Lake Huron Shoreline Protection & Improvements

Whether you’re dealing with rocky shorelines, clay bluffs, or sandy beaches, it’s important to protect your waterfront investment. Once erosion begins the damage is often irreversible.

That’s where we can help. Since 1996, Lakeshore Guys has helped property owners stop erosion, stabilize damaged shorelines, and create beautiful waterfronts that provide years of stress-free enjoyment.

With our riprap shoreline installation, custom staircases, and durable boat ramps, you can:

• Protect your property value and prevent further land loss.
• Gain safe, convenient access to your waterfront.
• Create a beautiful shoreline that adds to your property’s appeal.

Don’t let shoreline issues steal the enjoyment from your days by the water.

Contact us to discuss your situation, or read on to learn more about what we can offer your Lake Huron property.

Lake Huron: Freshwater Sea

French explorers named it after the Huron people, though the indigenous Wyandot called it Karegnondi, which means Freshwater Sea.

That’s a fitting name. The second-largest Great Lake by surface area, Lake Huron covers 23,000 square miles and has an average depth of nearly 200 feet.

It has the most shoreline of all Great Lakes at over 3,800 miles, a number that includes shoreline from its over 30,000 islands.

Manitoulin Island sits at the lake’s northern edge and is the largest freshwater island in the world.

The shoreline varies significantly around the lake. The northern Canadian shores consist of granite bedrock and thousands of islands, while the southern Canadian areas combine cobble beaches and agricultural lands. Michigan’s western coast transitions from clay bluffs near Saginaw Bay to sandy beaches in the south.

Properties around the lake include remote island cottages accessible only by boat, luxury estates along the Bruce Peninsula, and Mackinac Island’s historic waterfront homes. But regardless of location or property type, Lake Huron waterfront owners often face similar shoreline challenges.

Lake Huron Shoreline Problems

Severe Weather and Wave Damage
As a general rule, the larger a body of water, the more opportunity waves have to gather energy. Lake Huron’s gives them plenty of room, especially when northwest winds blow across the lake’s full 206-mile length.

Waves can reach heights of over 20 feet during severe storms, but even smaller waves create problems through their repetitive impact by eroding beaches, damaging infrastructure, and reshaping the shoreline.

Intense storms can cause years’ worth of erosion in a single 24-48 hour period. In 2020, record-high water levels combined with powerful waves destroyed large portions of M-185 highway on Mackinac Island. Seven-foot waves slammed ashore with such force they piled beach pebbles feet-deep on the roadway, while chunks of asphalt collapsed directly into the lake.

For residential properties, storms can wash away unprotected landscaping, decks, and staircases.

In between storm events, freeze-thaw cycles and heavy lake-effect snowfall continue destabilizing vulnerable shorelines.

Water Level Fluctuations
From 2013 to 2020, Lake Huron experienced one of the biggest water level swings in recorded history. They rose over 6 feet total, essentially the full range of water levels documented since 1918.

The rapid rise left previously safe properties vulnerable to wave action for the first time. Unlike the water levels that caused it, the resulting shoreline damage is usually permanent.

Ice Push & Ice Heaving
Though Lake Huron rarely freezes completely over, it frequently forms significant nearshore ice that can exert a lot of pressure on shorelines. Shore ice can pile up in ridges 6-12 feet high or more, and ice-shove events have pushed boulders and docks inland over 50 feet in some areas.

Ice expansion can generate forces of up to 30,000 pounds per square foot. Without properly designed barriers and systems to divert the pressure, this seasonal ice can cause lasting damage that gets worse with each freeze cycle.

Bluff Instability
Many Lake Huron properties, particularly along Michigan’s western shore, sit atop bluffs 30 to 100 feet high. The bluffs are often composed of soft erosion-prone clay, silt, and sand materials left behind by ancient glaciers.

Bluffs become unstable as waves erode the base and rainwater saturates the upper layers. The combination of wave action below and water infiltration above has led to emergency situations where homes have required immediate evacuation or demolition.

When water infiltrates cracks and freezes, it can expand 9% by volume, loosening soil and widening fissures. This freeze-thaw cycle is a major factor in bluff destabilization, especially during spring when snow melt elevates groundwater levels.

Saturated slopes can fail spontaneously when undercut by erosion at the base.

Muskrat Undermining
Muskrats create hidden but serious threats to shoreline stability. They swim to the water’s edge and tunnel into banks and bluffs. The tunnels often remain invisible until they collapse, creating sinkholes in yards and undermining shoreline structures.

Without proper protection burrowing damage gets progressively worse. Even well-built shorelines can be compromised when animals gnaw through standard landscape fabric and dig between stones.

Shoreline Protection: Stop Erosion Now

Once part of your shoreline is lost, it’s extremely difficult—often impossible—to fully recover it.

Our riprap shorelines focus on two critical needs: immediately stopping further erosion and stabilizing shoreline that has already been damaged.

Riprap (large, durable stones carefully positioned along the shore) creates a strong barrier that disperses wave energy before it can reach your property. This protection is especially important for bluff properties, where preventing toe erosion at the base is needed for long-term slope stability.

Even during high water levels, severe storms, and ice pressure events, our shorelines continue protecting your investment when other solutions fail.

Riprap is also effective at deterring burrowing animals like muskrats from undermining the shoreline. Our solution includes installing PVC-coated steel Muskrat Mesh™ under shoreline materials, extending both above and below the waterline to deter burrowing.

For properties that have already experienced significant erosion, our stabilization process strengthens what remains and creates a protective barrier that preserves your remaining shoreline. While we can’t recover what’s already gone to Lake Huron, we can help make sure you don’t lose more valuable property.

While other solutions often require expensive periodic replacement, our riprap shorelines need very little maintenance. You won’t find yourself in the cycle of repairs that plague many Lake Huron properties with poorly designed shorelines.

When you choose Lakeshore Guys, you’re investing in both immediate protection and long-term peace of mind.

Custom Aluminum Staircases: Safe Shoreline Access

Steep banks, bluffs, or dunes shouldn’t prevent you from enjoying your Lake Huron waterfront. Our custom aluminum staircases provide safe and durable access.

Aluminum resists the humidity, shore ice, lake-effect snow, and UV exposure that can damage other materials over time.

We design each staircase to fit your property’s characteristics. Whether your terrain requires complex switchbacks down a towering bluff or a direct route along a moderate slope, our custom designs work with your specific situation.

Many customers tell us their staircase dramatically increased the enjoyment of their property simply by providing reliable, worry-free access to the waterfront they already owned but couldn’t easily reach.

Looking for a material other than aluminum?

While aluminum makes a great staircase, it isn’t the only option. We can build you a durable staircase out of a wide range of other materials, including:

Lumber. A classic look that blends well with wooded properties. Lumber is usually the most practical choice for extra steep slopes, because we can customize it to any rise or run.

Prefabricated concrete. Clean, modern appearance with excellent durability. Many colors and blends are available. It’s our #1 best-seller.

Flagstone. Elegant natural stone that complements traditional landscaping with rough-hewn charm.

Sawn boulders. Heavy-duty construction for the most challenging terrain.

Each material has its advantages depending on your property’s style, usage needs, and the specific conditions of your shoreline.

Boat Ramps Built to Last

Completed boat ramp as seen from the water

Enjoy easier water access with a boat ramp designed for anything Lake Huron can throw its way.

Our textured surfaces give reliable traction for safe footing while helping protect your boat from damage during launching and retrieving. The consistent slope works effectively during various water level conditions.

Segmented Concrete. A good choice for many Lake Huron properties, prefabricated concrete segments are bolted together and secured onto a bed of compacted gravel. The small gaps between segments are filled with more compacted gravel, creating drainage channels that prevent washout.

Recycled Timber. An environmentally friendly option that provides excellent traction and blends beautifully with natural surroundings.

Gravel. For lighter watercraft or more protected areas, a gravel ramp offers a simple appearance while providing good launch capabilities.

During the first major storm or significant water level change, when many standard ramps fail, yours will remain intact and functional.

Contact Lakeshore Guys to Give Your Stretch of Lake Huron New Life

If enjoying your part of the lake requires you to halt the erosion and make your shoreline more solid, then you’re in luck. Our DNR-approved practices, shoreline innovations, in-depth explanations of our processes, photos, videos, and best-in-industry reviews make your next step a clear and easy one. Contact Lakeshore Guys today for a consultation.