Torch Lake: Michigan’s Sparkling Turquoise Masterpiece

Glaciers carved out the Torch Lake basin. It lies in the northwest part of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula in Antrim County. Torch Lake boasts of pristine sparkling waters, which gives it a tropical appearance. Torch Lake is a member of the Chain of Lakes. These lakes comprise a 75-mile watershed in northern Michigan that includes 14 lakes and rivers.

A strait connects Torch Lake to Lake Michigan under the I-75 bridge. At places, Torch Lake is less than a mile from Lake Michigan. Lake Superior is just north of Torch Lake. It is Michigan’s longest and deepest inland lake. When Torch Lake formed, it was a deep, fjord-like bay of ancient Lake Michigan.

Torch Lake in Michigan is 19 miles long, 2 miles wide, has an average depth of 111 feet, a maximum depth of 285 feet, and covers over 18,000 acres. Torch Lake is typically described as having turquoise waters, but depending on the atmosphere, it sports brilliant multi-blue colored waters.

The pure natural characteristics of Torch Lake are a result of environmental and conservational efforts. Torch Lake offers a diverse landscape of natural beauty and recreational activities with a serene aura. Year-round residences and vacation homes dot the shores of Torch Lake.

What Famous People Live on Torch Lake?

Kid Rock and Michael Moore, a filmmaker and political commentator known for documentaries like Bowling for Columbine and Fahrenheit 9/11, are linked to owning properties on Torch Lake. However, most high-profile people value their privacy and do not want their properties and locations known.

What Is so Special About Torch Lake?

US 31 runs along Torch Lake’s western border and Lake Michigan’s eastern border. Northeast and Southeast Torch Lake Drive follows most of the lake’s eastern border. Abundant recreational activities await visitors and local residents at this lake.

Pristine sandy beaches encircle almost all of Torch Lake. A large public access beach runs along its southern edge. Other than tiny Alden, Michigan, on its southeast and wee Eastport, Michigan, on its northern tip, there are no other towns and very few communities surrounding Torch Lake.

During the summer season, Torch Lake may appear to visitors that there must be a million boats roaring around, floating by, and anchoring on its beaches. There are no official numbers recording the amount of annual visitors.

Thousands of visitors converge en masse to Torch Lake’s breathtaking beaches, landscapes, and waters. Renowned as the “Caribbean of the North”, social media is responsible as a “king maker” for its outstanding “Sand Bar”. For years, the Sand Bar provided a locals-only retreat.

The Sand Bar at Torch Lake

Today, lake lubbers worldwide know about Torch Lake’s Sand Bar. The Clam River and ground water primarily feed Torch Lake. The Rapid River actually created the popular Sand Bar. This river carried meltwater that formed a generous delta, which filled up a glacier hole between Lake Skegemog and Torch Lake.

The Sand Bar evolved when the Rapid River pushed the sand from the delta to its north, which created the Sand Bar. The Sand Bar fills up like sardines in a can on the 4th of July with tourists and is popular all season.

Find the Sand Bar on the very southernmost tip of Torch Lake. It is a sand-bottomed area covered with dazzling, see-to-the-bottom water from two to four-feet deep. The Sand Bar accommodates all sizes of boats, where boaters can anchor their boats, step right out, and revel in the Caribbean like exposure.

Is Torch Lake Safe to Swim In?

You surely can swim in Torch Lake! The Torch Conservation Center warns against hazards because Torch Lake is so deep. Strong currents flow through Torch Lake. High winds whip up quickly. Visitors should know how to swim out of a rip current. Special caution is advised from September to May.

Swim with a buddy,
Closely supervise children.
Wear PDFs (life jackets).
Know the depth of the water when, boating, diving, swimming, etc.
Glacial lakes are cold even on the hottest days. Swimmers, etc. lose body temperature quickly in cold water. Know the water temperature. Use caution from September to May when Torch Lake’s waters are cold and water temperatures range from 40° to 60° F.
Storms move in quickly on Torch Lake. When you see lightning, get out of the water.
The bottom of Torch Lake is rocky. Wear water shoes. The rocks may host sharp zebra mussels, an invasive species.
Swimmer’s Itch can cause bumps that itch severely. Create a waterproof barrier on your skin. Apply sunscreen, baby oil, or coconut oil, and then apply swimmer’s itch cream before swimming. In Torch Lake, swimmer’s itch occurs in late May or early June. It can persist through summer. Rub briskly with a rough towel when you get out of the water. Do not sit around in your wet swimsuit. Shower immediately when you get out of the water. Scrub with brown soap like Fels Naphtha using a rough wash cloth.
Torch Lake offers public access sites, but most of the shore is privately owned.
Waterfront owners own Torch Lake’s bottomlands.
Stay within public access boundaries.
Pack out your trash and pet waste.
Leash your dog.
Do not swim if winds are onshore. Winds can reach up to 35 MPH and waves can swell as high as 4.5 feet.

What Is Torch Lake Ranked?

So far, it is hard to verify when the National Geographic magazine once ranked Torch Lake the world’s third most beautiful lake, but that is a long-standing rumor. Torch lake covers over 18,000 acres, is Michigan’s largest inland lake by water volume, its longest and its deepest lake, and is 29-miles long.

Why Is Torch Lake so Clean?

Numerous factors contribute to the pristine and clear nature of Torch Lake. All these factors combine to Torch Lake’s native purity:

Community and Conservation Efforts.
Inflow and Outflow:Clean Water Sources.
Lack of Industrial Pollution.
Limited Runoff and Development.
Natural Filtration.
Recreational Use Management.

Why Does Torch Lake Have No Fish?

Torch Lake has fish, but is not renowned as a fishing hotspot. The Torch Lake Conservation Center Reports:

Torch Lake is a challenging place to live for a small fish.
There’s not a lot of food to eat. Trees have been removed from along the shore, so spawning areas for smaller fish and minnows have disappeared. That means we don’t have as many little fish to eat.
A lot of other species of fish compete for the limited food supply. yellow perch, largemouth bass, rock bass, lake herring (cisco), rainbow trout, brown trout. and white suckers look for food in the lighter aqua water along the shores of Torch Lake. The lake is big and hiding places are few and far between.
Pollution from the air and from storm water run-off from the surrounding land flows into the lake and poisons the fish in Torch Lake.
There are a lot of really big predators. Cold water fish live a long time…most live over 18 years and some live longer than 50 years–if they don’t get caught. And these fish grow big–really, really big!