Best Lakes for Swimming Near Traverse City
Michigan
30 swimming lakes within driving distance of Traverse City, Michigan, ranked by water quality and swimming-specific filters. Filtered for grade A or B water quality, low algae (chlorophyll-a under 15 µg/L), and public access. Always check local advisories on the day you swim.
Within reasonable driving distance of Traverse City sit 30 graded lakes — a lake-dense area that gives residents real choice on any given weekend. The average grade across the nearby set is A.
The swimming-specific ranking layered on top of the LakeGrade rubric is what produces the list below: a grade-good lake that does not also support the swimming use case is less useful than a grade-decent lake that does.
| # | Lake | County | Grade | Distance | Clarity | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Long Lake | Grand Traverse | A | 7.1 mi | 24 ft | - |
| 2 | Long Lake North Central Basin; Long Lake Township | Grand Traverse | A | 7.2 mi | 23.8 ft | - |
| 3 | Mickey Lake | Grand Traverse | A | 7.4 mi | 15 ft | - |
| 4 | Mickey Lake | Grand Traverse | A | 7.4 mi | 15 ft | - |
| 5 | Arbutus Lake North Basin | Grand Traverse | A | 8 mi | 15.8 ft | - |
| 6 | Arbutus Lake North Central Basin | Grand Traverse | A | 8 mi | 16.8 ft | - |
| 7 | Arbutus Lake Central Basin | Grand Traverse | A | 8.4 mi | 17.3 ft | - |
| 8 | Arbutus Lake South Central Basin | Grand Traverse | A | 8.7 mi | 19 ft | - |
| 9 | Arbutus Lake | Grand Traverse | A | 9.1 mi | 17 ft | - |
| 10 | Island Lake | Grand Traverse | A | 10.2 mi | 15 ft | - |
| 11 | Ransom Lake | Benzie | A | 10.6 mi | 15 ft | - |
| 12 | Lake View; Almira Twp | Benzie | A | 12.1 mi | 18 ft | - |
| 13 | Lake View | Benzie | A | 12.1 mi | 18 ft | - |
| 14 | Sanford Lake | Benzie | A | 12.5 mi | 15.8 ft | - |
| 15 | Elk Lake | Antrim | A | 12.9 mi | - | - |
| 16 | Lime Lake | Leelanau | A | 14.1 mi | 15.8 ft | - |
| 17 | Lime Lake | Benzie | A | 15.3 mi | 17.5 ft | - |
| 18 | Birch Lake | Antrim | A | 16.7 mi | 17 ft | - |
| 19 | Fisher Lake | Leelanau | A | 18.5 mi | - | - |
| 20 | Glen Lake | Leelanau | A | 18.9 mi | 15.5 ft | - |
| 21 | Lake Leelanau; North Basin | Leelanau | A | 19.6 mi | 18 ft | - |
| 22 | Torch Lake | Antrim | A | 20.7 mi | 27.5 ft | - |
| 23 | Crystal Lake | Benzie | A | 28 mi | 32 ft | - |
| 24 | Round Lake | Benzie | A | 28.1 mi | 15 ft | - |
| 25 | Round Lake | Benzie | A | 28.1 mi | 15 ft | - |
| 26 | Spider Lake West Basin | Grand Traverse | A | 8.5 mi | 12 ft | - |
| 27 | Rennie Lake; Central Basin; East Bay Township | Grand Traverse | A | 10 mi | 13 ft | - |
| 28 | Upper Woodcock Lake; Almira Twp | Benzie | A | 13.5 mi | 11 ft | - |
| 29 | Pearl Lake Central Basin | Benzie | A | 14.6 mi | 13 ft | - |
| 30 | Bass Lake | Leelanau | A | 16.9 mi | 11.2 ft | - |
Other activities near Traverse City
Fishing near Traverse City →Kayaking near Traverse City →Boating near Traverse City →All lakes near Traverse City →
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.