Bayfield Webcam – See Lake Superior and Madeline Island

The Bayfield Webcam sits on the rooftop of The Bayfield Inn and looks east across Bayfield Harbor toward Lake Superior and Madeline Island. Sailboat masts fill the marina through the summer, and the Madeline Island ferry crosses the frame on its run to La Pointe. Past the breakwater the water opens toward the Apostle Islands, which can fade to a low grey line in haze or stand out sharply on a clear morning. The camera runs year round, so the same view gives flat blue water in July and pack ice in February. Fog, snow and frost on the housing do obscure it at times.

About Bayfield, Wisconsin

Bayfield had 584 residents at the 2020 census, which makes it the smallest city in Wisconsin by population. It covers 2.25 square kilometers (0.87 square miles) on a hillside above the water at roughly 253 meters (830 feet), and the streets climb steeply enough that the harbor stays in view from most of town. The name dates to 1856, when the settlement was named for Henry Bayfield, a British Royal Navy surveyor who charted this corner of Lake Superior in 1822 and 1823. A post office has operated here under that name ever since.

Lumber and commercial fishing built the place, and it served for a time as the Bayfield County seat. Tourism replaced both. The town now works as the gateway to Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, and the National Park Service headquarters for the lakeshore sits in town rather than out on the water. The protected area takes in 21 islands and 28,140 hectares (69,540 acres), with 249 kilometers (155 miles) of shoreline.

Madeline Island, the long dark shape across the channel in the camera’s frame, is the largest of the Apostle Islands and the only one left out of the national lakeshore. It is also the only island in the chain open to private ownership. The village of La Pointe on its western edge has a year round population of about 302, and the island has been a spiritual center of the Lake Superior Chippewa for centuries under its Ojibwe name, Mooningwanekaaning.

Weather and Climate in Bayfield

Lake Superior governs conditions here more than the calendar does. It is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area, and that volume of cold water holds spring back and pushes autumn warmth into October. Wind off the open lake can also build cloud and fog that sits over the harbor while the hills behind town stay clear.

July is the warmest month, averaging highs near 25 C (76 F) and overnight lows around 17 C (62 F). That is when the harbor is busiest on camera, with sailboats working in and out of the marina and the ferry running its full schedule. August follows close behind at 23 C (74 F). September still averages 20 C (68 F) by day, and the maples on the ridge start to turn in the last week of the month.

October cools to about 12 C (54 F). By January the average high sits near minus 5 C (23 F) with lows around minus 10 C (14 F), ice forms in the harbor, and in colder winters it reaches across the channel toward La Pointe. March averages 2 C (35 F) and April only 6 C (43 F), so the thaw on camera is a slow one. May reaches 15 C (58 F) and the docks fill again.

Things to Do Near Bayfield

The Madeline Island Ferry Line runs from the dock below the camera to La Pointe, a crossing of about 25 minutes over roughly 4 kilometers (3 miles) of water. Big Bay State Park on the island has sandstone bluffs and a long sand beach. The mainland sea caves at Meyers Beach, north of town along Highway 13, are the best known sight in the lakeshore, reached by kayak in summer and on foot in the rare winters when the National Park Service declares the ice safe.

In town, the Bayfield Maritime Museum and the Bayfield Heritage Museum cover the fishing and shipping years, and several galleries stay open through the season. Lake Superior Big Top Chautauqua, an all canvas tent theater running since 1986, sets up each summer at the base of Mount Ashwabay about 5 kilometers (3 miles) south. Apple Fest takes over the streets on the first weekend of October and draws roughly 60,000 people to a town of under 600. Bayfield Race Week sails during the week of July 4, and the Festival of Arts runs the third weekend of July. Ashland lies 25 kilometers (15 miles) south across Chequamegon Bay, and Duluth is about 97 kilometers (61 miles) west.

Similar Webcams You Might Like

Three more cameras on the same stretch of Lake Superior shoreline.

• Madeline Island Yacht Club Webcam
• Split Rock Lighthouse Webcam
• Duluth Canal Webcam

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the Bayfield Webcam located?

On the roof of The Bayfield Inn on Rittenhouse Avenue, at the north end of the Bayfield Peninsula in northern Wisconsin.

What can you see on the Bayfield Webcam?

Bayfield Harbor and its marina in the foreground, the channel and the Madeline Island ferry route in the middle distance, and Lake Superior with Madeline Island and the Apostle Islands beyond.

Does Bayfield Harbor freeze in winter?

Yes. Ice forms in the harbor most winters, and in colder years it extends across the channel to La Pointe. How far it reaches varies year to year.

What is the weather like in Bayfield, Wisconsin?

Summers are mild, with July highs near 25 C (76 F). Winters are cold, with January highs around minus 5 C (23 F) and lows near minus 10 C (14 F). Lake Superior keeps spring cool and autumn mild.

How do you get to Madeline Island from Bayfield?

By the Madeline Island Ferry Line, which crosses to La Pointe in about 25 minutes. The ferry dock is a short walk from the camera position.

How big is Bayfield, Wisconsin?

584 people at the 2020 census, the smallest city by population in Wisconsin, on 2.25 square kilometers (0.87 square miles).

When is the busiest time to watch the camera?

Summer through early October. Bayfield Race Week during the week of July 4, the Festival of Arts on the third weekend of July, and Apple Fest on the first weekend of October are the days with the most happening in frame.

Does the camera run at night?

The stream runs 24 hours a day, though after dark the harbor is lit only by dock and street lighting, so there is far less to see than in daylight.

Source: Bayfield Live