Sharks in Lake Michigan: Fact or Fiction?

Have you recently heard the rumors of great white sharks swimming in Lake Michigan? As interesting, and scary, as these rumors are, they are just rumors. Experts have never found a shark in Lake Michigan, and it’s extremely unlikely one would travel to this Great Lake, even freshwater sharks. But why do people think this? Follow along to learn about sharks in Lake Michigan and the interesting hoax behind these beliefs.

Why Do Some People Think There Are Sharks in Lake Michigan?

Although there are no sharks in Lake Michigan, rumors have been around of sightings for centuries. However, these claims have either been hoaxes or never proven. Technically, a real shark was found in Lake Michigan, but the entire thing was fabricated! On April 25, 1969, Coho fishermen pulled a 29-inch shark from Lake Michigan. They were about two miles off the coast of Milwaukee. This finding caused a lot of commotion but was ultimately found to be faked. The shark was dead long before the two fishermen came across it, and it didn’t die in the lake! Instead, the shark came from a local bar owner, William Bathke, who had caught the shark on a trip to Florida and kept it frozen. He worked with the two fishermen and placed it in the water as a prank.

Another local legend tells the tale of a young child brutally killed by a shark in Lake Michigan, but just like the 29-inch shark, there is no truth to the story. There was even a story posted in a local newspaper about the attack, but no records of the name or incident have been found. Although it’s fun to speculate, there is no way for sharks to find themselves in Lake Michigan, unless placed, and even then, they wouldn’t survive. While some sharks can live or tolerate freshwater, even bull sharks can’t stand how cold the Great Lakes are, not for long at least. The farthest inward a bull shark was found was in the Mississippi River, thousands of miles from the Gulf Coast.

Can Sharks Live in Freshwater?

Only a few shark species can live in freshwater. Some freshwater shark species include Ganges sharks, bull sharks, northern river sharks, spear tooth sharks, Pondicherry sharks, and Greenland sharks. Technically though, the only true freshwater shark in this list is the Ganges shark, which inhabits freshwater rivers, never moving to the saltwater. The other sharks, including the iconic bull shark, move back and forth from freshwater to saltwater.

However, other than a handful of shark species, very few sharks can live or tolerate freshwater, but why is that? Most shark species require saltwater. Freshwater can dehydrate a shark, and even cause them to sink. Sharks need to retain salt inside their bodies to live, freshwater would just cause them to bloat, leading to their deaths.

About Lake Michigan

Now that we know if there are sharks in Lake Michigan, let’s learn a little more about this magnificent lake. Lake Michigan is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume. It has a surface area of 22,404 square miles. It’s also about 307 miles long and 118 miles wide. The average depth of Lake Michigan is 279 feet, while the maximum depth is nearly a thousand feet (923 feet)!

This incredible lake is an important one in North America. It touches many cities like Beach Park, Chicago, Lake Bluff, Michigan City, South Haven, Ludington, Kewaunee, and Milwaukee. It’s so large, that it can almost be mistaken for a beach. Visitors can enjoy Lake Michigan’s clear and beautiful water by visiting one of the many state parks and beaches located along the water. A few state parks that include parts of Lake Michigan or run alongside are Duck Lake State Park, Potawatomi State Park, Whitefish Dunes State Park, Indiana Dunes State Park, and Fisherman’s Island State Park.

Although you won’t find a great white or bull shark in Lake Michigan, this massive Great Lake is home to hundreds of animal species. At different parts of the lake, you can go fishing for lake whitefish, smallmouth bass, bowfin, yellow perch, catfish, and lake trout. Sadly, Lake Michigan is also home to some invasive species like sea lampreys. Many large mammals and birds also use Lake Michigan to feed and drink water. While at a state park or hiking along the lake, you may encounter red foxes, whitetail deer, moose, black bears, great blue herons, great egrets, and wood ducks.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Alessandro De Maddalena/Shutterstock.com