So there is NO public beaches @ Lake Michigan ?
Or are you saying that there *are* public beaches, yet they *all* have a "no md'ing" rule/law ?
In other words "what/where" is "heavily regulated & patrolled" ? Because I've seen md'rs proudly post beach finds from Lake MI. Hence .... somehow, someway, it apparently wasn't an issue for them.
Let me try to explain.
Treat each beach as a seperate entity.
Depending on who owns it ,and what has been found there determines if detecting is allowed.
It's not like a scenic lonely road runs along the beach and you can just park ,hop out and start swinging.
Yes there are public beaches. You pays your money and get your plate recorded and wave at the camera's and plunge right in.
The issue we're concerned with is water /beach beyond public areas.
Not only some landowners not applauding tourists , but the Coast Guard around piers, (where public beaches tend to be) and ports ,and the national boundry to the North.
No one is invisible on the lake shore. Feel free to argue that or ignore it.
But you will get caught if you are not where you are supposed to be ,or doing something you shouldn't probably be doing.
Test , bury a backpack...
Detecting on a public beach would be best when the beach is not being popular. Obviously. But each beach is again unique. In the narrow window of prime beach time they get quite crowded.
That comes after it is hot inland , so you go to the lakeshore and your teeth chatter it is so cold before you reach the beach.
Many (most I've been to) are state owned. That does not mean they all have the same rules.
Some , (near a pier or lighthouse for example) have buried cables they would not have dug up or stabbed with a Lesche.
Others as mentioned have history.
Folks have been buried on the beach.
Shipwrecks (especially those in the water) are jealously guarded.
The West side of the state (East shore of Lake Mi. ) has less traffic historically than the East part of the state by Lake Huron.
Native cultures existed but a study does not show immense villages along the coast. Still , some left riverine inland areas in summer and went toward the big lake.
Winter was tolerated better inland.
With the fur era some activity was along the area the O.P. is looking at but paled compared to farther North and East.
The logging area probably left more evidence where logs were floated downstream and corralled near transfer points.
Shipping. Boat building and later activities left evidence too.
A beach near such sites will not have a relic rich area fenced off for detectorists to dig in.
They may have a public area to frolic ,oblivious to the past.
Here's some examples of what's public. Lots for the O.P. to research.
The area is flirting with heavier historic areas though , so restrictions are expected more than elsewhere.
https://www.google.com/search?q=pub...7;tbs:lrf:!2m1!1e2!2m1!1e3!3sIAE,lf:1,lf_ui:1