include four out of the five Great Lakes. In addition to these beautiful lakes, there are plenty of inland lakes dotting the land of the Mitten’s twin peninsulas.

Although Michigan doesn’t touch a saltwater coast, visitors may be fooled into thinking they’re staring at an ocean while standing on the shores of some of this state’s magnificent lakes. From the frigid austerity of Lake Superior to the clear turquoise waves of Torch Lake, the lake life in Michigan has something for everyone.

With so much variety, selecting the perfect spot for your lake outing may seem overwhelming. To help you narrow down your choices before you hit your road trip, the

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Lake Superior (24,128,000 acres)

Location: Brockway Mountain Dr, Mohawk, MI 49950

Website:

Lake Superior

Lake Superior dominates the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and is the largest freshwater lake in the world. Covering 31,700 square miles, Superior’s surface resembles a powerful ocean.

The lake acts as an essential trade and shipping waterway for the Great Lakes Region, although it can be treacherous. Over 300 shipwrecks have been discovered, one of them being the grand Edmund Fitzgerald in 1975.

Don’t think Superior is all doom and gloom, though. This stunning lake is home to some of the most beautiful natural land in the state. Kayak along the

Pictured Rocks

, a series of multicolored cliffs that have been shaped by centuries of Superior’s waves, or hike up the

Black Rocks

in Marquette for insane views before cliff jumping into the bay below.

Lake Huron (14,724,480 acres)

Location: 1998 N Huron Rd, Tawas City, MI 48763

Website:

Lake Huron

As the second-largest Great Lake and the fourth-largest lake in the world, Lake Huron is a unique force that outlines the eastern coast of Michigan and forms the distinctive “thumb” of the Mitten.

Huron’s waters range from deep blue to a clear turquoise and can reach around 70 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer, making the shores of this lake very popular for aquatic recreation.

Much of Huron’s watershed (68% of it!) is forested and houses a great number of rare and endangered flora and fauna. Lumber and fishing are major industries in the region, so protecting these areas is a top priority for the state.

Soak in the breathtaking views at the top of one of the massive

sand dunes

before adventuring to the water below, or take it easy on any of the numbers of sandy and scenic beaches Huron’s shoreline has to offer.

Lake Michigan (14,272,000 acres)

Location: Blue Star Hwy, Coloma, MI 48162

Website:

Lake Michigan

Lake Michigan has the distinct recognition of being the only Great Lake positioned entirely in the U.S. Running along the entire western coast of Michigan’s lower peninsula, Lake Michigan has more than 1,600 miles of shoreline.

Some of the beaches of Lake Michigan are famous for the “singing sand”—sand that squeaks or squeals at a high pitch when blowing across itself or being rubbed together.

Western Michigan is also well-known for the many craft breweries, wineries, and distilleries—all of which you can try along the shores of Lake Michigan through a

craft beverage trail

MORE:

The best castles in Michigan to visit

Lake Erie (6,361,500 acres)

Location: 2502 E Elm Ave, Monroe, MI 48162

Website:

Lake Erie

Of all the Great Lakes, Lake Erie is the most shallow and therefore has the warmest temperatures.

These combined factors make it a hot spot for biological productivity and diversity—but since Erie is positioned between Michigan,

Ohio

Pennsylvania

New York

, and Ontario, it has been heavily used as a shipping route for the industrial economy.

Over time, this lake and its watershed became so heavily polluted that many beaches had to close.

Thankfully, clean-up efforts have been in the works since the late 1970s, and Erie is back on the rise. It remains biologically diverse and is actually the world’s largest and most valuable freshwater fishery.

Lake St. Clair (275,200 acres)

Location: 31300 Metro Parkway, Harrison Twp, MI 48045

Website:

Lake St. Clair

Lake St. Clair is one of the most popular inland lakes in Michigan for recreational activities. Head to the

Lake St. Clair Metropark

for swimming, bird watching, windsurfing, boating, biking, golfing, and even ice-fishing, cross-country skiing, and ice skating.

St. Clair is a great fishing location because of its proximity to the Great Lakes Basin. The cold, swift-running water is dense with nutrients and is home to a wide variety of fish.

You can also catch fun festivals along this lake, like the

Bass, Brews, and BBQ festival

that takes place in September!

Houghton Lake (20,044 acres)

Location: Pub Fishing Site, Houghton Lake, MI 48629

Website:

Houghton Lake

Michigan’s largest inland lake and another very popular recreation destination is Houghton Lake. Full of Lake Trout, Bluegill, Bass, Perch, and more, visitors can fish here year-round. You’ll also find exciting activities and festivals happening around the lake during any season.

The scenery of Houghton Lake lends itself to amazing wildlife spotting and beaches. You can canoe, kayak, hike, jet ski, golf, swim, camp, and more to take in the beauty of the watershed.

Even if you can’t make it until winter, a trip to Houghton is well worth it—you may wish to visit during the locally famous Tip-Up Town winter carnival anyway!

Torch Lake (18,770 acres)

Location: 12201 Pub Dock Rd, Kewadin, MI 49648

Website:

Torch Lake

Whether you’re looking for some of the biggest lake parties of the summer or you want to immerse yourself in the beauty of the natural world, Torch Lake is for you. Torch Lake boasts some of the most gorgeous views in Michigan across its turquoise waters and beautiful shorelines.

For the partiers, head to the Torch Lake sandbars. Tons of boats park along the sandbars all summer, but the biggest event is the 4th of July sandbar party that will end in a massive fireworks display.

For those looking for a quieter and more serene time, camping along Torch’s shorelines will expose you to the uninterrupted majesty of lake waves and wildlife.

Lake Charlevoix (17,200 acres)

Location: 5820 Lake Shore Rd, Boyne City, MI 49712

Website:

Lake Charlevoix

Lake Charlevoix has about 60 miles of shoreline and is connected to Lake Michigan—so its water level changes as the Great Lake does. The watershed around Lake Charlevoix is immense and offers residents and visitors beautiful natural areas and beaches to explore.

At the Charlevoix beaches, you can swim, rent paddleboards, picnic, or walk through beautiful gardens. Some of the most popular public beaches are

Depot Beach

, which is named for the historic train depot near it,

Ferry Beach

, which has a playground, concessions, and an ideal swimming area, and

Young State Park

, which spans 560 acres.

Burt Lake (17,120 acres)

Location: 6635 State Park Dr, Indian River, MI 49749

Website:

Burt Lake

Towards the northern tip of the lower peninsula, Burt Lake hosts many families looking for some summer fun. Along the water, visitors can swim, boat, fish, or just take a scenic walk ending with a lakeside picnic.

After your day in the sun and sand, you can retreat from the shores to find shopping, restaurants, ice cream parlors, and mini-golf in the Indian River area.

If you’re not quite ready to be away from the water, you can choose to explore one (or both) of the two nature preserves that sit on the shores of Burt Lake:

Seven Springs Nature Preserve

along the eastern shore or

Chaboiganing Nature Preserve

to the west.

MORE:

A road trip to the most haunted places in Michigan

Mullett Lake (16,630 acres)

Location: 7700 Mullett Lake Rd, Cheboygan, MI 49721

Website:

Mullett Lake

To end our list of Michigan’s largest lakes, we have Mullett Lake, which is only about 10 miles away from Burt Lake.

This lake is a part of the Great Inland Waterway, an important trade route for Indigenous tribes before it was taken over for the industrial economy’s shipping needs.

Today Mullett Lake sees mostly modern recreational traffic from sport and fishing boats. Fishing is quite popular here, and the water is home to tons of fish species, including Lake Sturgeon—in fact, the largest Lake Sturgeon in Michigan was caught in Mullett!

Protecting yourself while you travel

We know how strong the

road trip

call can be when it’s coming from The Great Lake State, but before you hit the road to tour Michigan’s waters, make sure you’re protected with a solid car or

rental car insurance

plan!

If you’d rather leave the hard work of gathering quotes to someone else, use

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