Clear Lake Near Me

Bliss36 · **Posted:** Tue Jan 14, 2014 12:35 pm

Quote:

Hutch, if you do ever make it to Muskegon, look me up, we are boating there almost every weekend. First round is on me :wink:

And if that first round is to be had at Dockers with Cap'n you are in for a good time my friend!!! http://www.dockersfishhouse.com/?page=tikibar

Give me a heads up and I'll buy the second round!!

Cap'n Morgan · **Posted:** Tue Jan 14, 2014 12:49 pm

Your sig pic is from the night you anchored on Muskegon Lake isn't it ? That was a fun weekend !!!

Work has begun on a new place bought by the owners of Docker's. It's on the Lake Michigan beach, south side of the channel arms.
It will be opened (partially) this summer. Restaurant, Bar,several outside decks, volleyball courts, and more. You can anchor in the
arms and walk up to the place. It will look similar to this.

Here are the preliminary drawings:

Harris Hospitality (Docker's owners) always do everything first class, so this should be a nice location and facility overlooking Lake Michigan.
Location will be on the right side of this pic, on the beach at the beginning of the south breakwall.

Bliss36 · **Posted:** Tue Jan 14, 2014 1:05 pm

Quote:

Your sig pic is from the night you anchored on Muskegon Lake isn't it ? That was a fun weekend !!!

It sure is and that was an awesome weekend! Love that Muskegon/White Lake Area....and especially Dockers

Those new additions look incredible and will be a premier boating destination for sure!!

Quote:

Higgins,Houghton and Glen lakes' are not connected to other lakes like Torch is. You can access at least 5 or 6 different lakes from Torch, without hauling your boat out of the water. A plus IMO.

Are there any low bridges to go under between the lakes? Both Hutch and I have radar arches that might prevent us from making it to the other lakes if there's low overhead anywhere. Also did you see any nice places to anchor overnight on these lakes or is it not friendly to anchoring overnight? Thanks for the info!

Cap'n Morgan · **Posted:** Tue Jan 14, 2014 1:26 pm

Torch River and Clam River bridges. A 28 ft. Crownline and a 30 ft. Sea Ray we tied up with on the Torch Lake sand bar fit under both bridges. Both bridges have approx. 10 ft. clearance. Your boats are approx. 10'6" with arch, so it might be VERY close. Maybe too close for comfort.

Call Fabiano's or Torch River Marine and ask them about current water
levels and clearance before you go, just to be sure.

You can overnight on the hook in several of the lakes. Clam Lake or Lake Bellaire would probably be the most secure. Torch can kick up pretty good overnight sometimes.

This gives you an idea of the lakes, and proximity to Lake Michigan.

usje141 · **Joined:** Sat Apr 24, 2010 9:22 am **Posts:** 78

I would agree that the Torch Lake area offers a terrific boating experience. And the new development going up on Muskegon sounds like a lot of fun. Wish our lake could offer something similar but it's a bit too blue collar in nature...

Cap'n Morgan · **Posted:** Wed Jan 15, 2014 11:51 am

We will be up at Torch at least twice this summer. Taking the camper to a couple different locations to stay. Much cheaper than the $1,500 to $2,500 per week to rent a cottage. Hope some of ya'll can make it !

hutch9900 · **Joined:** Tue Mar 22, 2011 7:14 pm **Posts:** 456

Bliss36 wrote:

Quote:

Hutch, if you do ever make it to Muskegon, look me up, we are boating there almost every weekend. First round is on me :wink:

And if that first round is to be had at Dockers with Cap'n you are in for a good time my friend!!! http://www.dockersfishhouse.com/?page=tikibar

Give me a heads up and I'll buy the second round!!

Hey now! I will take you up on that

I have a lot of planning to do for the trip, but I think it will be Torch. I am sure hoping that the water levels are low enough for me to get under the bridges though. I would like to spend a week up there and not have to take the boat out at all, I think that would be a blast! Just wondering, do you guys know of any place to park the truck and trailer around there? We would definitely like to be on the hook for some of our overnights, but Torch doesnt look like it has any protected coves at all. Are there any good spots for anchorage or any marinas that offer overnighting?

Thanks for all the information so far guys!! The awesome pictures are also selling my wife on the idea of a trip to northern Michigan this summer! She is the one that is more hesitant to take the longer journeys. :roll:

hutch9900 · **Joined:** Tue Mar 22, 2011 7:14 pm **Posts:** 456

Cap'n Morgan wrote:

We will be up at Torch at least twice this summer. Taking the camper to a couple different locations to stay. Much cheaper than the $1,500 to $2,500 per week to rent a cottage. Hope some of ya'll can make it !

Any ideas of when you think you will be up there? This is about as adventurous as my wife and I have gotten so far and its always good to know someone who has been there and knows the areas.

JeffLW · **Posted:** Thu Jan 16, 2014 3:16 pm

Check out Elk Rapids Harbor too. http://www.elkrapidsharbor.com/
They have nice ramps and slips on both the Lake Michigan(Grand Traverse Bay) and chain of lakes side. I'm sure they could confirm the bridge clearances as well. Been twenty years or more since I went down the Torch river but its on my list to do again.

I kept my boat in Elk Rapids harbor for a couple weeks in 2012. Thinking of doing that again only bringing the trailer down one weekend, moving her to other side of the damn and heading to Torch.

Mark T · **Posted:** Mon Jun 02, 2014 3:19 pm

hutch9900 wrote:

Bliss36 wrote:

Quote:

Hutch, if you do ever make it to Muskegon, look me up, we are boating there almost every weekend. First round is on me :wink:

And if that first round is to be had at Dockers with Cap'n you are in for a good time my friend!!! http://www.dockersfishhouse.com/?page=tikibar

Give me a heads up and I'll buy the second round!!

Hey now! I will take you up on that

I have a lot of planning to do for the trip, but I think it will be Torch. I am sure hoping that the water levels are low enough for me to get under the bridges though. I would like to spend a week up there and not have to take the boat out at all, I think that would be a blast! Just wondering, do you guys know of any place to park the truck and trailer around there? We would definitely like to be on the hook for some of our overnights, but Torch doesnt look like it has any protected coves at all. Are there any good spots for anchorage or any marinas that offer overnighting?

Thanks for all the information so far guys!! The awesome pictures are also selling my wife on the idea of a trip to northern Michigan this summer! She is the one that is more hesitant to take the longer journeys. :roll:

Call DeWitt Marine, 231.377.6611
http://dewittmarine.com/ they have transient slips we have used in the past and room for your truck and trailer to park. They are great to work with and have lots of FourWinns parts in stock !!

We are now on are 5th summer up there, this time with a cottage on Clam Lake that we are fixing up to eventually rent out. Wife and I went out on Torch this past Saturday night. Grabbed a pizza at Fabiano's and just enjoyed a nice slow cruise, tunes, pizza and a few beers. It is so nice not to have to worry about boat traffic. Previous week there was a meteor shower and the Milky Way was the most visible that I have ever seen it.

On Clam there is a shallow cove by the nature preserve you could anchor at over nite and listen to the Loons. We have not tried to take the boat up the Grass river to Lake Bellaire yet this year, but with the water about 6" higher than last year, our boat should not have a problem churning mud like it did last August.

Please let us know when coming up and we'd be glad to share a chilly one with the iFourWinn's family if we are up at the same time. I promise not to hand you a hammer and ask you to help on the cottage !!

Misterbulbous · **Posted:** Mon Jun 02, 2014 7:41 pm

You might want to check out Laurel Lake in Ky. It's about an hour shorter drive, but in the direction of Cumberland. Some of the clearest water in the area.

GottWhat · **Posted:** Mon Jun 16, 2014 8:07 pm

Great suggestions! My boat is in/out inside racked on St Clair but think a trip to the west side of the lake might be a fun trip this summer.

When I was elementary age and living in Florida, I would spend a lot of my summer vacations at Lake Wawasee in Indiana. Awesome lake too. It is a natural lake southeast of Syracuse in Kosciusko County, Indiana. It is the largest natural lake wholly contained within Indiana. It is located just east of Indiana State Road 13.

jsimon · **Posted:** Tue Jun 17, 2014 8:17 am

Cap'n Morgan wrote:

Torch River and Clam River bridges. A 28 ft. Crownline and a 30 ft. Sea Ray we tied up with on the Torch Lake sand bar fit under both bridges. Both bridges have approx. 10 ft. clearance. Your boats are approx. 10'6" with arch, so it might be VERY close. Maybe too close for comfort.

We stayed at North torch river marina when we had our 268 with arch, and made it under the bridge on the torch river. I dont remember how close it was but I remember being more worried about the narrowness of the channel with another boat coming the opposite way.

hutch9900 · **Joined:** Tue Mar 22, 2011 7:14 pm **Posts:** 456

jsimon wrote:

Cap'n Morgan wrote:

Torch River and Clam River bridges. A 28 ft. Crownline and a 30 ft. Sea Ray we tied up with on the Torch Lake sand bar fit under both bridges. Both bridges have approx. 10 ft. clearance. Your boats are approx. 10'6" with arch, so it might be VERY close. Maybe too close for comfort.

We stayed at North torch river marina when we had our 268 with arch, and made it under the bridge on the torch river. I dont remember how close it was but I remember being more worried about the narrowness of the channel with another boat coming the opposite way.

From everything I have read, it sounds like the water levels are up this year. Either way, that will make a big difference for us if we are going to come up to Torch or not this year.

Cap'n Morgan · **Posted:** Tue Jun 17, 2014 9:12 am

We will be at Torch Lake 3rd weekend in August. Will let you know then, but talking with a friend who was there last weekend, water levels are about normal, and not higher than usual. Water temp was 60 degrees.

www.iFourWinns.com

Clear Lake Near Me

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