Incredible photos: Frozen lake Michigan shatters into stunning ice shards

Shards of ice pile up on Lake Michigan along the South Haven Pier in South Haven. Photo / AP

Captivating photos show a frozen Lake Michigan covered in a blanket of ice shards.

This week, as spring comes to the US town South Haven, the frozen water shattered into a million pieces from the heat.

Shards of ice pile up on Lake Michigan along the South Haven Pier in South Haven. Photo / AP

The incredible images were captured on Tuesday (local time) as the Coast Guard warned locals to be careful as the frozen lake begins to break apart, according to MLive.com.

"No ice is safe ice especially this time of year," Coast Guard chief Grant Heffner told the site.

"The ice is certainly deteriorating and breaking up."

Shards of ice pile up on Lake Michigan along the South Haven Pier in South Haven, Michigan. Photo / AP

The amazing shattered formation was caused by water moving underneath the ice, causing it to float in unique patterns.

The lake is melting quickly, causing the water to push up sheets of ice to the surface.

The temperature in Lake Michigan reached 23 degrees below zero during the frigid winter. A total of 56 per cent of it had been frozen.

Shards of ice pile up on Lake Michigan along the South Haven Pier in South Haven. Photo / AP