Saxon Harbor Webcam – Check Lake Superior Before You Launch

The Saxon Harbor Webcam looks out from the marina at Saxon Harbor, the Iron County park on Lake Superior’s Oronto Bay in far northern Wisconsin. A long breakwater runs across the middle of the frame with a navigation light on its tip, a second wall and light close the entrance on the right, and open lake fills everything beyond them. In the foreground sit the harbor basin, a wooden dock, a concrete promenade with benches and a picnic shelter with a red roof. The camera is a quick read on the big lake: whitecaps outside the wall against calmer water inside, cloud decks building over the horizon, and in summer boats running out through the gap. By late autumn the docks are usually empty.

About Saxon Harbor

Saxon Harbor sits at the mouth of Oronto Creek in the Town of Saxon, about 23 kilometers (14 miles) northwest of Hurley in a straight line. Iron County Forestry and Parks runs both the marina and the campground beside it. The Montreal River, which forms the border between Wisconsin and Michigan, reaches Lake Superior on the same bay to the east, so the state line is never far from the camera. West of the harbor, a sandy beach runs for about 6.4 kilometers (4 miles) along the shore.

People were landing here long before the breakwaters went in. The harbor marks the start of the Flambeau Trail, an ancient Native American trade route that led inland, and from 1808 to 1830 John Jacob Astor’s American Fur Company kept a trading post on the site. The modern marina took shape in 2006, when a $2.17 million expansion added a new basin, shoreline protection, docks and restrooms, paid for mainly through a federal grant secured by Congressman Dave Obey.

Ten years later most of it was gone. On the night of July 11, 2016, storms dropped up to 254 millimeters (10 inches) of rain in 24 hours and Oronto Creek tore through the harbor, carrying off boats, vehicles, asphalt, concrete and campground trailers. Eighty-five boats were damaged, and a local man died when his truck was swept off a bridge as he drove in to help people at the campground. Repairs cost just under $15 million. The campground was moved out of the floodplain, the creek banks were armored with rip rap, and a larger bridge and a concrete spillway were built before the county held a grand opening on June 11, 2021.

Weather and Climate in Saxon Harbor

The nearest long-term weather station is at Ironwood, Michigan, inland across the state line. Its 1991 to 2020 normals put January highs around -7°C (20°F) and lows near -16°C (4°F), and Ironwood averages about 471 centimeters (185 inches) of snow a year. In midwinter the camera can show snow piled along the promenade, ice working into the basin and a white haze over the open lake. Spring arrives late: April highs average about 9°C (48°F), with lows near -2°C (28°F), and the docks usually stay quiet until the boating season opens.

July is the warmest month, with highs around 25°C (76°F) and lows near 13°C (56°F), and it is when the slips fill and the ramps get busy. October cools to highs of about 11°C (53°F) and lows of 2°C (35°F). Autumn storms can throw spray over the outer wall while the water inside stays fairly calm, and a lake that looks flat in the morning can be lined with whitecaps by afternoon.

Things to Do Near Saxon Harbor

The harbor itself is the main draw. The marina has 81 slips with water and 20, 30 and 50 amp power, transient docking along the wall, gasoline and diesel, a pump out, three boat ramps and a kayak launch, plus a boat lift service and outdoor winter storage. The county campground next door has 31 sites, five of them walk-in tent sites, with showers and a dump station. Reservations open on January 1 for the year ahead, and firewood has to come from within 40 kilometers (25 miles) or from a Wisconsin-certified dealer. Birders come here too: the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology lists Saxon Harbor among its Iron County birding sites.

The sandy beach running west from the harbor is the obvious walk. A short drive east, Superior Falls drops 27 meters (90 feet) on the Montreal River where it divides Iron County from Gogebic County, Michigan. About 10 kilometers (6 miles) along the shore to the east-northeast, Little Girls Point County Park in Michigan has a campground right on the lake.

Similar Webcams You Might Like

More Lake Superior harbors and Northwoods towns are a click away.

• Bayfield Webcam
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Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Saxon Harbor located?

Saxon Harbor is on Lake Superior’s Oronto Bay in the Town of Saxon, Iron County, in the far north of Wisconsin. It lies about 23 kilometers (14 miles) northwest of Hurley in a straight line, close to where the Montreal River marks the Michigan border.

What can you see on the Saxon Harbor Webcam?

The Saxon Harbor Webcam looks from the marina out through the harbor entrance. The breakwaters and their navigation lights cross the middle of the frame, open Lake Superior fills the background, and the basin, a wooden dock, the promenade and a picnic shelter sit in the foreground.

Is Saxon Harbor in Wisconsin or Michigan?

Saxon Harbor is in Wisconsin. The Montreal River, the state line with Michigan, enters Lake Superior on the same bay to the east, so Gogebic County, Michigan, begins just beyond it.

What is the weather like at Saxon Harbor?

Winters are long and snowy. Normals at nearby Ironwood put January highs around -7°C (20°F), with about 471 centimeters (185 inches) of snow a year. July highs average about 25°C (76°F), with lows near 13°C (56°F).

What happened to Saxon Harbor in the 2016 flood?

On the night of July 11, 2016, up to 254 millimeters (10 inches) of rain fell in 24 hours and Oronto Creek overflowed through the harbor. It destroyed the marina and campground, damaged 85 boats and cost one life.

When did Saxon Harbor reopen after the flood?

Iron County held a grand opening for the rebuilt harbor on June 11, 2021, after repairs costing just under $15 million. The campground was moved out of the floodplain and the creek banks were reinforced.

Can you camp at Saxon Harbor?

Yes. The county campground has 31 sites, including five walk-in tent sites, with water, electric hookups, showers and a dump station. Reservations open on January 1 each year.

How many boat slips does Saxon Harbor have?

The marina has 81 slips with water and electric service, plus transient docking, fuel, a pump out, three boat ramps and a kayak launch.

Source: Iron County Forestry and Parks