Weather

On a calm day like this, you can safely venture onto the lake in any size boat.

(Editor's note: you're not experiencing Deja vu...this is a reprint of the weather section from our Put-in-Bay guide.)

The surrounding lake is generally navigable by small craft between the months of April and November, with the peak boating season falling between June and September. Water temperatures can remain dangerously cold well into late spring and, in the event of a man overboard situation, hypothermia is a real danger. Use of a safety harness and tether system while working the foredeck is strongly recommended during the spring months.

Western Lake Erie is subject to violent and relatively sudden storms and the recreational boater would be well advised to check their weather radio several times a day. Bad weather usually comes in from the west, so reports of severe weather in the Detroit or Toledo areas should prompt you to steer your boat toward shelter right away.

Dire warnings aside, Lake Erie can be an absolute joy to sail during the summer. Waves are often two feet or less and rarely exceed five feet, even during storms. Western Lake Erie is quite shallow and waves tend to be steep and close together. Wind direction is fairly constant, with winds tending to be stronger during the morning and evening. Fog and haze, while not common, can sometimes reduce visibility to under a mile, so one must always be ready to navigate by means of compass or GPS.

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