Great Lakes water temps breaking records

Blueone

Blueone

Well-Known Member
SILVER Sponsor
Jan 24, 2007
13,794
Lake Erie, Ohio
Boat Info
2004 420 Sundancer
Engines
Cummins 6CTA 450's
and they could keep going up..

You don’t expect to see 75- or even 80-degree water in the Great Lakes in early July or, in most years, anytime. But an exceptionally hot weather pattern has pushed water temperatures in most of the lakes to the highest levels on record so early in the summer. Over lakes Erie and Ontario, the water is the warmest it has been since records began being kept, and could warm more in the coming weeks.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2020/07/14/great-lakes-record-warm-water/
 
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We were creeping up toward 80 degrees along the west shore of Lake Michigan. Hit 77 and 78 over the past couple of weeks. Still around 75 in some areas. Crazy for this time of year.
 
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Not so warm up here.
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Water has been cool (65 to 70ish) off our beach this July on Georgian Bay. But that is because the high water levels mean the normally shallow water is deeper and waves can cycle the warm water away. Calm days warm it up nicely then a storm turns it over. I salmon fish the bay with a temp sensor and 100 ft down the water remains in the 40s all summer. Its only the surface that is warm. The bays and inlets off the main bay are very warm though. So places we anchor and overnight are really nice this year. And another heat wave arrives today. Personally I love it. My wife, not so much. Her MS symptoms flare up in the heat. She spends a lot of time in the cool lake over the run of the day.
 
Lake Michigan flipped on us last week. Our favorite spot to hit the beach (close to Muskegon) went from 72 to 45 degrees. I'm hoping it's come back by this weekend!

Spring Lake is like bath water right now. I think mid-80's. The kids love it...
 
Lake Norman is 91 right now. Will hit 95/96 on a hot sunny day. Not very refreshing when its that warm.
 
JimT said:
Lake Norman is 91 right now. Will hit 95/96 on a hot sunny day. Not very refreshing when its that warm.
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Lake Lanier was 87 under my boat yesterday. We’re forecast mid 90’s air temps for the next several days, so it will get warmer. Hoping for a prolonged fall season:)
 
Indeed. Last week went out 3 miles from the S. Shore of WI. My electronics said 72! It was like that almost all week. The fishing sucked, but the water was nice. Also, there were multiple days it was glass. Don't let the Admirals hoodie fool you. She's pastie white and was trying not to burn. It was hot.

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andy k said:
I wonder if the warm water will help evaporate the water and lower the water levels slightly?
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That's not the way it works. Evaporation occurs when cold air blows over warm water. We currently have warm moist air blowing over the lake. Going into the fall and winter if the lake is still warmer than normal, which is not a foregone conclusion, evaporation rates will be higher than normal.
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Depending on the temps this winter, we could be in for lots of lake effect snow. It will depend on how long the lake takes to freeze and how many arctic blasts we receive before the lake ices over. Going into the fall with high water temps favors nice lake effect snow and brings the water level down due to evaporation. This winter could be like 1987's winter.
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sbw1 said:
That's not the way it works. Evaporation occurs when cold air blows over warm water. We currently have warm moist air blowing over the lake. Going into the fall and winter if the lake is still warmer than normal, which is not a foregone conclusion, evaporation rates will be higher than normal.
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In which case the lake effect machine will be working in overdrive.
It sounds like maybe my nice little snow plow business will be paying my slip fees for 2021
 
After a severe (by our standards) winter three years ago where we got two or three 6"-8" snowfalls and temps cold enough that the snow didn't go away for weeks, the neighbors and I cshipped in and bought a nice Craftsman snow blower. (Yeah, I know, those snowfalls aren't really severe by Great Lakes standards!)

We really bought it as a "Snow Prevention Device" and last winter it worked well. We only had two or three snowfalls all winter of about 2" each so the snowblower never got used.

We're hoping it works as well this year in preventing snow. Stay tuned!
 
Gofirstclass said:
After a severe (by our standards) winter three years ago where we got two or three 6"-8" snowfalls and temps cold enough that the snow didn't go away for weeks, the neighbors and I cshipped in and bought a nice Craftsman snow blower. (Yeah, I know, those snowfalls aren't really severe by Great Lakes standards!)

We really bought it as a "Snow Prevention Device" and last winter it worked well. We only had two or three snowfalls all winter of about 2" each so the snowblower never got used.

We're hoping it works as well this year in preventing snow. Stay tuned!
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Meet "Brutus"... two stage, self propelled 12.5 HP 28" x 24" scoop... All steel and all American Made.

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I was out fishing last evening. Beautiful night. Salmon were there but not interested in what we had to offer. Surface temperature of the water in the middle of the bay was 79.5F and it was in the 70's at 90 ft deep. That is as warm as I have seen it in the 20 years I have been on Georgian Bay. Great swimming though.
 
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