Lake Michigan has been a transportation route for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. The Native Americans, such as the Menomonee, Ho-Chunk, Illinois, Mascoutin, Miami, and the Potawatomi, first used Lake Michigan for transportation and fishing.
Over the centuries, explorers and commercial vessels made their way onto the scene. Eventually, Lake Michigan became a major transportation waterway transportation anything from coal to oil to wheat and corn. So over the years, Lake Michigan has gone from canoes as the primary vessels on the lake to giant freighters.
How Many Shipwrecks Are In Lake Michigan?
With all this traffic on Lake Michigan, there have been many wrecks over the years. So you are probably wondering:
How Many Shipwrecks Are In Lake Michigan? There are approximately 1500 known shipwrecks at the bottom of Lake Michigan. When it comes to shipwrecks, Lake Michigan has its fair share. There are also several famous Lake Michigan Shipwrecks.
Why Are There So Many Shipwrecks In Lake Michigan?
So why are there so many shipwrecks in Lake Michigan? There are several reasons that so many ships have gone down in the waters of Lake Michigan. Weather conditions on Lake Michigan rank up at the top of the reasons, so many ships have gone down.
If you look at the dates of some of these disasters, you will notice that many of them occurred in November. November is one of the worst times of year to be on the Great Lakes because winter storms start brewing this time of year, causing ice and huge waves to form on the lake’s surface.
Another reason is that ships in the 18th and 19th centuries were less structurally sound than they are today. This caused many ships of that era to break apart during strong winds and seas, causing them to sink.
Before they started to mandate fire safety procedures on ships, there were no protocols about what to do in case of a fire. As a result, ships often succumbed to fires in the engine room, or combustible cargo was ignited, causing the ship to eventually sink.
What’s The Biggest Shipwreck in Lake Michigan?
With so many lost ships in Lake Michigan, you are probably wondering what the biggest shipwreck is at the bottom of Lake Michigan. Well, that would be The Lady Elgin that sank on September 08, 1860, when she was rammed by the schooner Augusta. 300 lives were lost that fateful day, making it one of the worst loss of live shipwrecks in Lake Michigan history.
The disaster was dubbed “ one of the greatest marine horrors on record.” As a result of this disaster, a new law was put into place stating that all sailing vessels needed to carry running lights on them. The wreck of Lady Elgin now lies about 50 to 60 off of Highland, Illinois. Sadly most of the artifacts that were part of the wreck have been illegally taken.
Where Are Most of the Shipwrecks in Lake Michigan?
A large number of shipwrecks are found in Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Here you will find about 100 shipwrecks in one area in and around Thunder Bay called Shipwreck Alley. This is also an underwater preserve.
Here you will find shipwrecks dating from 1849 to 1966. You can also visit the Heritage Center, where relics of shipwrecks are on display. You can also watch live feeds from people diving the wrecks.
Can You Take Artifacts From Shipwrecks In Lake Michigan?
Leave them alone if you find artifacts while diving on a shipwreck in Lake Michigan. You are free to take pictures but removing an artifact from a shipwreck is a crime, according to Michigan Legislation:
Natural Resources and Environmental Resources Protection Act 451 1994 Part 761 ABORIGINAL RECORDS AND ANTIQUITIES states:
It states that you need a salvaging permit or consent from the owner to remove artifacts from shipwrecks. So basically, unless you have one of the two you can’t remove an artifact from a shipwreck. I would also add, don’t disturb the wreck if you can help it.
Are There Any Famous Shipwrecks In Lake Michigan?
Yes, there are a number of famous shipwrecks in Lake Michigan and they are:
- SS Appomattox
- SS Carl D. Bradley
- SS Anna C. Minch
- PS Alpena
- PS Lady Elgin
- Niagara
- Rouse Simmons
- S.S. L.R. Doty
- R.J. Hackett
- S.S. Hennepin
- Frank O’Connor
- SS William B. Davock
- S.S. Eastland
Lake Michigan Shipwreck Underwater Preserves
If you are a diver and would like to dive onto some of the shipwrecks in Lake Michigan, there are several underwater preserves that you can visit. Some of them also offer interactive museums, boat tours, and a chance to dive.
Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center
If you are a diver or shipwreck enthusiast, the Thunder Bay preserve, and Heritage Center will be well worth a visit. Thunder Bay boasts over a hundred well-preserved shipwrecks that are all visibly marked. You can dive on the wrecks, snorkel, or take a glass-bottom boat tour of the wrecks.
Visit Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary
Manitou Passage Underwater Preserve
This preserve is part of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Many ships sank while they sought refuge from raging storms in this area around the Manitou Islands. Here you will find wrecks of Francisco Morazan, the Three Brothers, Walter L. Frost, Alva Bradley, Congress, Montauk, Rising Sun, James McBride, Supply, and H.D. Moore.
Visit Manitou Passage Underwater Preserve
Grand Traverse Bay Underwater Preserve
Many ships sank in these twin bays, including the Metropolis, Yuba, and A.J. Rogers. You can dive all these ships in Traverse Bay. This preserve is located in Traverse Bay, Michigan.
Some other underwater preserves on Lake Michigan are:
- Whitefish Point Underwater Preserve – Paradise, Michigan
- Keweenaw Underwater Preserve – Copper Harbor, Michigan
- De Tour Passage Underwater Preserve – Drummond Island and Detour Villiage
- Thumb Area Bottomland Preserve – Port Austin, Michigan
- Alger Underwater Preserve – Munising, Michigan
- Straits of Mackinac Shipwreck Preserve – Mackinac City, Michigan
- Sanilac Shores Underwater Preserve – Lexington, Michigan
- West Michigan Underwater Preserve – Grand Haven, Michigan
- Southwest Michigan Underwater Preserve – South Haven, Michigan
If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below. We love hearing from our readers, and if you have any stories about shipwrecks that you have dived on, we would love to hear them.