Lake Superior has a storm season that spans from October into November. During this season, the lake develops waves the way a beach does. Some of the largest waves ever recorded reached an unbelievable 28.8 feet!
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In most cases, lakes are confined to smaller fetches which limit wave size, but the Great Lakes are large enough to produce frequent swells up to several metres. However, the highest ever recorded waves were 8.7 metres, outside of Marquette, Michigan, on Lake Superior.
Since Lake Erie, Superior, and Ontario are oriented in the same direction as the path of most storms, each lake's eastern shoreline can expect more swell because the winds can blow across the water for a greater distance. When you have the whole length of the lake to create energy, it creates much punchier waves.
Lake Michigan's riptide and longshore tides are unparalleled when it comes to danger among all the Great Lakes. In fact, due to its unnaturally strong winds, it's not unusual for this lake to have strong rip currents that can be dangerous for swimmers.
Lake MichiganThe Great Lakes are all water bodies that swimmers should think twice about entering. Lake Michigan in particular is the roughest of the Great Lakes, and poses a major risk to those thinking of taking a dip. This body of water is often named the most dangerous lake in the United States.
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.
Erie can generally produce waves up to 12 feet high when the wind hits 30 knots. The lakes provide their own challenges to surfers including paddling out in choppy waters, strong onshore winders, and short wave periods of four to five seconds.
“The waves hit you every three to five seconds in the Great Lakes, where in the ocean it might be 10 to 12 seconds between waves,” said Guy Meadows, a Michigan senior research scientist.
Dangerous currents occur in many ocean and Great Lakes beach areas. The highest number of deaths and rescues happen in Michigan, specifically along the eastern shore of Lake Michigan.
OTTAWA COUNTY, Mich. – While tsunamis are most often associated with oceans, they are more common in the Great Lakes than you may expect. Around 106 meteotsunamis are observed in the Great Lakes each year, although many are too small to notice.
CLEVELAND, Ohio – With all-time record water levels on Lake Erie, you might hear someone talk about “high tide.” Here's the thing, though. Unlike the oceans, the Great Lakes don't have tides. OK, well, they have teeny tiny tides, a difference of a few centimeters on a twice-daily cycle.
And as recently as 2012, a 7-foot wave swept beachgoers and swamped harbors along the shoreline near Cleveland. All are now considered historic examples of meteotsunamis, which also have been recorded in the Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea and Adriatic Sea.
Lake Erie is the fourth-largest lake in North America (by surface area) and the eleventh-largest worldwide. It is the Great Lakes' southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume. By the 1960s, Lake Erie had become the most polluted of the Great Lakes, owing to the substantial industrial presence along its coasts.
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).
Compared to the other Great Lakes, Lake Michigan is considered to be the deadliest of them all. Here's why. Sadly, many of the Great Lakes aren't considered to be particularly safe to swim in, due to high pollution levels and strong currents.