Torch Lake (Antrim County, Michigan)

Torch Lake
View from Torch Lake Township
Torch Lake Location within the state of Michigan
Location	Antrim & Kalkaska counties, Michigan, U.S.
Coordinates	44°59′00″N 85°18′30″W / 44.98333°N 85.30833°W / 44.98333; -85.30833
Etymology	waaswaaganing (Ojibwe) 'place of torches'
Primary inflows	Clam River
Primary outflows	Torch River
Basin countries	United States
Max. length	19 miles (31 km)
Max. width	2 miles (3.2 km)
Surface area	18,770 acres (7,600 ha)
Average depth	111 ft (34 m)
Max. depth	285 ft (87 m)[1]
Water volume	0.78 cu mi (3.3 km3)
Surface elevation	591 feet (180 m)[2]
Islands	None
Settlements	Alden, Clam River, Eastport, Torch Lake, Torch River

Torch Lake is a lake in the Northern Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. At 19 miles (31 km) long, is Michigan's longest inland lake, and at approximately 29.3 mi² (76 km²), it is Michigan's second largest inland lake, after Houghton Lake. It has a maximum depth of 310 feet (94 m) and an average depth of 111 feet (34 m), making it Michigan's deepest inland lake, as well as the state's largest by volume.^[3]

Surrounding it are several townships including Torch Lake, Central Lake, Forest Home, Helena, and Milton in Antrim County, and Clearwater Township of neighboring Kalkaska County. Several villages and hamlets lie along its shore, including Alden, Eastport, Clam River, Torch Lake, and Torch River. It is a popular lake for fishing, featuring lake trout, rock bass, yellow perch, smallmouth bass, muskellunge, pike, ciscoes, brown trout, steelhead, rainbow trout, atlantic salmon and whitefish.