Lake Michigan summer fun has a long list of activities people enjoy and the top of that list includes swimming in the lake, especially as a way of cooling off during those hot summer days or splashing around with friends and family! I encourage such a traditional pastime, but when the conditions are safe. Having been a beach patroller for 10 summers, I am aware of the lack of awareness many people demonstrate, especially first time visitors and those who don’t live near the lake’s coastal regions. They simply are unaware of the power of the lake. This photo essay reveals statistics and outlines the dangers and saftey precautions so everyone can have a good time at the beach while practicing safety!

Lake Michigan Summertime Dangers and Safety Precautions

• Lake Michigan and the Great Lakes are large, powerful water systems prone to dangerous currents that can threaten even the most experienced swimmer.
• Lake Michigan’s opposite shores run parallel, causing unique wave shapes. The shapes of these waves are what contribute to rip tides, which are one of the most dangerous occurrences swimmers can encounter in the water.
• High waves in combination with dangerous currents along beaches and structures make it even more hazardous for swimmers.
• Some of the most dangerous currents occur near the outlets of rivers and near structures such as piers and breaker walls. I’ve been witness to this when working at Oval Beach as a beach patroller.

• Lake Michigan is considered the deadliest of the Great Lakes accounting for more rip-current rescues and fatalities than the other four Great Lakes combined, with over 360 total rescues recorded between 2002 and 2020 and 125 deaths.
•  Lake Michigan’s western coastline experiences the most incidents, with specific hotspots including Holland State Park (28 incidents in one day) and Grand Haven State Park (17 rescues over 19 years).
• 2020 marked a grim milestone in Lake Michigan with record high water levels and a record number of drownings in its waters – 56 total – the highest number since 2010, when the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project started tracking drownings.
• By mid-2025, there were 38 total drownings that year in the Great Lakes, with 19 occurring in Lake Michigan, highlighting its persistent danger. 

• Since 2010 to 2026 there have been 1,350 total drownings across all five Great Lakes, with Lake Michigan frequently accounting for about half of them.
• Specific areas, such as Porter County, Indiana, recorded 30 current-related incidents between 2002 and 2020, while Ottawa County, Michigan, had seen over 130 incidents.
• Many people who come to the beach from out of state are unaware of Lake Michigan’s power. Working at Oval Beach as a beach patroller, I witnessed too many parents who allowed young children to play in dangerous waters unaccompanied, not knowing the risks. It’s not good enough to just keep watch from the beach. During high waves, if I saw that a child was swimming unassisted and without out a life jacket, I would stand on shore in front of that child hoping the parents would approach. Then I could explain and caution them. It only takes a second for someone to get caught in a dangerous rip current and be taken out from shore or be pulled under.

What to do if you get caught in a rip current? First and ver important, stay calm. A recent non-profit organization has begun advocating the “Flip, Float and Follow” method, developed by Michigan State University. If swimmers feel themselves being pulled out by a current, they should flip over onto their backs, float instead of fight and flow with the current until it weakens enough so the swimmer can escape by swimming parallel to the current along the shoreline. Fighting a current is like running on a treadmill and will quickly exhaust a swimmer.

Safe Swimming Review: Never swim alone – Avoid swimming during high surf – Avoid swimming near piers, rivermouths, breakers or other structures – Swim with young children and provide lifejackets or other floating devices, never leave them unattended.

I have written another photo essay about the dangers of Lake Michigan during the winter months titled, “Lake Michigan’s Ice Shelf; the Beauty, the Lure and the Dangers” Unfortunately, early 2026 has reported 5 deaths from people falling through Lake Michigan’s ice shelf.

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