Are there really sharks in lake Michigan? If so how often have they attacked and what would make them attack?

Question

Ok so I want to surf but I live in Michigan. My boyfriend told me that the waves in lake Michigan are big enough but Im majorly afraid of sharks attacking me. I Googled it to see if there are sharks in the lake but the answers go both ways. Some say yes and some say no. They say that bull sharks are fresh water sharks but they cant get into Lake Michigan because of barriers or they say no rivers connect to Lake Michigan. But Ive also found a page that said they have found them in Lake Michigan and one did attack but even some people still thought it was a hoax. If there are sharks I want to know how often they've attacked and why they attacked. I would love to go surfing without getting attacked. Thanks for your help. (:

Answer 1

No one really knows for sure. There was a report of an attack in 1955, where a young man had his leg severed while swimming off the shores of Chicago - unconfirmed (no newspaper report), but there were witnesses to this incident.



Bull sharks live in salt water, but can and do adapt to fresh water very well and can live in fresh water for years. Bull sharks have been found in the Mississippi River. As far as Lake Michigan being too cold for sharks, bull sharks have been found swimming off the shores of Alaska.



In 1979, a charter boat off Waukegan, Illinois (about 40 miles north of Chicago) caught (2) bull sharks - both bit on coho salmon and were caught about 5 minutes apart. The captain of the ship stated he had seen sharks before, but never 2 in one day. (* See Jakem's comment in blog on attached website)



In 1979, two fisherman found the corpse of a fish off the shore of Lake Michigan. At first glance, they thought it was a sturgeon. Then, on closer examination, realized it was a shark. They took the remains to the museum in Chicago and was examined and found to be a shark over 5 feet long.



I think it's definitely possible and have had experience with Lake Michigan for almost 60 years.



If you really want to ride the waves, try California or Hawaii. (:



http://biofort.blogspot.com/2008/09/recent-shark-found-in-lake-michigan-no.html

Answer 2

Sharks In Lake Michigan

Answer 3

First off I live by lake michigan and I have never seen a shark yet and been going and swimming here for 20 years. Bull sharks are not like other sharks they can survive in salt and fresh waters. Assuming how big lake michigan is and that bull sharks swim up through streams and rivers I believe that it would be entirely possible for sharks to be present in lake michigan just not as populated as the ocean obviously.

Answer 4

Yes there are, bulls harks can be found in any fresh and have been proven found in Lake Michigan bull shark have sensors on there nose which help them find prey easier then other sharks they can hear a fishs heartbeat from 30 meters and they have salt water sensors on there sides kinda like our taste buds so they don't need to be in salt water

Answer 5

Probably not, don't worry! Bull sharks can be in freshwater but murky lake water and there has to be some sort of entrance for them to get in to.

In other words...

no, no sharks in that lake(:

And bull sharks (if it's not a hoax ^^) will attack when

the waters murky

you are in there territory

you are thrashing around like a lunatic(:

Answer 6

I don't know if Lake Michigan has sharks but I am positive the ocean is full of sharks!



You better choose a new hobby.



I also know that sharks do not like the taste of humans, unfortunately a small nibble from a shark to see if he likes you is all it takes to get a huge chunk out of your body..

Answer 7

Sharks are attracted by people are any living thing, they eat any thing that has a heart or blood!!

Answer 8

Yeah there are obviously sharks in Lake Michigan. I mean of course a lake that is of such size would have them!

Answer 9

If biologists can't answer that question, how the heck can we?

These answers are all just guesses.

Answer 10

There are no sharks in Lake Michigan. Sharks are a salt water fish and Lake Michigan is a fresh water lake. But you can't go surfing in Lake Michigan because the waves aren't big enough.