How Much of the Great Lakes Does Michigan Own?

As someone who spent half his summers in Holland at the beach running up and down the dune at Tunnel Park, I developed a sense of entitlement. Lake Michigan was my lake. Even as a kid, I knew there was something special about a lake that you couldn't see the other side of. Plus, it had the name of my state in it, so that instantly strengthened my belief that Lake Michigan belonged to Michigan.

I mean, Michigan is known as the "Great Lakes State", wouldn't that imply the Great Lakes belong to Michigan? Fast forward to adulthood, and I realize how silly that premise is, as other states also border the Great Lakes. But Michigan does still touch most of the lakes, so how much of the lakes does Michigan really have claim to?

Lake Superior

Recently, I wrote an article about Isle Royale and its status as the least visited national park in the entire lower 48. I was surprised to learn that the island is 56 miles off the shore of Michigan, with Michigan's property ending just past the island where the Michigan-Canada border meets.

Michigan's 3,288 miles of coastline is the second-largest coastline in the United States, second only to Alaska, with Lake Michigan being the only Great Lake that is completely within the United States. Canada borders four of the Great Lakes, while eight states border at least one of the Great Lakes.