From the frigid depths of the lakes to the wind-swept shorelines and bustling railways that surround the inland seas, Lake Effect dives into the most haunting shipwrecks connected to the Great Lakes. Through gripping storytelling and immersive research, the podcast uncovers the forgotten tales and living legends of the region—where the lakes are never far away, and every disaster echoes across water and land. Lake Effect brings you true tales of courage, loss, and the relentless forces of nature at the heart of North America.
The Lake Serpent: Lake Erie’s Mysterious 1829 Shipwreck
In September 1829, the schooner Lake Serpent left the islands of western Lake Erie carrying a heavy cargo bound for Cleveland. Somewhere on the return voyage, the ship vanished. Weeks passed with no word from the crew, until disturbing evidence began appearing along the Ohio shoreline.
Nearly two centuries later, a tiny shape appeared on a sonar screen near the Lake Erie islands, launching an underwater investigation into one of the lake’s oldest maritime mysteries.
In this episode of Lake Effect, we trace the final voyage of the Lake Serpent, the men who disappeared with her, the clues preserved in 1829 newspaper reports, and the modern search for a ship lost beneath Lake Erie for generations.
Plus, hear about Now That's Just Odd, our new podcast featuring bizarre true stories that sound almost too strange to believe, including its first episode about the shipwreck of the SS Badger State.
19 Sept 2026
The Manasoo: A Desperate Run for Griffith Island
In September 1928, the aging steamer Manasoo set out across Georgian Bay carrying passengers, automobiles, and more than 100 head of cattle. As darkness fell and the weather worsened, sometime after midnight, the ship began behaving strangely.
Why was the Manasoo listing? Where was the water coming from? And could Captain John McKay reach Griffith Island before the situation became uncontrollable?
In this episode of Lake Effect, we trace the remarkable history of the former passenger steamer Macassa, her transformation into the Manasoo, and a final voyage that became one of Lake Huron’s most haunting maritime mysteries.
16 Sept 2026
D. R. Hanna: Collision on Lake Huron
On May 16, 1919, the massive Great Lakes freighter D. R. Hanna was carrying a valuable cargo of wheat across Lake Huron when thick fog closed in near Thunder Bay Island.
Somewhere ahead, another enormous freighter was approaching.
The two ships could hear each other before they could see each other, relying on whistle signals to safely pass in the fog. Then one signal changed everything.
In this episode of Lake Effect, we follow the troubled history of the D. R. Hanna, her earlier collisions and groundings, and the dramatic final voyage that brought two massive freighters dangerously close together on Lake Huron.
A story of fog, steel, split-second decisions, and one of the strangest Great Lakes disasters of 1919.
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Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
7 ratings
Spotify
4.6 / 5
11 ratings
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