Lake Michigan

Lake Michigan is the third largest of the Great Lakes and is the only one entirely within the United States. The only natural outlet of the lake is at the north end through the Straits of Mackinac. At the south end of the lake, the Illinois Waterway provides a connection to the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. The northern part of the lake has many islands and is indented by several bays; Green Bay and Grand Traverse Bay are the largest. The shores in the southern part of the lake are regular, and it has been necessary to construct artificial harbors. The forested shores in the northern part of the lake are sparsely populated, while those in the southern part are near the heart of the great urban industrial area of the U.S. Midwest.

The Great Lakes Towing Company provides tug service to more than twenty ports on Lake Michigan, from the four Home Ports; Green Bay, Milwaukee, South Chicago, and Burns Harbor, where the company has tugs stationed.