Because Isle Royale is so far north, springtime often comes a little late. The typical spring weather of rain, fog, cooler days with a hand-full of perfect days usually occurs in May, June, and part of July. It is common to find a few rainy days in all parts of the summer nor is it common to find a stretch of sunny warm days in the early part of the season! Usually by late July, August, September the weather starts to dry out and you will find more sunny, nice days than not. Of course, we cannot predict the weather, nor do we have any control over it.

It is best to prepare to stay another night. Although it is not frequent, it does happen annually.

Safety is our number one concern at Rock Harbor Lodge. Especially when we are surrounded by the largest, coldest, freshwater lake in the world. Lake Superior, and her notorious weather spats of abrupt high winds, or swift fog banks, are not something we take lightly. Our management staff and employees have spent numerous seasons at Isle Royale, well enough to know how fast the weather can change, for the better or for worse.

If you plan to rent a canoe, kayak, motorboat, or even plan to take a sightseeing tour, fishing charter, or water taxi, please remember that all watercraft is subject to lake and weather conditions. We are not trying to ruin your vacation or hinder your fun on Isle Royale by not letting you take out a watercraft. But because of their years of experience, our staff can make critical and accurate decisions every day to ensure your safety.

Please understand that that goes for the most experienced when it comes to the use of the equipment and to those who have experience navigating Isle Royale waters. Rock Harbor Lodge does not have any control on those who bring their own watercraft to the island, nor do we base our decision to rent or not to rent on outside visitor recommendations. If you have any other questions regarding our policy, please contact our management staff.