20 Facts surrounding the Port of Waukegan and Fishing Lake Michigan

At Spendthrift Charters we host guests form from far and close. The most amazing thing we find is how little anyone knows about Lake Michigan and more specifically where we fish. Hopefully this blog will enhance your knowledge of the lake so you can have more enjoyment than usual aboard our fleet. So here we go - 20 facts about Lake Michigan.

1. Lake Michigan is the third largest of the great lakes
2. Lake Michigan is a world class fishery for a variety of species inducing, Lake Trout, Salmon, Perch, Bass, and Walleye. Port of Waukegan was previously host to the Coho Salmon Capital of the World and annual salmon fishing tournaments.
3. Lake Michigan's name is derived from the Ojibwa Indian word Mishigami, meaning large lake.(2)
4. In the Sometimes referred to as “The Great Lakes Triangle,” this area is located in the center of Lake Michigan and has been said to be home to unexplained disappearances. During the 19th century, ships and vessels often went missing without a trace in this area. This is one of the unusual and interesting facts about Lake Michigan. Furthermore, some sailors claimed to have seen strange lights in the sky, eerie mists, and mysterious vanishing. The US Navy even sent aircraft to investigate the disappearances, but nothing was ever found. Additionally, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) conducted a thorough search of the area in 2017, but they could not explain the phenomena either. Traverse Bay of Lake Michigan “ (1)
5. At 22,300 square miles, Lake Michigan is the fourth-largest lake in the world by surface area. It has approximately 12,000 feet of shore line and a max depth in the northern basin of 925 foot. (1) The southern basin where we fish is nearly 400” deep at its deepest point. However we rarely fish beyond 300’ foot of water. Average depth is 250’.
6. Lake Michigan is also home to many fascinating creatures, including over 80 fish species. (1) Including native species such as perch, walleye, crappie, northern pike, and lake trout. Also, not native species which were introduced by marine biologists like the Chinook Salmon and Silver Salmon (coho). 
7. Although the area of the southern basin where we fish has no visible islands, Lake Michigan is home to more than 1,600 islands in its western and northern basins. (1)
8. Lake Michigan is shared by four states: IL., Wi., MI., and Indiana. It is the only only great lake that has no border to Canada.
9. Lake Michigan is notable for many lighthouses and recreational spaces. 102 in total. (4) The most famous lighthouses are located in Michigan and Wisconsin. However, we have our own lighthouse in Port of Waukegan
10. What separates a port from a marina? A port authority is it’s own government body, whereas marina’s are often maintained by municipalities and their park districts. Waukegan is one of two ports in the Illinois waters of Lake Michigan. Our port authority is also responsible for the Waukegan Airport. “Waukegan Harbor is a multifaceted port providing essential services for both commercial shipping and recreational boating, with robust infrastructure and strategic connectivity making it a pivotal maritime hub on the western shore of Lake Michigan.” (5)
11. Port of Waukegan is home to the 
12. Of all the great lakes we have the largest city and urban area with the City of Chicago and the suburban area to the north and south. 
13. While the popular perception is that Lake Michigan and Lake Huron are two separate lakes, they are, in fact, one body of water. They are joined by a 5-mile wide and 295-foot deep strait called the Straits of Mackinac (where visitors can find a strategic colonial fort). So forms hydrologically the same lake and, therefore, the largest of the 'Four' Great Lakes.(1) We have caught multiple fish tagged in Lake Huron… especially Coho Salmon.
14. Lake Michigan is hame to numerous shipwrecks. Some accessible to divers and some not so much. Some of the more famous wrecks are the Westmorland (2), the Sandusky, the Maitland, and the all so famous song of the Edmund Fitzgerald, which actually sank in Lake Superior.
15. 12,000,000 people live along the shores of Lake Michigan (3)
16. Lake Michigan is 118 miles across and over 300 miles long. From Waukegan Harbor straight across is 73 miles. 
17. Lake Michigan can achieve wave heights of greater then 20’ tall. Obviously we cancel fishing and these north winds often flood the lake shore drive surrounding Chicago.
18. Lake Michigan is home to the largest sand dunes (3) and some of the most incredible beaches in America. They rival the Atlantic Ocean beaches and those in the Gulf. 
19. As the state stone of Michigan, Petoskey stones are unique to the Great Lakes area. Moved by glaciers ages ago, these stones are made up of fossilized coral which creates its distinct pattern. (4)
20. The former Glenview Naval Airstation was home to training of World War II pilots. It was said that if one could land a plane one an aircraft in Lake Michigan, it could be landed in any body of water. Hence, there are numerous war planes sunk in the southern basin basin of Lake Michigan. Occasionally one is resurrected for museum display.  

For more information and references see below:

1. https://www.thetravel.com/amazing-facts-about-lake-michigan/
2. https://www.livescience.com/space/the-sun/fall-equinox-2024-when-it-is-why-it-happens-and-what-to-look-for
3. https://aroundmichigan.com/2016/04/15/10-facts-lake-michigan/
4. https://allnaturaladventures.com/12-lake-michigan-fun-facts-for-kids-that-may-surprise-you/
5. https://ports.marinelink.com/ports/port/waukegan