Although most Michiganders won't be able to swim in Michigan's Great Lakes this weekend due to possible storms and hazardous air quality, some may be able to sneak in for a dip if conditions pass their area.
Michigan's weeklong statewide air quality alert since ended on Tuesday, July 21, when smoke from wildfires in Ontario, Canada, and northern Minnesota started moving in.
With summer in full swing, those who hope to enjoy the water will find plenty of spots to enjoy a cool swim this weekend.
Water temperatures in the Great Lakes peak in the late summer and early fall, according to GLISA, or Great Lakes Science and Assessment, a collaborative between Michigan State University, the University of Michigan, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration.
Lake Huron is the warmest of the Great Lakes, with temperatures in the 70s. Lake Superior temperatures range in the 50s and 60s.
Michigan's inland lakes were even warmer in most cases. Lake Hudson in southern Michigan reached 78 degrees on July 23. Houghton Lake in mid-Michigan was 73 degrees.
Most of Michigan's major inland lakes also are seeing temperatures in the mid to high 70s.
Here are temperatures for Michigan's lakes as of Thursday, July 23.
Which inland lakes in Michigan are warmest?
According to Seatemperatures, here are the current temperatures for some of Michigan's most popular inland lakes:
- Lake Hudson: 78 degrees
- Bear Lake: 77 degrees
- Lake St. Helen: 72 degrees
- Crystal Lake: 78 degrees
- Duck Lake: 76 degrees
- Platte Lake: 78 degrees
- Lake Leelanau: 77 degrees
- Houghton Lake: 73 degrees
- Elk Lake: 78 degrees
- Walloon Lake: 75 degrees
- Mullett Lake: 74 degrees
- Burt Lake: 74 degrees
- Black Lake: 77 degrees
- Higgins Lake: 72 degrees
- Lake Mitchell: 73 degrees
- Lake Cadillac: 75 degrees
- Hubbard Lake: 72 degrees
- Torch Lake: 68.3 degrees
- Indian Lake: 80 degrees
- Lake Charlevoix: 76 degrees
- Lake Gogebic: 81 degrees
- Lake Michigamme: 73 degrees
- South Manistique Lake: 59.5 degrees
- Manistique Lake: 65.3 degrees
- Portage Lake: 75 degrees
How warm is Lake Erie?
Lake Erie, the shallowest of the Great Lakes, reached 73.4 degrees near Monroe, Michigan.
Lake Erie reaches an average of 76.1 degrees Fahrenheit in August.
Current temperatures for Lake Erie:
- Gibralter, Michigan: 75.9 degrees
- Grosse Ile, Michigan: 75.7 degrees
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What's the temperature of Lake Huron?
The warmest water temperature in Lake Huron was 76.3 degrees near Caseville, Michigan.
Lake Huron reaches an average of 66 degrees Fahrenheit in August.
Current temperatures near Michigan cities on Lake Huron:
- Au Gres: 71.4 degrees
- Port Sanilac: 70 degrees
- Port Crescent: 71.8 degrees
- Saginaw Bay: 72.3 degrees
- Port Huron: 71.1 degrees
- Tawas City: 67.3 degrees
- Mackinac Island: 66.4 degrees
- Alpena: 66.6 degrees
- Drummond Island: 64.8 degrees
“The lake measures 206 miles across and 183 miles north to south, with an average depth of 195 feet (approximately 750 feet, maximum)," according to the Great Lakes Commission.
What's the temperature of Lake Ontario?
The warmest water temperature in Lake Ontario near Dexter, New York was 75 degrees.
Lake Ontario reaches an average of 72.9 degrees Fahrenheit in August.
Current temperatures for Lake Ontario:
- Hamilton, Canada: 68.7 degrees
- Kingston, Canada: 69.4 degrees
- Niagara Falls, Canada: 71.2 degrees
"Lake Ontario is similar to Lake Erie in length and breadth (193 miles by 53 miles). Yet with its greater average depth (approximately 283 feet), Lake Ontario holds almost four times the volume and has a retention time of about 6 years," according to the Great Lakes Commission.
What's the temperature of Lake Michigan?
Lake Michigan's warmest water temperature was 67.6 degrees.
Lake Michigan reaches an average of 68.5 degrees Fahrenheit in August.
Recorded temperatures near Michigan cities on Lake Michigan:
- Benton Harbor: 70.9 degrees
- St. Joseph: 72.7 degrees
- Traverse City: 71.1 degrees
- Saugatuck: 72.1 degrees
- Charlevoix: 69.6 degrees
- Holland: 69.3 degrees
- Mackinaw City: 68 degrees
- Manistee: 65.3 degrees
- Escanaba: 66.4 degrees
- Pentwater: 61.2 degrees
- Grand Haven: 67.1 degrees
- Ludington: 64 degrees
- Hoffmaster State Park: 70 degrees
"Averaging 279 feet in depth, the lake reaches 925 feet at its deepest point," according to the Great Lakes Commission.
What's the temperature of Lake Superior?
Lake Superior's warmest water temperature was of 70.7 degrees near Ashland, Wisconsin.
Lake Superior reaches an average of 64.6 degrees Fahrenheit in August.
Current temperatures for Michigan towns on Lake Superior:
- Sault Ste. Marie: 61 degrees
- Marquette: 58.3 degrees
- Ontonagon: 64.2 degrees
- Copper Harbor: 47.5 degrees
- Grand Marais: 45.9 degrees
"With an average depth approaching 500 feet, Superior also is the coldest and deepest (1,332 feet) of the Great Lakes. The lake stretches approximately 350 miles from west to east, and 160 miles north to south, with a shoreline almost 2,800 miles long," according to the Great Lakes Commission.
When are the Great Lakes warmest?
Temperatures climb in the spring and summer months, reaching peak temperatures in the late summer and early fall, according to GLISA, a collaborative between Michigan State University, University of Michigan and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Jalen Williams is a trending reporter at the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at jawilliams1@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: See the latest Michigan lake water temperatures here
