Regional Guide · 38 beaches
Great Lakes Beaches
Great Lakes coverage spans Michigan's Lake Michigan dunes coast (Ludington, Silver Lake, Sleeping Bear, Petoskey), the Chicago lakefront in Illinois, Indiana's southern Lake Michigan shore (Indiana Dunes, Miller Beach, Michigan City), Wisconsin's Door County peninsula, Lake Huron and Saginaw Bay (Tawas Point, Port Crescent), Lake Superior (Marquette), Lake Erie (Maumee Bay, Cedar Point, Edgewater), Lake Ontario's south shore (Hamlin Beach, Selkirk Shores), and Presque Isle in Pennsylvania. The largest single freshwater system on earth — no jellyfish, no sharks, no rip-current-by-headland on most beaches, but real wind-driven surf when fronts move through.
Current Conditions
Average water temperature: 72°F
Across 38 monitored stations on the Great Lakes.
When to Go
Beaches open Memorial Day through Labor Day; water warms comfortably by mid-July on the southern lakes and by August on Superior. Peak visitation is July–August; mornings and early fall are dramatically less crowded.
Watch Out For
Lake Erie and Lake Michigan have real surf and dangerous rip currents during onshore wind events — check the NWS Beach Hazards statement before swimming. Harmful algal blooms (cyanobacteria) occasionally close beaches in late summer, especially on western Lake Erie. Many beaches close during E. coli advisories after heavy rain.
Michigan · 13
All Michigan beaches →Warren Dunes State Park
Ideal for a beach walk.
Holland State Park Beach
Great day for a beach walk.
Ludington State Park
Great day for photography.
Silver Lake State Park
Ideal for photography.
Grand Haven State Park
Great day for photography.
Presque Isle Park (Marquette)
Great day for photography.
Empire Beach (Lake Michigan Beach Park)
Mixed conditions today.
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
Mixed conditions today.
Tawas Point State Park
Skip the beach today.
Petoskey State Park
Skip the beach today.
Wilderness State Park
Skip the beach today.
Lakeport State Park
Skip the beach today.
Port Crescent State Park
Skip the beach today.
Illinois · 9
All Illinois beaches →Oak Street Beach (Chicago)
Ideal for a beach walk.
North Avenue Beach (Chicago)
Ideal for a beach walk.
Montrose Beach (Chicago)
Ideal for a beach walk.
31st Street Beach (Margaret T. Burroughs Beach)
Ideal for a beach walk.
57th Street Beach (Hyde Park)
Ideal for a beach walk.
63rd Street Beach (Chicago)
Ideal for a beach walk.
Foster Avenue Beach (Chicago)
Ideal for a beach walk.
Ohio Street Beach (Chicago)
Ideal for a beach walk.
12th Street Beach (Chicago)
Great day for a beach walk.
Ohio · 5
All Ohio beaches →Maumee Bay State Park
Great day for sunbathing.
Cedar Point Beach
Mixed conditions today.
Edgewater Beach (Cleveland)
Mixed conditions today.
Sims Park Beach (Euclid)
Mixed conditions today.
Headlands Beach State Park
Skip the beach today.
Wisconsin · 4
All Wisconsin beaches →Whitefish Dunes State Park
Great day for a beach walk.
Peninsula State Park (Nicolet Bay Beach)
Great day for photography.
Cave Point County Park
Great day for photography.
Bradford Beach (Milwaukee)
Decent day for sunbathing.
Indiana · 3
All Indiana beaches →Washington Park Beach (Michigan City)
Ideal for a beach walk.
Marquette Park Beach (Gary, Miller Beach)
Ideal for a beach walk.
Indiana Dunes National Park
Great day for a beach walk.
New York · 3
All New York beaches →Hamlin Beach State Park
Decent day for photography.
Selkirk Shores State Park
Skip the beach today.
Sandy Island Beach State Park (Sandy Pond)
Skip the beach today.