.



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There are some odd geological finds at the bottom, including a 2007 archeological find that was described as Stonehenge-like, although it was actually more in a V-shape. One of the stones is said to have a mastodon image on it (although it's not fully clear if it was man-made or just a natural formation).

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Between 1942 and 1945, the Navy lost about 130 planes that all crashed – and sunk - into Lake Michigan. In the 1980s some 40 planes were recovered but the rescues are far from over. The gallery below features photos of just one of the many Navy aircraft that have been found lying on the bottom of Lake Michigan.

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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. 300 people died when the 252-foot sidewheel steamship was rammed in a gale by the scooner Augusta.

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As of Aug. 15, 2023, 24 people have died in Lake Michigan, which is frequently the lake where the most drownings occur. Across the Great Lakes 56 drownings have occurred.

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Lake sturgeon are the largest fish in Michigan, and it's not even close. There is a tie for the second-largest fish ever caught in Michigan.

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The deepest part of Lake Michigan is over 990 feet. The water at the bottom of that deep pocket is still 39 degrees to 40 degrees.

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Lake Michigan Tunnels The solution was to intake water further offshore through a system of cribs that connected to the water supply via tunnels under the lake. The first tunnel was completed in 1867, connecting to an intake crib two miles offshore to the pumping station at Chicago and Michigan Avenues.

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It is estimated that there are nearly 1,500 shipwrecks in Lake Michigan, which in its deepest spot is nearly 1,000 feet deep. While the remains of numerous ships can be found along the shoreline, only about 300 wrecks beyond the surf line have been located.

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The largest and last major freighter wrecked on the lakes was the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, which sank on November 10, 1975. The legend of the Edmund Fitzgerald remains the most mysterious and controversial of all shipwreck tales heard around the Great Lakes.

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