Elk Lake (Michigan)
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Elk Lake is located in Antrim and Grand Traverse counties in Northern Michigan. The lake is about a mile and a half wide (2.4 km) and nine miles (14 km) long, and is centered at 44°51′N 85°23′W / 44.850°N 85.383°W / 44.850; -85.383 near the town of Elk Rapids. It has maximum depth of 192 ft (59 m), making it Michigan’s second deepest after Torch Lake. It is a popular lake for fishing, featuring lake trout, rock bass, yellow perch, small mouth bass, muskellunge, ciscoes, brown trout, rainbow trout, and whitefish.
This deep, clear, caribbean-colored lake is very much a smaller version of the more famous Torch Lake, which lies just to the east. Elk Lake is part of a watershed that begins in northern Antrim County with Intermediate Lake, which is connected by the Intermediate River with Lake Bellaire. The Grass River flows from Lake Bellaire into Clam Lake, which in turn drains into Torch Lake via the short Clam River. Torch Lake is drained by the Torch River, which flows into Lake Skegemog, which opens into Elk Lake. Elk Lake flows through Elk River into the east arm of Grand Traverse Bay at Elk Rapids. This watershed is popularly known as the Chain of Lakes.
Nearby is a sign marking the 45th parallel north, halfway between the North Pole and the Equator. This is one of six Michigan sites and 29 places in the U.S.A. where such signs are known to exist.