Torch Lake (3rd most beautiful lake in the world/National Geographic)

[Vern Swieringa]

Wow, I just spent a week on Torch Lake near Bellaire, MI. I have never seen such clear water on any fresh water lake. There is a great sand bar on the south side of the lake for boaters to congregate and have fun in the sun and show off their boats. I will be back! Anyone else been on this lake?

[Vern Swieringa]

Kris relaxing in the sun on Torch Lake sand bar

[6ballsisall]

Sounds nice! I've heard about this lake, how big is it?

[Vern Swieringa]

Torch Lake is 18 miles long and 2 miles wide. That means when the wind kicks up, so do the waves. However, Clam Lake is connected to Torch Lake, which is only a 1/2 mile wide and around 5 miles long. Clam Lake was always calm and ready for water sports, even when Torch Lake was a little choppy. Then if you take the 45 minutes ride along the Grass River (a beautiful nature trip) you come to Lake Bellaire, which is about 2 miles round and surrounded by hills, so it's mostly out of the wind. You can't beat it!!!

[Maristar210]

Vern,

I have heard of this lake. I heard Torch = MONEY and MONEY = Torch Lake. You can get a nice three bedroon ranch on torch lake for about 1.2 million.

Very nice pics, water looks pristine.

Steve

[Vern Swieringa]

No doubt, to live on Torch Lake you need money, but to enjoy it you only need a boat and to really enjoy it you need a Master Craft. I thought I would see more MC's on the lake, but there were only a few each day. I saw a lot of Sea Rays, Four Winns, and Rinkers.

[Ben]

We've been camping /boating near there - but never on it. I figured since it was so big, the little 205 would get drowned. Nice area though.

Were there any campgrounds you could stay at with a launch or docks? Either on Torch or Grass Lake?

[Vern Swieringa]

We stayed at a condo at Shuss Mtn. Resort. I didn't see any campgrounds right on the lakes. We put in every day on Clam Lake at the end of Clam Lake Road. I'm sure there must be camping site somewhere near by. And there very well might be a camp ground right on Torch Lake. We never made it around the whole lake. We just hung out on the south side by the sand bar.

By the way, I saw three 209's on the Torch Lake, so you can handle it. And if Torch gets too rough, Clam Lake was always calm and ready for water sports.

Oh, and you can stop for a quick bite at the Dockside Rest. right at the channel between Torch and Clam and sit outside and watch all the boats manuver the narrow straight.

[oldschool84]

If your looking to party on the water Torch Lake is one of the best spots in Northern Michigan. Lots of cool stuff to do in that part of the state. :headbang: :headbang:
Wildman INC

[ThaiHoak]

Greatest lake in the world to me. I have been going up there since i was 3. I am going up this weekend Friday through Wednesday. My grandmother has a house up there and its on the lake.

[jclose8]

I was there this weekend. I love that lake, but hate that it is always so rough. Saturday was borderline dangerous. The wind was straight out of the north, so the sandbar was really bad. We anchored up with a few friends tucked in behind deepwater point. It was ok behind the point. Making it up to Clam was out of the question.

By the way, I do agree that Torch is the most beautiful lake I've ever seen, and I know that local businesses have license plates and bumper stickers proclaiming the 3rd most beautiful status in a supposed National Geographic article, but there is no such article.....

[Dan K]

Kid Rock's latest song is sopposedly about summer there.

I nearly drowned in torch lake when I was a around 4, still remember it like it was yesterday. I was under the surface going down when my mother pulled me out. A second later and you wouldn't be reading this. It's till a very beautiful lake to me though. Very deep also.

[agua4fun]

Yeah best lake ive ever been in. If you head south through the other river, you get to elk lake. its almost as beautifu, about 8 miles long, and a bit smoother. I used to work there for 4 summers driving mastercrafts. It was the perfect job. I still go up there for a few weeks every summer.

[M-Funf]

Very nice! Water looks awesome...

[mitch]

Yeah best lake ive ever been in. If you head south through the other river, you get to elk lake. its almost as beautifu, about 8 miles long, and a bit smoother. I used to work there for 4 summers driving mastercrafts. It was the perfect job. I still go up there for a few weeks every summer.



That picture is awesome! I've never seen water like that!!

[M-Funf]

That picture is awesome! I've never seen water like that!!

The only place I've seen water as nice is Tahoe...That's about 20-25' of water...

38917

[rodecker1978]

"Checking to see if my company has any locations near Torch Lake....."

[ProTour X9]

Yeah best lake ive ever been in. If you head south through the other river, you get to elk lake. its almost as beautifu, about 8 miles long, and a bit smoother. I used to work there for 4 summers driving mastercrafts. It was the perfect job. I still go up there for a few weeks every summer.

We were on Torch thursday and it was rough as hell.....agua4fun are you on Torch because I swore I saw a boat just like yours on a lift.

Heres a pic I took

[agua4fun]

We were on Torch thursday and it was rough as hell.....agua4fun are you on Torch because I swore I saw a boat just like yours on a lift.

No, but i can dream right...... Id love to be up there more often. My friend lives there so i have a nice place to visit on occasion. When it gets too windy on torch we kiteboard. which I must say is a great alternative to skiing when the wind picks up. so no i wasnt there.

Just one day on torch? Did you get any smooth water?

[ProTour X9]

Just one day on torch? Did you get any smooth water?

Going from the sandbar to Eastport was terrible, 3ft waves! Back at Eastport in the north cove it was calm enough to ski/board. The next day we went to Charlevoix (our stomping grounds) and that was a bit calmer.

[jclose8]

Going from the sandbar to Eastport was terrible, 3ft waves! Back at Eastport in the north cove it was calm enough to ski/board. The next day we went to Charlevoix (our stomping grounds) and that was a bit calmer.

OH MY GOD! You drove from the sandbar all the way to Eastport!!!?? In a ski boat?!

Here is some more Torch Pictures....

http://i36.tinypic.com/33krp20.jpg

http://i38.tinypic.com/a9mo93.jpg

http://i38.tinypic.com/e9sqxu.jpg

[agua4fun]

OH MY GOD! You drove from the sandbar all the way to Eastport!!!?? In a ski boat?!

Not trying to brag here but....
A few years back i skied on one from eastport to the sandbar (18 miles). the next i skied the perimiter of elk lake (24 miles). i fell once while trying to eat pizza that was passed to me by another MC. oops.

My goal was to ski the perimiter of torch (40 miles), but havent found a smooth enough day, and now i may not be in good enough shape. i know there are all of the distance skiers out there, but this was on a 66" concept with a regular handle and no gloves. i wish i had a picture.

Oh, and WOW those are some beautiful pictures!

[ProTour X9]

OH MY GOD! You drove from the sandbar all the way to Eastport!!!?? In a ski boat?!


First we drove down past the sandbar to the entrance at Elk Lake (stump mine field), and back through 3 footers, the tower was shaking quite a bit; I would have rather been in the water inside the wake riding than slamming up and down...
Not trying to brag here but....
A few years back i skied on one from eastport to the sandbar (18 miles). the next i skied the perimiter of elk lake (24 miles). i fell once while trying to eat pizza that was passed to me by another MC. oops.

My goal was to ski the perimiter of torch (40 miles), but havent found a smooth enough day, and now i may not be in good enough shape. i know there are all of the distance skiers out there, but this was on a 66" concept with a regular handle and no gloves. i wish i had a picture.

Oh, and WOW those are some beautiful pictures!


agua4fun Wow thats some story, I couldn't imagine skiing that far, if I would I'd be on jumpers at about 4:30 in the morning. Is there a good time of year when Torch isn't rough or is it depentent on weather?? Is it ever calm?? Last year Charlevoix was skiable all day and we skied on Lk. Michigan.

[dapicatti]

Wow-what a beautiful lake. I can see why its so popular.

[agua4fun]

the lake is completely dependant on the wind. i am guessing that if you had been on torch the same day you were on lake michigan it would have been just as smooth. the least windy month of the year up there is july. the day we were out, it was blowing 15 out of the west. we just stayed on the west side (except lunch at the dockside) and had no problems .

[packers]

My family has a cottage on Torch Bayou, which is right around the corner of Torch River which leads to Torch Lake. I grew up on the lake and it is an INCREDIBLE place to be! It's become much more of a party spot in the past few years, but it still remains a great family place as well. I have traveled to many different places in the world but Torch Lake is by far the most beautiful place that I have ever seen!

[NoSubstitute]

I was lucky enough to marry into a family who has had a cottage on the lake since the late '40s. I've been going there for about 25 years. We've seen a lot of changes, but it still is the most beautiful lake I've ever been on. This was us last year on one of the few weekends that wasn't rainy or windy.

[Skibearll]

Vern,

I have heard of this lake. I heard Torch = MONEY and MONEY = Torch Lake. You can get a nice three bedroon ranch on torch lake for about 1.2 million.

Very nice pics, water looks pristine.

Steve

I live on Torch, and, contrary to popular opinion, not ten houses have EVER sold for over a million dollars on Torch Lake! That includes one of over 17,000 sf that sold for 2 million last year: far less than it cost to build!

A lot of us bought land up here years ago when it was much less expensive (we paid less than $60,000 for 500 feet!), and unlike decades ago when almost every house on the lake was a second home, many of us are year 'round residents now. The exceptions are the Michael Moores of the area who are hardly mainstream (He is the ONLY person on 43 miles of shoreline to have a bolted gate at his dock! Like anyone cares enough to trespass there!)

Unfortunately, the attitude you are spreading leads to hard feelings. The boaters who drop anchor in front of our house . . . Some of them in boats WE could not afford (we have a 16 yr old Four Winns bow rider) . . . while usually nice folks, are occasionally arrogant, anchor in 6 inches of water smack in front of the house, inside the raft and bouy, turn up the radio, and send the dog up onto our property to poop. Any complaint from us results in an unpleasant exchange. The sheriff has asked property owners to post "Private Property" or "No Trespassing" signs. One can only assume widespread illiteracy prevails! It is clear that they see us as rich bastards who have something they will never have, rather than home owners like they are who mow the lawn, work in the garden and just happen to have boat traffic instead of cars in front of our homes. They never stop to wonder how they would feel if someone pulled up to the curb in front of their home, dropped the tailgate, turned up the radio, took out the Frisbee, turned the kids and dog loose and proceeded to have a five hour picnic, carefully staying just off the grass (except the dog, and, sometimes, the kids), getting steadily louder as the day wore on and they got drunker!

While we are absolutely blessed to live in this magically beautiful place where the water is, indeed, pristine, THAT is the reality of the filthy rich on Torch Lake! :cool:

[Skibearll]

We live up here too and were at the 2011 4th of July fireworks. We were just shocked at the amount of trash floating in the water at the sandbar! We brought it up at the TLPA (Torch Lake Protection Alliance)annual meeting last week and they attribute it to the changes you mention: just an influx of people with different values and no vested interest in the welfare of our beautiful environment. They are talking about some floating trash receptacles next year. Hopefully they can make them obvious enough and big enough for the oblivious drunks to see and hit . . . With their trash, rather than their boats!

[jdl xstar]

Just when the controversial subject of socio-economic demographics on Torch Lake was only beginning to simmer down, you come in and stir it all back up again! ;)

['78 Starz & Stripes]

Growing up in Michigan, I spent many a Summer out on Torch lake. One of the most amazing fresh water lakes I have ever been on. My friends parents bought a small cabin just up from the Dockside Inn on the Clam river. Summers on the lake & Winters on the slopes. It's a great part of Michigan.
One day, my goal is to take my S&S back to Michigan and hit up all the lakes I spent my childhood on. It's just really hard to leave Colorado! (even for a short period of time!)

[milehigh970]

Growing up in Michigan, I spent many a Summer out on Torch lake. One of the most amazing fresh water lakes I have ever been on. My friends parents bought a small cabin just up from the Dockside Inn on the Clam river. Summers on the lake & Winters on the slopes. It's a great part of Michigan.
One day, my goal is to take my S&S back to Michigan and hit up all the lakes I spent my childhood on. It's just really hard to leave Colorado! (even for a short period of time!)
Atleast your in Colorado ;) two years ago we hit the slopes in the morning for winterparks last day, then drove home and dropped the boat in to kick its season off! Only time i leave Colorado is to visit other lakes lol looks like this got added to the list!

['78 Starz & Stripes]

True that!

[Big Dogg]

Im looking at a possible move to CO in a few years. I love it there for the snow skiing, for all the obvious reasons, however, I am a born and raised Midwestern boater. Big lakes, big coves, lots of room to spread out and catch plenty of great water. What lakes on the Eastern side of the mountains are good in CO. Will probably be looking to open my practice in the Loveland/Boulder Area.