Lake Superior’s Fury: Honoring the Edmund Fitzgerald 50 Years Later (The Storms of 2025)

On November 9th, 1975 the ore freighter Edmund Fitzgerald set sail from Superior WI with a full load of 26,000 tons of iron ore, bound for Detroit MI. Measuring 729ft long, the ship was once the largest ship on the Lakes when constructed, although by this time there were many larger ships, including the first thousand footers. Weather was clear upon departure but quickly worsened as she moved into the Lake. She was soon was joined by the newly rebuilt and larger Arthur M Anderson, departing out of Two Harbors. As the weather worsened over the next day, the Fitzgerald started having more and more issues, taking on water which the pumps kept up with, and reported to the Anderson that she’d lost two vent coverers and part of her railing. In late afternoon her radar took a hit from a wave, knocking it out, needing Anderson to guide her via radio. By 4pm the ship had taken on a list, with waves of 25ft and swells reaching an estimated 35ft. At 7:10pm 11/10/75, just off Whitefish Point and the calm waters of the bay behind it, Anderson asked for an update, the response was “we’re holding our own”. She was never heard from again. Two massive waves hit the pair, and when Anderson stabilized, the Fitzgerald had vanished both visually and on radar. Uncertain what had happened due to the conditions, Anderson pushed on to Whitefish Bay hoping to find the Fitzgerald there, but she never emerged. Radioing a distress call for the other ship, Anderson turned around and returned into the storm, leading a rescue party that included ships from across the entire lake. Anderson found a smashed lifeboat and other debris, but the ship itself was nowhere to be seen. Four days later the ship was discovered by a sonar towing USGS survey vessel, laying 530ft below the water broken in 2 large pieces and 200ft of her mid-section completely shredded, no sign of her 29 man crew.

Today, the lakers still face off with Superior on daily basis, taking on the waves, making the very same runs. The lessons of the wreck were learned however, they often stop and wait out the storms at anchor and other precautions if the weather gets too bad. But on occasion you still can see some pretty spectacular displays of Ship vs Nature, and the Duluth Canal allows people on shore to get a close up view of the action. For 2025, much of the true Gale activity has occurred on the other side of the lake, but we still got quite a few fairly nice wave displays this year, even if they weren’t quite as large. It still offers a glimpse of what these ships and crews go through on the open waters. As large as some of the waves seen here are, they can reach sizes several times larger!

0:00 Erie Trader

Modern ATB-type laker Erie Trader, taking her first load of the year on 3/23/25 into the Lake, which decided to test her fresh crew with heavy seas.

2:31 Paul R Tregurtha

Second video is the Paul R Tregurtha, the Fitzgerald’s successor, being the current largest freshwater ship. She departed 9/14/25, taking on not only large waves and strong winds, but also dense fog

5:31 Indiana Harbor

Holder of the world record for a freshwater cargo load (77,500 tons), Indiana Harbor departed 5/19/25 at the head of the year’s most intense gale so far, the lake becoming very violent just hours later, forcing her to take shelter along the shoreline.

7:35 American Century
Departing 5/1/25 into a strong wind, American Century made a dramatic nighttime departure and made it look easy.

10:39 Thunder Bay
Large waves aren’t the only challenge for a lake crew! This Canadian Laker arrived 6/26/25 in a brutal crosswind through Superior with driving rain and some of the most miserable conditions I’ve ever experienced.

11:12 Herbert C Jackson
The Jackson was built in the same dock immediately after the Fitzgerald, by the same people. While she’s slightly smaller she is the closest thing to the Fitzgerald still sailing. She made a departure on 6/14/25 through some sizable waves of her own, slicing through them like butter and displaying just how bad that storm must have been.

13:13 James R Barker
The same day as the Jackson’s footage and with growing waves, James R Barker took on the Canal with style and action, showing off her famous horn

16:40 Algoma Innovator
Fog is one of the biggest challenges for ships, and this scene shows how bad it can get!

17:35 Algoma Equinox
Departing Superior Entry into larger waves 4/1/25, this would have been the last place anyone on shore would have seen the Fitzgerald

18:06 American Mariner
Featuring identical dimentions as the Fitzgerald, American Mariner taking on an intense blizzard 1/12/25

20:27 Michigan Trader
Making a very dark departure 10/26/25, the 2020 built ATB ship took on some large waves with spotlight ablaze.

22:22 Arthur M Anderson
The Legend Herself! Hasn’t sailed this year at all sadly, leading to quite a bit of concern. Her future is unknown. Has the Sun truly set on her, or could she sail again, as some signs point to?

Enjoy!