Largest lakes & reservoirs in Northwest Michigan by shoreline length
The length of the exterior shoreline around a lake is measured at the lake’s normal elevation. The shoreline length can be considerably shorter or longer when lake water levels are lower or higher than normal. A lake with many coves has a much longer shoreline than a lake of similar surface area that is nearly circular in shape.When known, the shoreline miles that we report in our statistics include only the lake’s exterior shoreline, and exclude the shorelines of islands located within a lake’s boundaries. In lakes with many islands, those islands’ combined shorelines may exceed a lake’s exterior shoreline.
You can find many of the world’s longest-shoreline lakes on LakeLubbers. Note: For some lakes, "Longest Shorelines" data is unknown or does not apply, so this table may display fewer lakes than the total 24 articles we have published for Northwest Michigan lakes.
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Below are lakes within USA > US Midwest Region > Michigan > Northwest Michigan > Compared by longest shoreline length in miles. This list does not represent all lakes in Northwest Michigan, only the 24 Northwest Michigan lake articles we have published on the LakeLubbers website.
Lake name | Shoreline length in miles | Lake description |
---|---|---|
Paradise Lake (Michigan, Northwest Michigan, US Midwest Region, USA) |
10 mi | Also known as Carp Lake, Lake Paradise Paradise Lake is truly a lakelubber’s paradise. This 1900-acre lake in Michigan’s Northwest region has been a paradise for countless numbers of cottag… |
Portage Lake (Manistee County), MI (Michigan, Northwest Michigan, US Midwest Region, USA) |
9 mi | Portage Lake is a fantastic stop for Lake Michigan travelers. The lake is connected to Lake Michigan by a channel. Boating and sailing visitors often… |
Silver Lake, MI (Michigan, Northwest Michigan, US Midwest Region, USA) |
9 mi | Pushing her kayak out into the water of Silver Lake, she glides through the early morning mist rising off the surface of the water. With steady, stron… |
Clam Lake (Michigan, Northwest Michigan, US Midwest Region, USA) |
9 mi | Clam Lake sparkles in the midst of northwest Michigan’s beautiful countryside. Tucked between Torch Lake and Lake Bellaire, Clam Lake is part of the l… |
Pickerel Lake, MI (Michigan, Northwest Michigan, US Midwest Region, USA) |
7 mi | Pickerel Lake, in Michigan’s Northwest Region, is a nature lover’s delight. Part of the headwaters of the famed Inland Waterway, Pickerel Lake covers… |
Upper Herring Lake (Michigan, Northwest Michigan, US Midwest Region, USA) |
5 mi | Upper Herring Lake is a modestly sized naturally occurring freshwater lake in the Traverse City Lakes area of Michigan, located in the northwestern pa… |