Many of Michigan’s most popular fish are getting smaller as inland lakes warm, according to a new University of Michigan study that analyzed more than 75 years of records from nearly 1,500 lakes. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20251205-fish-size
The U.S. National Ice Center released its 2025-2026 seasonal outlook this week, predicting near normal ice conditions across the Great Lakes. Read the full story by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20251205-ice-forecast
Fundraising is underway for a $450,000 project to restore the exterior of the Big Sable Point Lighthouse keepers’ dwelling at Ludington State Park. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20251205-lighthouse-restoration
Researchers are beginning to see ice form on the Great Lakes. Historically, ice creation begins in earnest in early December and ice remains on the lakes until late May. Read the full story by the Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20251203-ice-greatlakes-freezing
The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) has confirmed that quagga mussels have been found in the north end of Black Bay on Lake Superior, marking the latest appearance of the invasive species on the lake’s north shore. The mussels were first flagged earlier this month through a post on the iNaturalist app. Read the full story by CBC.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20251203-quagga-mussels-spreading-lake-superior
The outcome of a municipal court trial in Shorewood, Wisconsin, could become a decisive flashpoint over public access to Lake Michigan’s shoreline. Similar legal battles have been settled in other Great Lakes states, but the topic hasn’t been litigated in Wisconsin. Read the full story by Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20251203-public-walk-lake-michigan
The piping plover shorebird is a rare sight in Indiana, but here’s why they wear so many colorful bands. Read the full story by the Indianapolis Star.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20251203-shorebird-bracelets
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is recommending a 39% reduction in the lake whitefish quota for commercial fishers in the Wisconsin waters of Lake Michigan but no change in Green Bay. Read the full story by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20251203-dnr-whitefish-harvest-lakemichigan
Despite recent news of data center development in Michigan, the development boom is much more dramatic in Illinois and Ohio, two states that account for half of all operational facilities in the Great Lakes. Read the full story by The Detroit News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20251203-michigan-data-center-greatlakes
An environmental crisis is unfolding in Lake Erie, where plastic pollution has increased dramatically over the past decade despite widespread conservation efforts. The findings are dramatic in Cleveland, Ohio, but more so near the eastern end of Lake Erie, where researchers found up to 700,000 particles per kilometer – up from just 19,000 a decade ago. That’s surface-area plastic and does not account for whatever has sunk to the bottom. Read the full story by The Plain Dealer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20251203-lake-erie-plastic-crisis
Canadian builder, owner, and pilot of the houseboat, The Neverlanding, wanted to sail her through the Straits of Mackinac, down Lake Michigan to be in Chicago by Christmas. Wintry weather on the Great Lakes gave him second thoughts. Read the full story by the Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20251203-huron-homemade-houseboat-captain-thumb
Strong winds that prompted an Environment Canada alert this week have laid bare Lake Erie shoreline not often seen, but they also briefly uncovered a rarely seen shipwreck. Read the full story by the CBC.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20251203-lakesuperior-shipwreck-uncovered
Looking for a holiday gift for a reader who loves the Great Lakes? There are several prospects to consider. Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20251203-great-lakes-books-holiday-giftlist
While ice does play some role, the results of a new study show the humidity of the air over the lakes has a much more dominant effect on how much water is sucked out of the lakes into the atmosphere. Read the full story by Wisconsin Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20251201-lake-evaporation
Under a new rule to protect Wisconsin’s cleanest waterways finalized last week, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is required to conduct a review before regulated entities are allowed to discharge new or increased levels of contaminants into waterbodies classified as “high quality waters.” Read the full story by the Wisconsin Examiner.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20251201-wisconsin-water-rule
As once-abundant Great Lakes whitefish slide toward population collapse, biologists are trying something that would have sounded far-fetched a decade ago: hauling live fish upriver and simply letting them go. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20251201-whitefish-transfer
Herring gull blood and egg samples collected in the St. Lawrence River in Quebec were tested to see how exposed seabirds are to plastic additives called ultraviolet absorbents. Every herring gull sampled was exposed to plastic additives. Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20251201-gull-plastics
The Lakehead Region Conservation Authority says Ontario’s plan to merge the province’s 36 conservation authorities into seven larger regional bodies would disconnect Thunder Bay’s watershed from the region it actually serves. Read the full story by the CBC.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20251201-conservation-authorities
Samples collected by researchers aboard the U.S. EPA’s Lake Guardian research vessel in 2014 and 2024 showed an increase in the volume of plastic per square kilometer, suggesting that the volume of plastic in the lake has gone up. Read the full story by The Plain Dealer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20251201-erie-plastics
Long-polluted waterways near Chicago are part of a system of natural and manmade barriers keeping invasive crustaceans at bay, a recent study suggests. Read the full story by Inside Climate News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20251201-invasive-scuds
The Beaver Head Lighthouse on the south end of Beaver Island, Michigan, was built in 1858. Today the historic landmark is undergoing restoration to prevent deterioration from time and weather. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20251201-beaver-island-lighthouse
A shipwreck from 145 years ago still litters the bottom of Lake Michigan near Frankfort, Michigan, that sparked a haunting mystery that continues to be part of Great Lakes lore: a woman who died lashed to the sinking ship’s mast. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20251201-shipwreck-mystery
The big cold front moving into the Great Lakes region, leading to heavy snow in some areas and high winds and gale warnings on the Great Lakes, is also expected to cause a storm surge on Lake Erie − a phenomenon that can leave shoreline locations looking like the lake drained away. Read the full story by the Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20251201-erie-seiches
A pair of snowy owls spotted along Lake Michigan beach draws crowds in Chicago. Read the full story by the Associated Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20251126-owls
A group of Canadian divers exploring beneath the surface of Lake Ontario encountered the wreck of a British ship believed to have sunk 200 years ago. Read the full story by WPVI-TV – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20251126-shipwreck-encounter
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources reports that the annual Chinook salmon spawning run in the Door County, Wisconsin, region is proceeding on schedule and showing strong signs for the future of Lake Michigan’s fishery. Read the full story by Door County Daily News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20251126-salmon-run
A small houseboat navigating the waters of the St. Clair River onto Lake Huron has caught the fascination of witnesses and social media users alike as they capture the vessel’s every move. Read the full story by The Detroit News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20251126-house-boat
In Michigan, water safety advocates applauded the promotion of South Haven’s new police chief, pointing out how he has deep experience in water safety and lifeguard training. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20251126-police-chief
Mariners, boaters and lakeside communities are preparing across the region as strong winds from a storm system heading for Michigan are expected to create monster waves on the Great Lakes this week. Read the full story by the Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20251126-high-waves
Michigan Department of Natural Resources officials are urging waterfowl hunters to take extra precautions this season to protect themselves from highly pathogenic avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu which has so far been detected in 130 birds in the state. Read the full story by WILX-TV -Lansing, Michigan.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20251126-bird-flu-warnings
Invasive species cost the United States billions of dollars and climate change could make the situation worse. Scientists say funding cuts by the Trump administration could have major long-term ecological and economic consequences. Read the full story by Inside Climate News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20251126-invasive-funding-cuts
Waterways across the state of Michigan struggle with the adverse effects of factories. To protect the water bodies of the state, clean-up projects for waterways are essential to combat ecosystem damage and maintain human health. Read the full story by The Michigan Daily.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20251124-waterway-restoration
The surface water temperatures on the Great Lakes have cooled in the past few weeks after warmer weather in October. This will affect the likelihood of lake-effect snow this winter. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20251124-temps-snow
An aquatic creature that is extinct in the wild everywhere except Mexico City was discovered in a Pennsylvania waterway. The axolotl was found swimming in Walnut Creek near Lake Erie and brought to a local pet shop. Read the full story by CBS News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20251124-axolotl
Meet a maritime archaeologist who explores the historic ships and dugout canoes that lurk beneath the surface of the Great Lakes. Read the full story by Smithsonian Magazine.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20251124-shipwrecks
The Royal Canadian Navy is considering expanding its training-ship operations to the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River, a move that would enable it to assist in patrolling the maritime border between Canada and the United States. Read the full story by The Globe and Mail.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20251124-canada-navy
Great Lakes water levels are continuing to fall, which is entirely normal for this time of year. Fall and winter typically see less precipitation and more evaporation in the region. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20251124-lake-levels
Bridge Michigan has spent the past several months chronicling the demise of the lower Great Lakes whitefish, investigating causes, consequences and potential solutions. Now, they’re teaming up with Detroit PBS to bring the story to your screens on the latest episode of Great Lakes Now. Read the full story by the Bridge Michigan.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20251124-whitefish-race
A cruise-ship operator introducing its first Great Lakes cruises next year has scheduled Toledo, Ohio, port calls as part of its four itineraries. Read the full story by the Toledo Blade.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20251124-toledo-cruise
Waves on the Great Lakes are steeper and packed closer together, making them harder to read and faster to change. Experts say that volatility can make navigating the Great Lakes even more dangerous than the open ocean. Read the full story by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20251124-ocean-danger
This week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposed amendments to the Clean Water Act that would leave a majority of the country’s wetlands without federal protections. Counties in Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin have the most to lose. Read the full story by Circle of Blue.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20251121-wetland-protections
After a federal appeals court held that Michigan is not immune to legal action for its decision to revoke a Canadian energy company’s easement to operate a pipeline in the Great Lakes, the Whitmer Administration is seeking an appeal to the United States Supreme Court. Read the full story by Michigan Advance.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20251121-line5-immunity
A coal plant on Michigan’s Lake Michigan shoreline which was originally set to shut down at the end of May will continue operating after the Trump Administration issued another extension. Environmentalists decried the extension, emphasizing the effects the plant has on air quality and Lake Michigan’s water quality. Read the full story by Michigan Advance.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20251121-coal-plant
A new order from the Michigan Natural Resources Commission will open more of the Great Lakes to recreational spearfishing in 2026. Proponents of spearfishing say that the expanded reach will allow more people to try the sport and could spark more interest in the outdoors. Read the full story by WWTV-TV – Cadillac, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20251121-michigan-spearfishing
Michigan’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy said Thursday that it’s awarding $2.9 million in grants for projects to prevent, reduce, or eliminate polluted runoff and other nonpoint sources of pollution. Read the full story by Michigan Public.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20251121-egle-grants
People walking, running or launching boats along Lake Erie’s shorelines may have noticed more exposed beach and rock than in recent years — a subtle sign the lake has dipped below its long-term water level average after a period of record highs. Read the full story by The Plain Dealer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20251121-erie-water-levels
The National Museum of the Great Lakes in Toledo, Ohio, is holding its annual Christmas Tree Ship event, where the public can watch Santa Claus arrive on a tugboat filled with Christmas trees for families. Read the full story by WTOL-TV – Toledo, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20251121-xmas-tree-ship
After years of debates, the city of South Haven, Michigan, took a significant step toward bringing lifeguards back to its Lake Michigan beaches. Supporters of a new lifeguard program include beach safety advocates and families of drowning victims. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20251121-michigan-lifeguards
A new book by a Michigan historian explores how Mackinac Island and the surrounding Straits region became a hub for travelers from across the country. Read the full story by Midland Daily News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20251121-mackinac-book
The National Parks of Lake Superior Foundation works to preserve the visitor experience of the five national parks on Lake Superior. The nonprofit is making a major fundraising push to go up against critical headwinds the National Park Service faces. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20251121-superior-parks
