Water levels on the great lakes of Michigan, Huron, Superior and St. Clair are forecast to stay above last year’s levels through the boating season, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Lake Michigan and Lake Huron rose 10 inches from March to April, reaching 578.58 feet above sea level.
The same forecast puts Lake Michigan and Lake Huron at 6 to 10 inches above 2025 levels from May through October. The system remains 37 inches below its record April high, even after the spring rise.
Lakes Michigan and Huron
Lakes Michigan and Huron climbed after April precipitation ran well above average and water supplies across the basin reached record-high levels. Officials also tied the spring increase to the March blizzard in the Upper Peninsula and northern Michigan, where parts of the western U.P. saw snowfall totals exceeding 4 feet.
Rapid warming later in April accelerated snowmelt across the Upper Peninsula watershed that feeds Lake Superior, adding to the pressure already building in the basin. The seasonal rise in Lakes Huron and Michigan is expected to continue into August before gradually declining in the fall.
Lake Superior and Lake Erie
Lake Superior rose 3 inches from March to April and reached 601.12 feet in April, putting it 4 inches above April 2025 levels. It is expected to keep rising into September and remain near to slightly above long-term averages through the fall.
Lake Erie also rose 10 inches from March to April and reached 571.65 feet, but it remained 4 inches below April 2025 levels. The forecast has it staying 2 to 3 inches below last year’s levels through June and about 1 to 2 inches lower during July and August before edging slightly above 2025 levels by early fall.
Spring runoff and the basin
For shoreline communities, boaters and water managers, the practical issue is the timing of the spring runoff and how long the higher water holds. Michigan, Huron and Superior are all expected to stay elevated for months, while Erie moves from a spring deficit toward a small late-season gain.
The shared pattern points to a basin still adjusting to the winter snowpack and April precipitation, not a one-month spike. That keeps attention on local conditions through the season, especially where drainage systems and river channels already face pressure from higher water in connected waterways.
