Moored observations of winds, currents, and temperature made off the southeastern Lake Michigan shore during 1998 to 2000 winter-spring periods are studied to describe the mean winter circulation and episodic circulation during northerly storms in Lake Michigan. Late winter-spring sediment plumes in southeastern Lake Michigan were attributed to these episodic circulation features. The winter-spring currents in southeastern Lake Michigan are quite depth independent, and the mean currents flow predominantly alongshore and toward the north. The observed currents show the signature of a forced two-gyre circulation in the southeastern basin. The interannual variability of mean and fluctuating currents is mainly due to the variability of prevailing wind-forcing. The intermittent episodic circulation influenced by northerly storms causes significant asymmetry to the mean circulation. During northerly storm episodes, the mean current speeds increased significantly, and the currents within 10 km of shore followed the surface wind stress, while farther offshore the circulation was oppositely directed. During these episodes it is also observed that the combination of directly wind-forced currents and northward propagating vorticity wave generates significant offshore transport in this region.