Stannard Rock Fishing — Weather

 

Stannard Rock is located 12 degrees and 37.0 Nautical miles* northeast of Marquette. The nearest point of land is Manitou Island at the tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula which is 23 nautical miles to the northwest. The nearest harbor of safe refuge is Big Bay, Michigan which is 29.9* nautical miles and 225 degrees from Stannard Rock. Needless to say, Stannard Rock is in very open water and subject to winds from any direction. Generally easterly, southeasterly, northeasterly, and southerly winds have the most fetch (distance to build) and account for the highest wave conditions. Northwest and southwest winds have the most shadowing effect because of the Big Bay area and the Keweenaw Peninsula. Westerly winds blown down the Keweenaw Bay and have more fetch. Waves increase in size because of wind speed, direction, fetch, and water temperature vs. air temperature. Early in the year when the water is colder, i.e. 40 degrees and air temperature higher i.e. 75 degrees, a boundary layer is set up and the wind really doesn’t get down to the surface far out in the lake. The result is calmer conditions. In August as the water warms the water and air temps come together and the waves build. For these reasons best time to go out to Stannard Rock is normally from late May through the middle of August. Of course, any day the wind is light and the wave conditions not over 2 feet is a good day. The Rock becomes unfishable before it becomes unsafe. Generally our rule of thumb for going or not going to Stannard Rock is the winds must be forecast to not greater than 1-3 feet unless not greater than 2-4 feet from the north are forecast not before 12:00 PM. Its is always the Captains Descretion. We also take a look at the 3 Data Buoys in mid Lake Superior and the Stannard Rock weather located on top of the lighthouse. Note: The lighthouse is 102 feet above the surface of the lake and the winds there are usually about 5-6 knots higher than on the surface of the lake. It does not report wave conditions. The Data Buoys report hourly wave heights and intervals.

You can click on each of the three Data Buoys and Stannard Rock for the hourly observations:
Stannard Rock—http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/station_page.php?station=stdm4

Data Buoy 45006—http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/station_page.php?station=45006
Data Buoy 45001—http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/station_page.php?station=45001
Data Buoy 45004---http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/station_page.php?station=45004

Marquette National Weather ServiceWebsite-

Marquette National Weather Service Telephone 906-475-5212

Tracking Thunderstorms in the area:
The Radar is located at the Marquette National Weather Service at the Old Marquette County Airport and by calling them on the telephone they can tell you where storms are headed and how fast. 906-475-5212