BEACHES ARE CLOSED FOR THE SEASON

Stay Safe in the Water

Marquette residents, and visitors alike, take joy in the many beautiful city beaches Marquette has along Lake Superior. Although enjoying the beach is generally considered a safe activity, there have recently been a series of unfortunate events, leaving our community wondering if more could be done to help keep beachgoers safe as they enjoy the City’s waterfront. A Waterfront Safety Task Force (WSTF) was established on August 30, 2010 by the Marquette City Commission. The group was charged with in-depth exploration of waterfront safety. The WSTF spent considerable time analyzing data from proficient sources and researching solutions for identified problems. It was clear from the data that a one size fits all approach will not work in our City. Some resources developed on how to stay safe on beaches in the City are listed below.

Flag Advisory System

For 2025, Marquette's lifeguarded beach season starts May 26, 2024 and goes through Labor Day. Flags are advisories only. Persons using beaches must exercise caution, responsibility, and common sense.

One of the first action steps taken to proactively administer the waterfront safety issues was the implementation of the City’s Beach Flag Advisory system. The Marquette Fire Department posts flag advisories at South Beach, McCarty’s Cove, North McCarty’s Cove, Middle Beach at Presque Isle, and Picnic Rocks waterfronts. Colored flags are posted at the waterfront to indicate swimming conditions. The flag statuses are also posted on the City's website throughout the day. Below is a description of the flag advisory system.

McCarty's Cove

HIGH HAZARD - UNGUARDED

N. McCarty's Cove

HIGH HAZARD - UNGUARDED

South Beach

HIGH HAZARD UNGUARDED

Picnic Rocks

HIGH HAZARD UNGUARDED

Middle Bay Beach

HIGH HAZARD UNGUARDED

Clark Lambros'Beach Park

HIGH HAZARD UNGUARDED
Lifebuoy

Lifeguard Program

Training

Red Cross Waterfront Lifeguard Certification and Re-certification courses are now available.  We have the courses starting on April 25, 2025. To register for these courses, reach out to Jen Jakubowski at 906-225-8596 or jjakubowski@marquettemi.gov

Lifeguards employed by the City must be at least 16 years of age and are required to be both Lifeguard and Waterfront Certified.  

Applications are being accepted for seasonal lifeguard positions for the 2025 beach season. Please complete an online application at: https://www.marquettemi.gov/departments/administrative-services/human-resources/ 

EMILY Sign

E.M.I.L.Y. (Emergency Integrated Lifesaving Lanyard)

In July 2017 E.M.I.L.Y. was installed at Middle Bay Beach on the northwest side of Presque Isle Park. The EMILY device is now available for use by previously trained Marquette City Employees and the public through assistance provided by Central Dispatch. Upon witnessing a person in distress, the public will follow the instructions on the EMILY Storage Box by calling 911. Central Dispatch will give the caller the lock code to unlock the EMILY Rescue Device and then walk the rescuer through the deployment of the device. The rescuer will guide the EMILY Rescue Device out to the person in distress via remote control, so they can hold on to the floating EMILY Device until Fire, Police and EMS Crews arrive to rescue the victim.

Rip Currents

NOAA-NWS Marquette Long Shore and Lake Superior Rip Current Forecast

Michigan BeachGuard System

E. coli and beach opening/closure monitoring for beaches in the City of Marquette.