National Lakeshore is our ‘Land of Lakes’

By Jane Greiner
Sun contributor
It is amazing that there are 21 lakes within the boundaries of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. You can live here for years and not know about some of these small lakes hidden in the woods. Others you drive by regularly without ever stopping to count their numbers.
I talked to Steve Yancho, chief of natural resources at the park, and he came up with a complete list of lakes plus numerous other water features within the lakeshore.

Lakes Near the Northern Boundary
Bass Lake is one of two Bass Lakes in the park. It is an easily accessible, sandy bottom lake visible on the east side of M-22 about six miles north of Glen Arbor. There are several access points plus a short two-track off the main road where you can park along the sandy shore and swim, fish or kayak. No motorized boats are allowed. There are still two small cabins at one end of Bass Lake, but most of the lake is wild. The surrounding land is open, the shore is firm, the bottom is sandy, and there aren’t too many mosquitoes. All these features make Bass Lake one of the prettiest places for a lazy day picnic. There are no restrooms here but some are available at nearby School Lake.
School Lake is the biggest in the park and has a nice wild feel to it with almost no houses in sight. It has a good boat ramp, though no motorized boats are allowed on the lake, and good rest room facilities. There isn’t much of a beach, but the bottom is sandy enough for wading and swimming. Access is off Bohemian Road, a short distance south of M-22. School Lake and Bass Lake are actually connected by a shallow channel, which makes it possible for canoes and kayaks to get from one lake to the other.
Narada Lake, a picturesque lake full of trees and stumps, is visible from M-22 about five miles north of Glen Arbor. There is a narrow trail through a tunnel of trees to a little canoe launch area. The lake is currently closed to visitors in order to protect nesting loons. There are many fallen trees on the west shore of the lake where there used to be an access road. This section was practically clear-cut by beavers several years ago. You can walk there and see the huge pointed stumps and conical log ends that are left by the beaver. For someone who has never seen the power of a beaver, this is worth a stop. You can even see tree trunks with rows of big tooth marks left by beaver where they gnawed the bark off the trees the way we eat corn on the cob. Because Narada is so full of stumps and appears to have no open shoreline, it is mainly of interest to nature lovers, fishermen and artists.
Shell Lake is a nice nature lake near the northern end of the park. There are two different two-tracks off of Elliott Road; the first one is pretty rough and stretches quite a ways but finally reaches a little sandy beach area where you can swim or launch a kayak. The other, better track traverses an open field to a small, somewhat mucky boat launch area adequate for canoes or kayaks. Shell is especially good for fishing. There is also a beaver lodge at one end of the lake which you can see from a boat. There are no restrooms and no motorized boats are allowed.
The best thing about Hidden Lake is its name. It is indeed quite hidden and takes some effort to get to. It is a very small, shallow, somewhat inaccessible lake in the same end of the park as Shell Lake. You can park where Good Harbor Drive is closed off and walk about a mile west along the trail, much of the way under the power line. When you get close, turn left on another old road and the lake will appear immediately to your right. You can see it from the trail and, if motivated, find your way through the tangle of trees and underbrush to get down to the squishy shore. The lake is too small to boat or fish and too shallow to swim.
Glen Arbor and Empire Area Lakes
Tucker Lake is a lake I “discovered” after driving past it numerous times. It is very close to Glen Arbor and somehow I always passed by without noticing the boat ramp sign near the corner of 675 and Westman Road. It is a very small lake. About a third of it is weed-choked, but there are several fishing spots in the open areas. It is surrounded by swamp and woods. Perhaps because it feels so isolated, it’s a fun place to fish. The ramp is pretty good for such a small lake, but the mosquitoes can be nasty. No motorized boats are allowed.
The Mill Pond is easily overlooked as you drive along M-109 going south out of Glen Arbor toward the Dune Climb. It is on the right side of the road, just past the entrance to the Little Glen Lake picnic area on the opposite side of the road. The Mill Pond is a nice nature lake, a little bigger than it appears at first. There is a beaver lodge on the lake that you can see from the road, but don’t try to walk in there. You can sink to your hip in the marshy area surrounding it. Last summer there were both herons and egrets that seem stayed there most of the summer. This lake can be enjoyed from the road.
North Bar is probably the most popular inland lake in the park for swimming. It’s all sandy and shallow which makes it good for little kids and for early-season swimming. It has a big sandy beach, not surprising since it is just across a low sand dune from Lake Michigan. Many bathers wander over to the big lake as well. North Bar has an excellent boat launch. You can carry in a canoe or kayak or check with the Park Visitor Center for access to the ramp. No motorized boats are allowed. There are restrooms at the parking area. You can access North Bar by going north out of Empire on LaCore Street and then on Voice and Bar Lake roads.
Taylor Lake is a small nature lake about a mile south of Empire on M-22. It is surrounded by marsh and woods and separated from the road by about half a mile. There are no paths or trails to it that I know of, though I was able to walk in there using a compass and topographical map. It took some effort because, although part of the way was fairly open field, the remainder was through tangled woods. When I finally got there, the lake was pretty to look at but nearly inaccessible due to the soft shoreline. I could barely get close enough to take a picture. Being in the woods and surrounded by the marsh, it also felt like a breeding ground for mosquitoes.
Platte Plains Area Lakes
Otter Lake is one of the nicest fishing lakes in the park. There is a rickety dock there and a mushy boat launch suitable only for canoes or kayaks. No motorized boats are allowed on the lake. The lake is quiet, with pretty surroundings, and only a few cottages. There are plenty of shallows and a few coves and some deep water. I have seen eagles on this lake on several occasions. There is a wonderful 4.6-mile hike around this lake called the Otter Creek Loop. Some friends saw a pair of otter cross the road next to the lake as they were hiking this trail a few years ago. There are no restrooms at Otter Lake, but there is one on down the road at Bass Lake. You get to Otter Lake by turning down Trails End off M-22 about five miles south of Empire.
Bass Lake, the southern one, is probably the best-known all-purpose lake in the park for hiking, canoeing or fishing. There is a big parking lot and a restroom, and a sturdy dock where kids can fish or swim. The dock has a park bench where you can sit and dream. The boat ramp is excellent and handicap accessible. You do have to carry your canoe or kayak to it from the parking area though, and no motorized boats are allowed. There are a couple of good hiking trails around the lake or off in the other direction. On the trail around the lake are places where you can get to the water to fish from shore. Bass Lake is a great starter lake for teaching kids about fishing, hiking or boating. Bass is the last stop on Trail’s End Road.
Deer Lake is a much smaller lake connected to Bass by a shallow channel. You used to be able to paddle to Deer Lake from Bass. However, a fisherman told me that beaver have built a lodge between the two lakes and so choked the channel that you would have to portage around it. The beaver activity seems to have raised the water level of Deer Lake as well, killing many shoreline trees.
Deer Lake strikes me as more of a nature lake with a wilder feel to it. A friend of mine once saw otter playing in Deer Lake. Deer Lake seems shallower and weedier than Bass Lake, and somehow slightly forbidding. I kayaked in there briefly to explore and fish and then headed back over to Bass Lake where I felt more comfortable.
It is possible to drive in beside Deer Lake if you have a four-wheel drive vehicle that you don’t mind getting scratched up. There is a horrible, deep-rutted two-track off Trails End shortly before you get to Bass Lake that takes you back there. Be sure to stop beside the lake and take a look at all the trees cut down by beaver. You can see the typical pointed stumps and the tree trunks lying beside them. If you do drive or walk in on the road, I recommend you turn around at this point. The park has posted warnings about a hawk that is nesting further in, which literally dives on anyone approaching its nesting area. This is not something you want to experience.
Lakes Near the Southern Boundary
Mud Lake is a beautiful lake to look at despite its plain-sounding name. You can see it from Lake Michigan Road near the fish weir. There are no houses on it and it feels secluded and quiet even though it is actually close to the road. The shore is nice and sandy and you could carry in a canoe or kayak, but there is no actual boat ramp. Although the shore is shady, the trees are big and old with very little underbrush, so the shore feels relatively free of bugs. Mud Lake is very shallow and has a muddy bottom. When you dip a canoe paddle in, it just disappears in muck and silt, and stirs up a rotting vegetation odor. Mud Lake is probably best enjoyed from the shore.
Loon Lake is a big, sandy bottom lake, with a great boat ramp. This is one of the few lakes where motorboats are allowed. There is no beach there but I have waded near the boat ramp, and the bottom seems firm. There are only a few houses along one shore of it, to the left of the public access. Countless people have crossed the northern tip of the lake as they floated down the Platte River. That end of the lake is extremely shallow. I have seen many people get out of their canoes or inner tubes and drag them through ankle-deep water until they cross the sand bar and get back in them. Loon is a good fishing lake with a very nice boat ramp, dock, accessible picnic shelter and restrooms.
Round Lake is another one of those lakes that are easy to miss. It is the southernmost lake inside the park, and lies just off M-22 on your way to Crystal Lake. In fact, Round Lake was probably part of Crystal Lake before the lake level was lowered. Round Lake is small and sandy, and appears shallow. There is a little drive right up to the edge of the lake where you can easily put in a canoe or kayak. Despite its diminutive size, it’s a pristine lake, and a pleasant place to wade, fish or kayak.
Bow Lakes
There are two Bow Lakes and a Bow Lake Valley Pond, all in a separate section of the park located southwest of Big Glen Lake and bordered on the south by Baatz Road. The lakes themselves are privately held. There are no public access roads or ramps. I attempted to visit the lakes but they are nearly inaccessible because of rugged terrain and lack of public trails.
The three lakes are fairly closely grouped and the lower two have some ecologically fragile aspects to them, so if you go there, please tread lightly.
1. Bow Lake
2. Bow Lake
3. Bow Lake Valley Pond
Manitou Island Lakes
Michigan State fishing regulations apply to all the lakes in the park, including those on the islands, according to Steve Yancho. But lakes on the islands do have a few special restrictions. There is no live bait allowed on North Manitou Lake in order to protect it from invasive species. Also there are “special trophy bass regulations” there, meaning to be legal a bass caught there must be 16 feet long.
4. Lake Manitou, the biggest island lake, is located on North Manitou Island. Only artificial lures are permitted.
5. Tamarack Lake is a very small lake on North Manitou Island.
6. Florence Lake is a medium-sized lake and the only one on South Manitou Island. Artificial lures only.
Other Waters
That’s the list of 21 inland lakes inside the boundaries of the park. Yancho pointed out that there are, of course, several lakes on which the park has frontage including Big and Little Glen Lakes (on which Yancho says the park is the largest landholder), Long Lake (near Crystal) and Rush Lake (also near Crystal) — not to mention the 67 miles of frontage on Lake Michigan, about half of which is shoreline on the mainland and the other half on the Manitou islands.
Then there are rivers and streams, which include Platte River, Crystal River, Otter Creek and Shalda Creek.
Finally, Yancho noted, there are countless “ridge/swale” wetlands below Boekeloo Road and over by Peterson Road in the southern end of the park. In years past, Yancho said, when water levels were high, people could take canoes in there and go from pond to pond. Now water levels are low and many of those waters may not be navigable. Looking at a topographical map of the area, I counted over 60 of these small bodies of water in that area.
A friend looked at the entire list of lakes and remarked, “Just think what a fabulous deal it is to get all that for just $20 a year. In other places people pay that much just to go to one lake for a single day.”
I have to agree with her. Each year when I purchase my annual pass to the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, I am happy to pay the price, knowing what a great gift it is to have access to all the well-known park features and its 21 inland lakes.