Sharks Spotted in Lake Michigan? Believe It or Not

There have been countless rumors of all sorts of creatures swimming and lurking in the Lake Michigan depths.

Seriously, in the past there have been rumors of porpoises, giant serpents, weird monsters, octopi, squids, whales...just about any creature - real or fiction - found in the ocean has been rumored to have been seen in Lake Michigan. And that includes sharks.

While the others seem pretty far-fetched, the rumors of shark sightings in Lake Michigan may hold some kind of credence. One of the most common reports concerns bull sharks. A dead bull shark was found washed up on shore, and the fins have been seen jutting through the water surface near Frankfort.

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Back in 1969, a couple of fishermen found a dead shark – 29 inches long - in the Lake Michigan water and pulled it into their boat just off the shore in Milwaukee.

How could sharks survive in fresh water? Bull sharks adapt to fresh water by using their kidneys to recycle salt. Will climate change mean chances of sharks making their way to the Michigan Great Lakes are greater? Some believe so.

Ever since the film Jaws came out in 1975, there have been plenty of false reports along with hoaxsters planting fake sharks, taking photos, and spreading rumors. How would they get here in the first place? From the Atlantic Ocean, they could find their way through the St. Lawrence River/Waterway, thru lakes Ontario, Erie, St. Clair, Huron, Sinclair, into the Straits of Mackinac, and to Lake Michigan. So sure, it is possible.

In closing, rumors are rumors...and even though some reports appear to be legitimate, there are still no documented, official reports or scientific proof of sharks making their way into Lake Michigan.

The gallery below shows sharks swimming close to kids and boats; however, the photos are not of Lake Michigan...