Torch Lake may look like a portal to a warmer place, but it actually resides right here in the U.S! Maybe you'd assume it's somewhere in the south, because of how gorgeous pictures of it in the spring or summer look. However, it's farther north than you'd think: Michigan, in fact! The lake acts as if it sits off the coast of a island with a normal surf. Torch Lake waves can get up to four feet tall! A sandbar blocked this body of water off from the rest of Lake Michigan, which now allows sightseers a beautiful blue view of the depths below. In fact, enough people come to visit the lake that it is often called "Midwest Mardi Gras", making it a fine substitute for a much more expensive vacation farther south.
Don't worry about getting too close to your neighbors if you vacation here. Torch Lake is just over 29 square miles of gorgeous blue water, with only Houston Lake beating it in size in the entire state! Instead of boasting a wider berth, Torch Lake goes to a depth of roughly 285 feet, in case you plan on diving during your Michigan Mardi Gras adventure. Or, if you're looking to get a tan, Torch Lake sports a 19 mile wide shore. No matter what you plan on doing during your stay in Michigan, keep an eye out for some famous people that live or visit here! Michael Moore has lived here in a $5.2 million home, and one of Kid Rock's songs is said to be written about it, so you might see him partying here one summer! "All Summer Long", if you listen to it closely, seems to pay homage to Torch Lake's sandbar, which drops from one foot deep to nearly 300!
Perhaps you want to see the splendor of what looks like a Caribbean lake in an actual winter. Torch Lake is still the place to be! If the weather has been kind, enough heat may be stored in Torch Lake's massive waters to keep it from freezing. Many, if not all, other lakes in Michigan cannot lay claim to this feat. With enough luck, you could be fishing in the middle of freezing weather! In fact, Torch Lake was named after a certain method of fishing. In the past, Native Americans used to use a torch to fish. If their boats were still enough, and the light bright enough, the fish would gather around the torch to see what it was. Then, the fishers could easy capture their prey while it was bewildered! However, originally, the people who named this lake decided on the longer version and called it Torch Light Lake. Since then, the name has been shortened to just Torch Lake. Nowadays, fishing isn't the only thing you can do at Torch Lake. With water skiing, sunbathing, and diving, everything you could possibly want in the Caribbean waters is located right here in Michigan! Take a trip to this water wonderland!