Ready to swim in the Great Lakes? Here's how warm they are
After Michigan's first heat wave of summer, all of the Great Lakes are seeing warmer temperatures this week, making the water warm enough to hop in this weekend.
Lakes Erie, Huron and Ontario all have posted readings at or near 70 degrees Fahrenheit, although lake temperatures typically don't peak until late summer/early fall, according to GLISA.
A digital map of the Great Lakes surface water temperatures.
In Lake Superior, though, the high temperatures were in the 58-degree range.
Here's how warm — or cold — the Great Lakes are as of Friday, June 27:
What's the temperature of Lake Erie?
Lake Erie, the shallowest of the Great Lakes, reached 81.1 degrees near Port Clinton, Ohio.
- Monroe, Michigan: 77.7
- Gibralter, Michigan: 74.7
- Grosse Ile, Michigan: 74.1
“Lake Erie has an average depth of about 62 feet and a maximum depth of 210 feet, according to the Great Lakes Commission.
What's the temperature of Lake Huron?
The warmest water temperature out in Lake Huron was 76.8 degrees in Sebewaing, Michigan.
- Saginaw Bay: 76.6
- Au Gres: 72.9
- Port Crescent: 64.8
- Alpena: 63
- Tawas City: 66.9
- Port Huron: 64.6
- Drummond Island: 62.2
- Mackinac Island: 59.7
- Port Sanilac: 62.6
“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 on June 27 was 69.4 degrees near Dexter, Ontario.
- Niagara Falls, Canada: 66.2
- Kingston, Canada: 68.4
- Hamilton, Canada: 59
" 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 (395 cubic miles) and has a retention time of about 6 years," according to the Great Lakes Commission.
What's the temperature of Lake Michigan?
- St. Joseph: 74.8
- Benton Harbor: 73.8
- Escanaba: 68.5
- Saugatuck: 71.4
- Holland: 70
- Grand Haven: 55.4
- Mackinaw City: 59.7
- Hoffmaster State Park: 71.1
- Traverse City: 57.9
- Pentwater: 66
- Ludington: 62.4
- Manistee: 56.3
- Charlevoix: 56.7
What's the temperature of Lake Superior?
The coldest lake is Lake Superior, with its warmest water temperature of 65.7 degrees at Ashland, Wisconsin, on June 27.
- Paradise: 53.1
- Sault Ste. Marie: 54
- Ontonagon: 51.8
- Marquette: 47.7
- Grand Marais: 41.5
- Copper Harbor: 41.4
" 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 will it be warm enough to swim in Great Lakes?
Temperatures climb in the spring and summer months, reaching 
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.
What happens when you swim in lakes when it's too cold?
The National Weather Service says your body can enter a cold shock if exposed to water between 50 and 60 degrees, spiking an elevation in heart rate, blood pressure and eventually panic, fear and stress.
Prolonged exposure could result in loss of muscle control in your arms, legs, hands and feet, triggering hypothermia among other things that can be fatal.
Jalen Williams is a trending reporter at the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at [email protected].
This story was updated to add a gallery.
