Poe Reef Light

The Poe Reef Light marks the east end of South Channel, a crucial passage between Bois Blanc Island and the Lower Peninsula mainland on Lake Huron, roughly six miles east of Cheboygan, Michigan. Positioned offshore near the reef that bears its name, the tower guides vessels navigating the narrow route that winds around a shallow, ship‑danger area.

The tower is a square concrete structure painted with alternating white and black daymark bands and capped by a red‑topped lantern. It rises 56 ft tall, and its light sits 71 ft (21.6 m) above the water. The lantern originally housed a third‑order Fresnel lens; today it uses a 375 mm acrylic optic. The light displays an isophase white flash every two seconds and can be seen for 9 nmi. A foghorn sounds one blast every 30 seconds, and the station transmits a “Z” racon signal.

Before the tower was erected, four lightships—Nos. 62, 59, 96 and 99—served the reef beginning in 1893. The present concrete lighthouse was constructed and first lit in 1929, replacing the lightships that had proved difficult to station. The United States Lighthouse Service oversaw its design, and the facility was automated in 1974, ending the need for a resident keeper.

Today the light remains an active, automated aid to navigation on Lake Huron. It is unmanned and continues to serve vessels passing the channel.

Light and tower

It lies on Lake Huron. The light has a focal height of 21.6 metres. It was automated in 1974. Its recorded status is active.