These are Michigan’s 5 deepest lakes outside of the Great Lakes

Many of Michigan’s top tourist attractions are centered around the Great Lakes, which is a little surprising, since the state touches four huge bodies of water. From the luscious beaches of Sleeping Bear Dunes to the golden glamor of Mackinac Island, the Great Lakes make for a great time.

But the Great Lakes aren’t the only really big lakes in the state. Michigan has more than 11,000 inland lakes, with more freshwater shoreline than any other state in the United States. Michigan’s many beautiful inland lakes offer sunny sand, swimming and boating opportunities without the crowds you’ll find at some of the more popular Great Lakes beaches. depth of Lake Superior).

You’ll find Michigan’s deep inland lakes in the northern regions of both the Lower Peninsula and Upper Peninsula. This location is not an accident; These lakes were mostly formed by glacial activity during the Pleistocene epoch, which ended about 10,000 years ago. Today, these lakes are a boon for summer tourism, attracting visitors from around the world who want to swim, boat, fish and simply enjoy the scenery. If you’re thinking about visiting Michigan on your summer itinerary, here are five deep inland lakes in the state that should be on your radar.

Read more: Hidden dangers of swimming in the Caribbean Sea

Elk Lake

Located in the northern part of the Lower Peninsula, Elk Lake has a maximum depth of 150 feet and covers 8,194 acres. It is separated from Lake Michigan by a thin strip of land and surrounded by the small towns of Elk Rapids and Kewadin.

Visitors to Elk Lake are impressed by the beauty of the clear water surrounded by trees. Swimming, boating and fishing are all popular summer activities, as are water sports such as tubing, water skiing and wakeboarding.

Freshwater snorkelers can see lake trout swimming and sunken wrecks like the 1903 Shell Schoon shipwreck. Want to explore the surrounding area? In addition to being adjacent to Lake Michigan, Elk Lake is part of the Chain of Lakes Water Trail, an inland water trail spanning more than 100 miles across 12 interconnected lakes and rivers in northwestern Michigan. Past visitors to Google describe the lake as their “favorite place in the world” and “the best place up north.”

Thumb Lake

At 152 feet deep, Thumb Lake (also known as Lake Louise) is slightly deeper than Elk Lake but much smaller in surface area, at 510 acres. Despite its name, it is not located in the “Thumb” of Michigan but in the northern part of the Lower Peninsula, between the towns of Vanderbilt and Boyne Falls.

Thumb Lake is a kettle lake, meaning it formed within a depression left by a glacier. It is also a seepage lake, meaning it only loses water through evaporation and groundwater channels, not through the outlet (so water stays in the lake much longer than other lakes).

Visitors enjoy spending time on Thumb Lake’s sandy, 1,600-wide beach, a portion of which is dog-friendly. Swimming, boating and fishing are all popular during the summer months. Reviewers comment on the clear water and peaceful surroundings (spotted cell service in the area adds to this effect).

Lake Angeline

Head to northern Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and you’ll find Angeline Lake, which is 162 feet deep at its deepest point and only 96 acres in area. It is located within the small town of Ishpeming, a charming gem with old sights. Unlike the other lakes on this list, Lake Angeline was not formed by a glacier.

Instead, it was created in a former open-pit and shaft iron mine. In the late 19th century, the old body of water that stood here was completely drained and its bottom was extensively mined for iron ore. In the early 1940s, it began to refill and was eventually rebuilt as a fishing lake and stocked with rainbow trout.

Today, scuba divers can see remnants of a submerged forest that grew there as the lake slowly filled in over the years. Lake Angeline is a popular fishing lake and is regularly stocked with many trout species, including speck. Ice fishermen often go out on the ice in the winter. And in summer, people take advantage of the boat launch. Although some prefer to stay away from its cold waters, others also enjoy swimming in the lake.

Crystal Lake

Like Elk Lake, Crystal Lake is located in northwestern Michigan and is separated from Lake Michigan by a thin strip of land that turns it into a separate, inland lake. Crystal Lake has a unique history: it is both natural and artificial. In 1873, a man named Archibald Jones attempted to build a series of locks connecting Crystal Lake (then called White Cap Lake) to Lake Michigan.

Due to a critical engineering oversight, a dam built by Jones to hold back water during canal construction failed and Crystal Lake lost about 20 feet of water. Somewhat coincidentally, this loss exposed the beautiful sandy beaches that visitors enjoy today.

Today, Crystal Lake is 175 feet deep and covers less than 10,000 acres. Its crystal-clear blue water means Crystal Lake is often compared to the Caribbean. Bordered by the city of Frankfort and the villages of Beulah and Benzonia, Crystal Lake is a hidden gem summer destination. Visitors can go swimming, sailing, boating, and fishing at several lakeside beaches, including Crystal Lake Public Beach, Molyneux Beach, and Beulah Village Park. A past visitor on Google called the lake “a stunning diamond in the rough” and added that the water is “breathtaking.” [its] Beautiful shades of blue.”

Torch Lake

At 250 feet deep, Torch Lake is not only Michigan’s deepest lake outside of the Great Lakes, it’s also deeper than Lake Erie (which reaches 210 feet deep). It is located in northwest Michigan, not far from Elk Lake, and like Elk Lake, it is separated from Lake Michigan by a thin strip of land.

With a surface area of ​​18,473 acres and 41 miles of shoreline, Torch Lake was naturally shaped by glaciers (and was originally a bay that was part of Lake Michigan). Its crystal-clear waters mean it’s sometimes called Michigan’s Caribbean. Some parts of the shore are rocky (you can find some Petoskey Stones, fossil corals from prehistoric times), while other parts are covered with sand. Speaking of sand, if you visit the lake during the summer months, visit the Torch Lake Sandbar in the middle of the water, where you’ll often find party boats gathering and enjoying the best fun the Midwest has to offer.

Snorkeling is another popular activity here due to the clarity of the water. “I’ve been to many lakes around the world and I’ve never seen a spring-opened lake so clear … and beautiful, almost like Torch Lake, a turquoise color,” wrote a past visitor on Tripadvisor.

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