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MiEnviro Portal: BeachGuard

Beachgoers enjoy strolling and swimming at the shore of Lake Erie, where community efforts are focused on reducing harmful algal blooms. Photo courtesy of City of Luna Pier.
Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy

MiEnviro Portal: BeachGuard

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Check for beach closures and advisories 

Before you plan your trip, check the water quality first!

Michigan’s more than 1,000 public beaches are a great summertime getaway, but unfortunately, not every beach is suited for swimming and splashing every day. 

Find out if a beach is safe for swimming by using our beach monitoring system, BeachGuard.

BeachGuard provides information about Michigan's beaches. Local health departments supply the information collected in the BeachGuard tool and have the most current information and details on testing and current guidance.  If the beach you're looking for is not listed in BeachGuard, please contact your local health department for more information.

BeachGuard can help you find answers to questions about real-time closures at specific lakes and beaches such as:

  • Is this beach closed due to E. coli?
  • Are there beach closures or advisories near me?
  • Can I swim today? 
  • Is this lake or beach safe to swim at?

Understanding the BeachGuard color codes

  • 🔴 Red = beach is closed 
  • 🟡 Yellow = beach has an active advisory
  • 🟢 Green = no active closures or advisories
  • 🟤 Brown = zoom in; multiple locations are overlapping

Frequently asked questions

You may also be interested in finding out the temperature of the water at the beach you're looking to visit.

Water temperature (Weather.gov)

  • What causes a beach advisory?

    Wildlife waste (especially from waterfowl, like geese), agricultural runoff, pet manure, wastewater spills, toxic algae, and leaking septic systems can make beaches temporarily unhealthy and off-limits to the public.

    Typically, after a rainstorm, everything on land gets washed into the surface waters including beaches - that's when bacteria (such as Escherichia coli (E. coli)) and other harmful microbes may enter the water. 

    Beach water quality typically recovers in a day or two after a spike from rainfall.

  • What if I swim anyway?

    If you choose to swim despite a closure or advisory, know that diseases acquired from contact with contaminated water can cause gastrointestinal illness; neurological symptoms; wound infections; and affect the skin, ears, eyes, and respiratory systems.

    The most commonly reported symptoms are stomach cramps, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and low-grade fever. 

  • Who tests beach water?

    Our staff monitor Michigan’s surface waters, such as lakes and streams, but not beaches specifically.

    The authority to monitor public beaches and close them based on conditions rests with local health officers – typically regional or county health departments.

    These departments regularly monitor about 400 beaches each year. We provide many of them with state and federal funds to support this monitoring.

  • A closeup of an E. coli bacteria shaped like a pill with many long hairs

    Understanding the science behind Michigan beach monitoring

    A beach advisory or closure is issued by a local health department when monitoring results indicate contamination is present. 

    The beach is posted when either the daily geometric mean or the 30-day geometric mean of Escherichia coli (E. coli) is higher than the safe limit. 

    Beaches are reopened when monitoring results show the beach is safe for swimming.

Contact information

For questions about specific beaches or test results, contact your local health department. 

For questions about EGLE's involvement in beach water monitoring, contact Shannon Briggs, Toxicologist at BriggsS4@Michigan.gov or 517-290-8249.

You can use this link to share this page: Michigan.gov/BeachGuard.

History of BeachGuard

BeachGuard was previously a stand-alone application, but as of March 2025 it has been consolidated to MiEnviro Portal - our largest permitting and compliance application.

New features include:

  • Options to organize data by county, ownership, or closures.
  • Options for viewing the map from street or satellite views.
  • The ability for users to sign up for and manage custom alerts.