Have Sharks Ever Been Found In The Great Lakes?

Michigan is connected to four out of the five Great Lakes.

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The great lakes cover more than 94,000 square miles and hold an estimated six quadrillion gallons of water which is about 20% of the world's fresh surface water supply and 90% of the U.S. supply.

Where Do Sharks Live?

Sharks can be found in various habitats around the world, including oceans, freshwater lakes, and some rivers.

They are found in all five of the Earth's oceans: the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, Arctic, and Southern.

Lake Michigan Is Filled With Fresh Water

As mentioned above some sharks can actually be found in freshwater.

Bull shark: This is one of the most common freshwater sharks in lakes. They spend a lot of time in rivers and can swim thousands of miles upriver.

River sharks: These are true freshwater sharks found in fresh and brackish water in Asia and Australia.

Glyphis: This is a freshwater shark that can be found in both saltwater and freshwater environments.

Sawfish: This is another species that is capable of surviving in environments suitable for bull sharks.

Have Sharks Ever Been Found In The Great Lakes?

While there have been several reports over the years that someone spotted a Bull Shark in the Great Lakes it sounds like it's just a big fishtail.

Jeff Tyson is the fishery management program manager at the Great Lakes Fishery Commission and he said:

“There have been no confirmed sightings or captures of bull sharks in the Great Lakes that I’m aware of."

 

According to the Associated Press Data from the Great Lakes Fishery Commission on catches made in the Great Lakes through commercial fishing from 1867 to 2015 (the most recent year for which data is available) contains no mention of bull sharks.

Bull Sharks Have Been Spotted Near Michigan

The northernmost confirmed bull shark sighting as of 2022 was in Alton, Illinois, north of St. Louis. Two fishermen caught the shark in 1937 on the Mississippi River.

I don't know about you but now I feel better about taking a swim in Lake Michigan this Summer.