Best Lakes Near Traverse City, MI, 50 Lakes Within 50 Miles

50 lakes within 50 miles of Traverse City have nutrient and algae readings on record. Spider Lake in Grand Traverse County leads the set on measured water quality, with about 12 ft of clarity. 13 of the 50 have a recorded public access point.

Traverse City sits in a lake-rich part of the upper Midwest: 50 measured lakes within reach. Spider Lake carries the lowest nutrient and algae readings of the cluster.

The lakes below are sorted on measured water quality. If you have a specific activity in mind, swimming, kayaking, ice-fishing, family-fishing, the activity-specific sub-pages will filter further.

Lakes Within 50 mi

With Clarity Readings

With Fish Data

Public Access

Lake	Distance	County	Clarity	Depth	Fish
Spider Lake	8.5 mi	Grand Traverse	12 ft	-	1
Rennie Lake	10 mi	Grand Traverse	14 ft	27 ft	9
Ransom Lake	10.6 mi	Benzie	15 ft	-	0
Lake View	12.1 mi	Benzie	18 ft	-	0
Upper Woodcock Lake	13.5 mi	Benzie	11 ft	45 ft	9
Lower Woodcock Lake	13.6 mi	Benzie	12.3 ft	-	9
Lime Lake	15.3 mi	Benzie	17.5 ft	25 ft	15
Brooks Lake	17.1 mi	Leelanau	9.5 ft	-	0
Fisher Lake	18.5 mi	Leelanau	—	-	0
Lake Leelanau	19.6 mi	Leelanau	16 ft	-	0
Otter Lake	21.7 mi	Benzie	12 ft	-	30
Little Platte Lake	22 mi	Benzie	6.5 ft	8 ft	8
South Bar Lake	22.1 mi	Leelanau	8.5 ft	13 ft	0
Big Platte Lake	24.6 mi	Benzie	14 ft	-	0
Loon Lake	25.3 mi	Benzie	12 ft	-	13
Round Lake	28.1 mi	Benzie	15 ft	-	37
Big Twin Lake	32.5 mi	Kalkaska	23 ft	-	9
Eagle Lake	33.4 mi	Kalkaska	18 ft	20 ft	5
Big Blue Lake	35.8 mi	Kalkaska	24 ft	-	17
Tippy Pond Manistee Arm	39.1 mi	Manistee	—	-	0
Dorner Lake	41.6 mi	Manistee	8 ft	-	0
Margrethe Lake	41.8 mi	Crawford	16 ft	65 ft	0
Star Lake	41.9 mi	Manistee	8 ft	-	0
Timmerman Lake	44.2 mi	Manistee	5 ft	31 ft	0
Perch Lake	46.5 mi	Otsego	11.3 ft	-	1
List Lake	46.8 mi	Lake	5.5 ft	-	0
Elbow Lake	46.9 mi	Lake	13 ft	30 ft	0
Houghton Lake	49.2 mi	Roscommon	5 ft	21 ft	6
Little Bass Lake	49.4 mi	Lake	18.3 ft	-	1
Big Bass Lake	49.6 mi	Lake	14.5 ft	-	1
Manistee Lake South	49.8 mi	Manistee	—	-	7
Bass Lake	16.9 mi	Leelanau	11.2 ft	-	13
Shell Lake	18.7 mi	Leelanau	11.4 ft	12 ft	0
North Bar Lake	22.5 mi	Leelanau	12.7 ft	-	0
Florence Lake	29.9 mi	Leelanau	8.2 ft	-	0
Manitou Lake	32 mi	Leelanau	13.3 ft	-	0
Papoose Lake	33.8 mi	Kalkaska	22 ft	17 ft	7
Walloon Lake	47.9 mi	Emmet	—	-	20
Lake Charlevoix	41.4 mi	Charlevoix	—	122 ft	3
Boardman Lake	1.2 mi	Grand Traverse	—	73 ft	0
Cedar Lake	3.1 mi	Leelanau	—	45 ft	0
Silver Lake	5.8 mi	Grand Traverse	—	90 ft	0
Bass Lake	6.8 mi	Grand Traverse	—	20 ft	0
Long Lake	7.1 mi	Grand Traverse	24.3 ft	88 ft	40
Chandler Lake	7.1 mi	Grand Traverse	—	34 ft	0
Mickey Lake	7.4 mi	Grand Traverse	15 ft	-	0
Lake Leelanau	8.1 mi	Leelanau	13.5 ft	62 ft	1
Arbutus Lake	8.4 mi	Grand Traverse	17.5 ft	-	2
Indian Lake	8.6 mi	Grand Traverse	—	20 ft	0
Cedar Lake	8.8 mi	Grand Traverse	—	50 ft	0

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Cleanest Lakes Near Traverse City

Spider Lake

8.5 mi · Grand Traverse County · 12 ft clarity

Rennie Lake

10 mi · Grand Traverse County · 14 ft clarity

Ransom Lake

10.6 mi · Benzie County · 15 ft clarity

Lake View

12.1 mi · Benzie County · 18 ft clarity

Upper Woodcock Lake

13.5 mi · Benzie County · 11 ft clarity

Lower Woodcock Lake

13.6 mi · Benzie County · 12.3 ft clarity

Plan a lake trip in Michigan

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many lakes are near Traverse City?

There are 50 lakes with water-quality readings on record within 50 miles of Traverse City, Michigan. 13 of them have a recorded public access point and 38 have a clarity reading.

What are the best lakes near Traverse City for fishing?

24 lakes near Traverse City have documented fish species data. The best fishing lakes combine favourable water-quality readings with diverse fish populations. 17 lakes within 50 miles have 5 or more documented fish species.

Where to stay near Traverse City

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Traverse City — book a place close to the cleanest lakes in the area.

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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.