Four years after a high water level, Lake Michigan is approaching its average height.  The US Army Corps of Engineers describes the fluctuation in the lake from 1918 to 2024:

 

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 six month forecast from July suggests the water level will continue to hover inches above the average.

 

 

 

Meanwhile, the water surface temperature has been high the past year.  See the Michigan City Buoy for current conditions.

 

 

 

 

 

Regarding 1995 to 2022, the Corps of Engineers also writes, "Annual surface water temperatures have remained relatively consistent over the past two decades."