Van Norman Lake (Michigan)

Van Norman Lake
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Location	Oakland County, Michigan, U.S.
Coordinates	42°42′15″N 83°24′48″W / 42.704152°N 83.413226°W / 42.704152; -83.413226
Type	Reservoir
Basin countries	United States
Surface area	66 acres (27 ha)
Max. depth	90 ft (27 m)
Surface elevation	968 ft (295 m)[1]
Islands	one
Settlements	Independence Township, Waterford Township[2]

Van Norman Lake is a private, all-sports, 66-acre (27 ha) lake along the main branch of the Clinton River,^[3] in Oakland County, in the U.S. state of Michigan. Most of the lake lies within Independence Township; however, the southern portion of the lake is in Waterford Township.^[4]

The lake was formed when a dam was built in the late 19th century on the Clinton River near Dixie Highway and Andersonville Road. Prior to then, a small pond existed in Waterford Village on the southeastern shore.^[5]

The 90-foot-deep (27 m) lake currently has one island. There were three islands as late as the 1980s; however, two have since disappeared due to erosion.^[6]

Van Norman Lake connects upstream to Lester Lake (12 acres (4.9 ha)) and Greens Lake 117 acres (47 ha)) to the east and downstream to Townsend Lake (26 acres (11 ha)) and Woodhull Lake (135 acres (55 ha)) to the west.^[7]

Van Norman Lake is the deepest lake in Independence Township and the sixth-deepest of the 387 lakes in Oakland County.