The 5 Biggest Shipwrecks in The Great Lakes

The Great Lakes are no ordinary lakes. They are the largest group of freshwater lakes on earth, covering over 94,000 square miles. If you were to stand on the banks of one of the Great Lakes, it would look more like an ocean than a lake. Additionally, the Great Lakes regularly produce waves between 2 and 8 feet tall. And during the fall and winter, weather conditions on the lakes can become treacherous, much like the vast ocean. Due to these reasons, there have been several shipwrecks in the Great Lakes throughout the years. Discover the five biggest shipwrecks in the Great Lakes, including what caused them, where they went down, and how many casualties were recorded.  

1. SS Edmund Fitzgerald – 1975

The SS Edmund Fitzgerald was a large freighter that sank in Lake Superior on November 10, 1975. The ship carried iron ore from mines near Duluth to Detroit and was doing just that on the day it sank. The Edmund Fitzgerald was carrying a 29-man crew when it encountered a powerful storm. It sank swiftly into deep Canadian waters. Everyone on the crew perished, and no bodies were ever found. Not only is this the biggest shipwreck in the Great Lakes, but it’s also one of the most mysterious. The captain never sent a distress signal, and researchers still don’t know exactly what happened and why no bodies were found.

2. SS Carl D. Bradley – 1958

The SS Carl D. Bradley was a self-unloading freighter and one of the largest and longest in the Great Lakes for 22 years. But it met its demise in Lake Michigan on November 18, 1958. This ship was used to haul limestone from the quarry in Rogers City, Michigan, and was known as the “Queen of the Lakes” due to her sheer power and size. But she hit a storm and most likely sank due to structural failure. Thirty-five crew members were on board the day it sank, and only two people survived.  

3. SS John B. Cowle – 1909

Known as “Tin Pans,” the SS John B. Cowle was a bulk freighter built in 1902 to haul iron ore. The ship was headed for Cleveland in Lake Superior on July 12, 1909. Due to a dense blanket of fog, another freighter, SS Isaac M. Scott, rammed into her. Cowle sank in three minutes, killing 14 people out of a 24-man crew. The wreckage wasn’t discovered until 1972, 1.5 miles north of Whitefish Point. Many artifacts were still intact. However, people had been removing artifacts for years following its discovery. An act was later passed in Michigan that prohibited people from taking items from shipwrecks.

4. PS Lady Elgin – 1860

The history of PS Lady Elgin is one of tragedy. Its sinking is the greatest loss of life in the history of the Great Lakes. This ship was a wooden-hulled sidewheel steamship designed to carry passengers from Chicago to other ports in Lake Superior and Lake Michigan. Lady Elgin had seen many accidents and received numerous repairs, but she suffered her fatal blow on September 8, 1860. While carrying passengers in the early morning, a schooner rammed into Elgin, sinking the ship and killing at least 300 people. The wreckage is still in Lake Michigan between what is now Highland Park and Highwood, Illinois. 

5. SS Daniel J. Morrell – 1966

The SS Daniel J. Morrell was a 600-foot freighter that hauled bulk cargo. The ship launched in 1906 and was the “Queen of the Lakes” during that time, carrying the title of the longest ship on the Great Lakes. On November 29, 1966, a 29-man crew was making its last run of the season when it got caught in high winds and enormous swells. The ship broke in half, and 28 people perished, with most succumbing to the freezing temperatures. The lone survivor was found nearly frozen and floating in a life raft the following day.

Summary of the 5 Biggest Shipwrecks in the Great Lakes