Beach & Shallow water verses Great Lakes

[SurgTech57]

I have been reading a lot about beach and shallow water detecting and everything I've read seems to imply salt water beaches and shallow water. I live near Lake Michigan and I was wondering do all the tips and methods about reading the beach and water also apply to the Great Lakes since the tides are similar but I don't think as intense as along ocean beaches? This will be my first season (yes a newbie) detecting so any advice would be helpful. TY
Fred

 

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[hubcap76]

My advise is to enjoy yourself and get some type of hand or long handle scoop for recovery in water. Positive thoughts bring positive results. Be safe

 

[TJE]

I have been reading a lot about beach and shallow water detecting and everything I've read seems to imply salt water beaches and shallow water. I live near Lake Michigan and I was wondering do all the tips and methods about reading the beach and water also apply to the Great Lakes since the tides are similar but I don't think as intense as along ocean beaches? This will be my first season (yes a newbie) detecting so any advice would be helpful. TY
Fred

I actually just watched some beach M/D-ing on youtube yesterday, good info/examples.

 

[redcobra8u]

I lived in MI for 30 years. I can think of some beaches and places I'd hit. I'd even hit some popular marinas with the diving equipment.

Good luck

 

[rc2125]

Lake Michigan is it's own unique critter and has unique sand movements that can vary from beach to beach, season to season. What you find one year at one particular beach may never happen again, or may happen each season, hard to tell. You can read all you can find about hunting in the water/surf/etc, it will help a little, but only some of the fundamentals apply. There can be totally opposite things happening on beaches that are only a few hundred yards away from eachother, and different things happening just 25 or 50 yards apart on the same beach. It also varies depending on what part of the lake you are on, like Chicago vs SW MI, prevailing winds move much more sand over this way, hence the dunes, so there tends to be deeper loose sands on this side, with exceptions of course, etc, etc,etc
Spent that past few years really paying attention to sand movements/etc/when&why, and often try to make quick trips up just to see whats going on with it. Went to 3 different spots today to see what the status of the sand was after this extra cold and extra windy winter.

The icebergs are all breakin up, beaches were all thawed out, got a glimpse of open water on the southerly end, won't be long now....

 

[sponge]

Welcome to the addiction. Have hunted rivers but not lakes. The hard sand can wear u down. Use your eyes as much as u use your ears. Its out there, now go get it. Yarrrrrrr

 

[snokid]

I'm on the east side of the state.
I have done ocean, great lakes, small lakes, and rivers.
ocean tide really plays into it, as well as cuts.
great lakes doesn't really have tides, but the wind can move the water out.
small lakes are by far the easiest, might get a wake from a boat or two, pretty much find it where they drop it....
rivers are a different critter. I seem to find the best stuff where you would think it would be a good place to gold pan. Launches seem to be too litter filled.
have fun