As winter segues into spring, with snow and the large ice berm melting, Lake Michigan water levels will temporarily rise.  Overall, however, Lake Michigan has dipped below its average height.  

 

Per the US Army Corps of Engineers (CoE), the six month forecast from February 2025 suggests the water level will remain below the average.  The CoE reports water levels are lower than last year in March 2024, with Lake Michigan being 11 inches lower at the high end.  Lake Michigan is below its long-term monthly average for March. Over the next month, the lake is expected to rise by 3 inches inches. Water levels remain higher than record lows and lower than record highs for March.

 

The CoE describes the fluctuation in the lake from 1918 to 2025:

 

The Great Lakes generally follow a seasonal cycle where during the fall and early winter, water levels decline due to an increase in evaporation as temperatures decline and cold air moves over relatively warm surface waters. In the spring and early summer, water levels typically rise due to increased precipitation and enhanced runoff from snowmelt. The combined effect of precipitation over the lake, evaporation from the lake, and runoff to the lake is referred to as "water supply" or "net basin supply."

 

 

 

 

The US Army Corps of Engineers reports other Lake Michigan basin conditions.   See the Michigan City Buoy for current conditions.

 

Meanwhile, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has multiple data products and satellite imagery at CoastWatch Great Lakes Regional Node, including seas surface temperatures, ice coverage, and radar imagery.