Five Things to Know Before Visiting Torch Lake

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Torch Lake, located in Antrim County in Northern Michigan, is famous for its clear, turquoise blue water and its party-perfect sandbars. During the GLL team’s 2019 trip to northern Michigan, we explored this beautiful lake and learned first-hand exactly why it has a reputation as the crown jewel of Michigan’s Chain of Lakes.

If you are looking to rent a home on Torch Lake, there are plenty of reasonably-priced offerings, but be sure to book well in advance. We generally book our trips about 9-12 months in advance. If you wait until a month or two before your trip, you will be met with slim pickings, if anything. Though there are always last-minute cancellations that can offer up a great deal for the vacation procrastinators!

For our trip, we rented a house on Intermediate Lake in the village of Central Lake and then explored Torch on a rented 25-foot Avalon pontoon with a 115HP motor. We chose a boat rental in Bellaire so we could enjoy a leisurely trip through Clam Lake to Torch. We arrived at the boat dock a little after 9 am. After about a half an hour of instructions on boat safety and operation, we began our trip. The entire trip from Bellaire, through Clam Lake, to the southern sandbar on Torch Lake took between 1.5 and 2 hours.

We had a blast on Torch Lake, and we definitely plan to visit again. While the experience was relaxing and memorable, there were several aspects of Torch that weren’t exactly what we expected. Continue reading for five things you should know before visiting!

At 19 miles long, Torch Lake is Michigan’s longest inland lake. It’s also the state’s second largest inland lake (behind Houghton Lake) at approximately 18,770 acres. During our trip, we ventured south after making our way through Clam Lake and spent most of our time on the south end sandbar. Though it might take a while to traverse, Torch’s length does make it a perfect lake for jet-skiing, tubing, and other water recreation. That is, when you aren’t hanging out on its famous sandbar, of course.

After taking a look around near the southern sandbar, going on a few trips with our inner tube, stopping for lunch, filling up the gas tank, and relaxing in the crystal clear waters for a while, we realized we didn’t really have much time to explore any of the rest of the lake. We were only in town for the day, and the pontoon was only rented for 8 hours, after all. But there was SO much left to see! We decided the rest of the lake would have to wait for another trip. So, on our list for future travels is the north end of Torch Lake, which will include:

• Eastport
• Barnes Park
• Torch Lake Township Day Park (William K. Good Day Park)
• Travel the Torch Lake Tour of breweries, distilleries, and wineries around Torch Lake

Despite its party reputation and being surrounded by million-dollar houses and vacation cottages, Torch Lake still felt fairly secluded. It didn’t feel built up or commercialized, like we expected.

There was a surprising lack of restaurants and stores on the lake. In fact, the only restaurant on the water is Dockside, where we ate lunch. We parked the boat right at the dock and enjoyed an expansive menu and laid-back atmosphere. At one point, we ran low on gas and began to bite our fingernails when we realized the closest gas station was closed! So, to ensure you are able to enjoy your trip to the fullest, check your gas gauge often and stock up on snacks and refreshments before heading out onto the water.

Torch Lake is famous for its sandbars and turquoise blue waters. Its color is often compared to the Caribbean, which is a fair comparison, from what we saw. When you are on the sandbar, the turquoise water and bright sand are definitely reminiscent of a tropical paradise. However, this isn’t the Caribbean. It’s Michigan. And, to be honest, we like that even better. The lake isn’t surrounded by palm trees. It’s surrounded by gorgeous evergreens. You don’t see people sitting around sipping tropical beverages under beach umbrellas. They are out tubing, jamming to their stereos, and throwing Frisbees in the water to their dogs. And this isn’t the ocean. It’s crystal clear fresh water. We think Torch Lake represents all that is beautiful and unique about the Great Lakes, and it is awesome.

It’s also good to know that the water isn’t “Caribbean blue” throughout the whole lake, at least from a non-drone perspective. The shallow areas with sandbars are bright aqua blue, which are quite beautiful. But the deeper areas are a rich, deep turquoise blue, which are equally alluring.

In order to get the full effect of the turquoise water, you will want to visit when it is very sunny. At the start of our trip, we experienced some rain. The sandbar area took on an eerie, glowy green color. This was actually pretty cool, too.

Then, after the sun came out, that famous sparkling water finally showed up!

Torch Lake is just one piece of a larger chain of lakes. Sure, it’s the largest of the chain, and arguably the most beautiful, but there are other areas to explore in the Elk River Chain of Lakes Watershed, a 75-mile-long waterway consisting of 14 lakes and connecting rivers in the northwestern section of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, which empty into Lake Michigan. So there is plenty of room for adventuring, and that is exactly what we did.

When we were planning our trip, a lot of people recommended renting a boat in Bellaire and boating through Clam Lake to get to Torch. We were not disappointed. It was a very lovely trip, and gave us the chance to enjoy a lot of the wildlife. Worth noting: it was also quite long. The trip to Torch Lake this way took us more than an hour.

Unlike neighboring Lake Michigan, Torch Lake has limited public beaches, so this isn’t the kind of lake you can easily drive up to and take a swim in. (If you have your heart set on a typical beach experience, your best bet is probably William K. Good Day Park).

While Torch Lake may not have huge sandy public beaches, it’s easy to access via boat, whether it be your own or rented from the numerous rental locations around the lake and the surrounding areas. You can find a list of public boat launches in Antrim County here.

Other Helpful Links: Before heading out on Torch Lake, you may also want to check these helpful websites:

• Michigan DNR Rules and Regulations
• Michigan Beach Guard (water quality reports)
• Antrim County Parks and Recreation