Michigan Man Completes Epic Great Lakes Swim
Swimming across one Great Lake is an incredible feat. But all five Great Lakes? A Holland doctor has made history as the first man to swim across all five Great Lakes.
Swimming in the Great Lakes
If you’re thinking about swimming in the Great Lakes, July through September is probably your best bet. Surface water temperatures typically range from the upper 50s to the low 80s, depending on the lake and depth you are in.
Lake Superior is the coldest of the five Great Lakes. In July, water temperatures are typically in the upper 50s to low 60s. Temperatures warm slightly into the low 60s in August before cooling back into the upper 50s and low 60s in September.
If you’re looking for a warmer swim, Lake Erie is your best bet. Water temperatures typically range from 70 to 78 degrees in July, 75 to 82 in August, and 68 to 75 in September.
Read More: TikTok Video Shows Michigan Man Adrift 12 Miles Off South Haven
Lake Ontario, Lake Michigan, and Lake Huron fall somewhere in the middle, with temperatures warmer than Lake Superior but cooler than Lake Erie.
Holland Man Takes on All Five Great Lakes
A Holland, Michigan, doctor not only made history swimming across all five Great Lakes, but he also raised money for the Holland Aquatic Center along the way.
Dr. Bryan Huffman has been around swimming for years. He swam in high school, coached at the college level, and competed in triathlons. But he stepped away from competitive swimming for about 25 years. Then COVID-19 hit, and he decided it was time to get back in the water.
WZZM 13 reported that Dr. Huffman gained some serious open-water experience in 2022 when he swam across the English Channel. That helped prepare him for his goal of swimming across all five Great Lakes.
But it wasn’t easy. Dr. Huffman came up short on his first attempts to swim across Lake Huron and Lake Michigan.
In 2024, Dr. Huffman crossed Lake Erie, the warmest of the Great Lakes. Then, in 2025, he took on the other end of the spectrum, swimming across Lake Superior, the coldest of the five.
Then came 2026, when Dr. Huffman finally completed his goal. He swam across Lake Ontario in July, Lake Huron in August, and Lake Michigan in September, becoming the first man to swim across all five Great Lakes.
👇BELOW: Chunk of Pictured Rocks Breaks Off by Pontooners👇
Chunk of Pictured Rocks Breaks Off by Pontooners
Photos: Michigan's Pictured Rocks National Lake Shore
Gallery Credit: Tom Ehlers
