Little Bay de Noc Fishing Reports

Taken from 'mlive"..

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The Great Lakes are heating up earlier than usual this year, reaching temperatures typically seen in late August or early September.

Experts say the warm water is not a suprise, pointing to the fact that Michigan and the United States just experienced the hottest first six months of a year on record.

"We're way above normal, and this is probably one of the warmer years we've seen in a very long time," said Jane Wix, a National Weather Service meteorologist who monitors Lake Superior from a post in Marquette.

Bouys in Lake Superior recorded water temperatures of between 60 and 65 degrees on Wednesday, more than 10-degrees warmer than at this time last year. The lake typically reaches the mid-50s by early July and does not hit the 60s until late August.

"We had a very, very mild winter and a very, very warm spring," Wix said. "We had some of the least amount of ice coverage we've seen on the lake ever. Mix that with record high temps through March, and we already started to warm before we even hit record temps this month."

A buoy in the open waters of Lake Michigan recorded 80-degree temperatures on Friday, a feat that has happened only six times since 1981 -- and never this early in the year.

Nathan Jeruzal, a NWS meteorologist based in Grand Rapids, said Lake Michigan temperatures have fallen to the mid-70s this week and typically are in the mid-to-upper 60s at this time of year.

"We could see temperatures sneak back up into the 80s," Jeruzal said, "and when we start getting colder air coming in the fall, those temperatures will help build the waves and eventually could create some lake effect snow in the early winter."

Temperatures in Lake Huron are only slightly above average. NWS Detroit meteorologist Matt Mosteiko said Wednesday that the majority of lake is sitting at 67 degrees. Records indicate the lake was 60 degrees at this time last year, which is typical for early July.

If the lakes stay warm into the winter, water temperatures could lead to lake effect snow for parts of Michigan. Wix downplayed that possibility for Lake Superior, pointing out that fall storms tend to churn colder water up to the surface and normalize temperatures.

Rather than worry about snow, Wix suggested Michiganders make the most of the warm water.

"Most of the summer, we've been in a pattern where we've been under high pressure. So long as we keep that, go out and enjoy the weather. It's warm, it's nice and it looks like a great summer for swimming."

A nearly ice-free winter led to early algae growth in Lake Erie, which last year suffered from one of the largest harmful blooms in decades. But the The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration delivered good news last week, predicting a mild summer bloom equivalent to conditions last seen in 2007.

The warm winter and spring also gave way to drought-like conditions in parts of southern Michigan and falling water levels in most of the Great Lakes, except Superior, which is three inches higher than it was at this time last year.

As of last week, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reported that Lake Michigan and Huron were eight inches lower than last year, while Lake Erie and Ontario were 13 and 15 inches lower, respectively.

Great Lakes water levels began to decline in 1999, according to the Great Lakes Echo, and scientists recently linked the historically-low levels to an increase in phragmites, invasive plants that grow on the shoreline.