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Beach
Dam Beach (Elk Rapids)
A white-sand village beach on East Grand Traverse Bay beside the Elk Rapids hydro plant, off Ames Street, with a natural feel and a popular fishing spot nearby.
About 7 miles away (straight line)
Lake · Grand Traverse & Inland Lakes
Lake Skegemog
A shallow, wetland-edged, all-sports lake between Torch and Elk: muskie and pike, perch through the ice and a paddle past a big protected shoreline.
Photo: Notorious4life, Wikimedia Commons (CC0 1.0)
Lake Skegemog is the wild middle of the Chain of Lakes. The open lake is all-sports, with no local limits beyond the no-wake Torch River, and the Skegemog Narrows open straight into Elk Lake. Come for muskie and pike, perch through the ice in winter, a paddle between Torch and Elk, or a shoreline that is largely wetland and preserve.
It sits where Antrim, Grand Traverse and Kalkaska counties meet. The lake covers about 2,755 acres with 15 miles of shoreline, and it is shallow for its size: 29 feet at the deepest and just 11 feet on average. Its name is an Algonquin word that translates as “meeting of the waters,” and it was once called Round Lake.
The name fits. The Torch River flows in from Torch Lake, and at the northwest end the Skegemog Narrows, a channel about a quarter mile wide and seven feet deep, joins it to Elk Lake, which sits at the same elevation. Paddlers on the Chain of Lakes Water Trail pass right through.
Much of the shore is protected, which is the reason to slow down here. The 3,300-acre Skegemog Lake Wildlife Area covers the south and east sides, and natural preserves sit on the north shore. The east end and the area around the Torch River mouth hold the Skegemog Swamp, one of the larger wetlands in the region.
Anglers have a short, focused list: muskellunge, northern pike, smallmouth bass, rock bass and yellow perch.
On the water
Motorboats and rules
No special local limits apply on the open lake, so standard Michigan boating law is the rule. The Torch River, which enters from the north, is slow, no-wake.
Public access
You can reach the water from two Michigan DNR boat launches, several road ends, Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy preserves and parcels of the Skegemog Natural Area.
Paddling
The lake is on the Chain of Lakes Water Trail, and Paddle Antrim's long-distance route crosses it between the Torch River and Elk Lake.
Fishing
Lake Skegemog is good water for muskellunge, northern pike, rock bass, smallmouth bass and yellow perch. Check current Michigan DNR rules before fishing.
Fish species
Species include muskellunge, northern pike, rock bass, smallmouth bass, and yellow perch.
Water clarity
Volunteer Secchi readings in summer 2025 ran from 11 to 22 feet, clearest in early June.
Connected waters
Skegemog sits between Torch Lake and Elk Lake on the Chain of Lakes. The Torch River flows in from Torch, and Elk Lake opens off its west side.
In winter
Perch draw anglers through the ice; the DNR reported yellow perch coming from Lake Skegemog in February 2013. Check ice conditions before you go out.
Public boat launches
Fishing, launching at a state site or parking at a state park? See licenses and passes for what you need before you go.
Anything not listed here is unverified. Do not assume public access across private shoreline. Check the Michigan DNR boating access listings and the current fishing regulations.
Location
Map of Lake Skegemog
1 place on an OpenStreetMap map
Places to stay near Lake Skegemog
Lakefront cottages and homes are listed by the local rental managers and booking sites below.
Hotels and inns
Budget
The Dexter HotelListed by the Elk Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce
Search all hotels in Elk Rapids: Booking.com · Expedia · Hotels.com · Google Hotels
We don’t take bookings or earn anything from these links. Rates, availability and any booking problems are handled by the booking site.
Nearby attractions
Straight-line distances from the map point.
Trail
Vasa Pathway
Traverse City's big woods trail for cross-country skiing, with loops from 3K to 25K, snowshoe loops, and singletrack for mountain and fat bikes.
About 9 miles away (straight line)
Ski area
Mt. Holiday
A small community nonprofit ski hill in East Bay Township, east of Traverse City, with snow tubing in winter and zipline tours and trails in the warmer months.
About 10 miles away (straight line)
More lakes and rivers nearby
Lake · Grand Traverse & Inland Lakes
Elk Lake
A deep, clear, emerald-green all-sports lake at Elk Rapids: ski and cruise, rent a boat or slip at the marinas, swim at Whitewater Township Park.
- All-sports
- Swim beach
- Public launch
- Rentals
River · Grand Traverse & Inland Lakes
Elk River
The short river in Elk Rapids where the Chain of Lakes Water Trail ends, with a kayak launch, steelhead below the dam and salmon in fall.
- Public launch
Lake · Grand Traverse & Inland Lakes
Torch Lake
Michigan's longest inland lake: 19 miles of deep, clear, all-sports water for skiing, tubing and the sandbar, plus lake trout and a Chain of Lakes link.
- All-sports
- Swim beach
- Public launch
- Rentals