Glen Lake

Glen Lake lies in the heart of the Sleeping Bear Dunes country in Leelanau County, a strikingly beautiful lake whose clear water shades from deep blue to brilliant turquoise over its sandy shallows. A narrows divides it into Big Glen and Little Glen, framed by the towering dunes of Sleeping Bear and the wooded hills of the Leelanau Peninsula.

Cold, deep and exceptionally clear in its main basin yet warm and shallow near the narrows, Glen Lake is a beloved summer destination for boating, swimming, paddling and fishing, ringed by cottages and the villages of Glen Arbor and Empire. With Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore wrapping around it — the Dune Climb, Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive and Lake Michigan beaches all close by — Glen Lake sits at the center of one of the most spectacular landscapes in the Great Lakes.

Summer is the heart of the season, when the shallows glow turquoise and warm enough for swimming and the lake fills with boats — the Sleeping Bear area is busy then, so plan ahead. Late spring and September offer the same beauty with fewer crowds. Fall sets the dunes and hills ablaze with color over the blue water. Winter brings quiet, ice fishing and a stark dune-country beauty.

Loons, bald eagles, ospreys and herons frequent the lake and its shoreline, while the surrounding dunes, forests and the national lakeshore host white-tailed deer, fox and a rich bird community. The clear, deep water and weedy narrows support a varied fishery and food web. The Sleeping Bear area’s mix of dune, forest, lake and Lake Michigan shore makes it exceptional wildlife country.

Glen Lake offers a diverse fishery. Its deep, cold main basin holds lake trout and whitefish, while the shallows, weed edges and narrows hold smallmouth and largemouth bass, northern pike, perch and panfish. The clear water can make fishing technical, rewarding careful presentation. Anglers fish open water and the ice in winter. Follow current Michigan DNR seasons, limits and regulations for the lake’s cold- and warmwater species.

Glen Lake is large and deep, and wind can build waves quickly — boaters should watch the weather and wear life jackets. The water is cold below the turquoise shallows, raising cold-water-shock risk for swimmers who venture off the warm bars; supervise children. The nearby Lake Michigan shore has its own dangerous surf and currents. In winter, check ice conditions carefully before venturing out.

Glen Lake is a premier summer-recreation lake — boating, sailing, swimming in its warm turquoise shallows, paddleboarding, kayaking and fishing its clear water. Public access and beaches serve the lake, and the surrounding Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore adds the Dune Climb, the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive, Lake Michigan beaches and miles of hiking and biking trails. Few lakes sit at the center of so much spectacular scenery and recreation.

Glen Lake’s shores were home to Native American peoples and later to farming, lumbering and the fishing village of Glen Haven on nearby Lake Michigan. As the beauty of the Sleeping Bear country drew visitors, resort and cottage life grew up around the lake. The establishment of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in 1970 protected much of the surrounding landscape, preserving the spectacular setting that frames the lake.

Glen Lake fills a deep basin carved by glacial ice and meltwater during the last Ice Age, dammed and shaped by the same forces that built the towering perched dunes of Sleeping Bear on the glacial bluffs nearby. The narrows, the deep main basin and the sandy shallows all reflect this glacial sculpting. The turquoise color comes from sunlight reflecting off the pale sand bottom through the clear water.

Glen Lake is a deep, clear, relatively cold lake whose remarkable clarity reflects clean inflow and a protected, largely natural watershed within the national lakeshore. Its mix of deep cold water and warm turquoise shallows supports diverse life, but that clarity is sensitive to nutrient pollution and aquatic invasive species. Protecting water quality is central to keeping Glen Lake the jewel it is.

Glen Lake and the Sleeping Bear country are icons of northern Michigan, repeatedly celebrated among the most beautiful places in America. Generations of families have summered on the lake, and its turquoise water framed by the great dunes is one of the most recognizable and beloved scenes in the Great Lakes — a centerpiece of the Leelanau Peninsula’s identity.

Public access to Glen Lake comes through DNR launches and public points, with much of the shoreline private cottage frontage. The lake is reached via M-22 and M-109 near Glen Arbor and Empire in Leelanau County, within and beside Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. The villages provide services and access to the wider park. A Recreation Passport or park pass may apply at national-lakeshore sites nearby.

Glen Lake’s clarity is a fragile treasure, protected by lake associations, watershed groups and the surrounding national lakeshore. Boaters help by cleaning, draining and drying to stop aquatic invasive species, and shoreline owners by protecting natural shoreline and limiting nutrient runoff. The lake’s health is tied to the careful stewardship of its watershed and the protected dune country around it.

Follow Michigan DNR fishing regulations, seasons and limits for the lake’s cold- and warmwater species. Boaters must follow state boating and invasive-species laws — clean, drain and dry — and observe no-wake zones near shore and the narrows. Respect private shoreline and use public access points. National-lakeshore sites nearby may require a park pass; check current rules.

Glen Lake sits at the heart of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, with the Dune Climb, Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive, Lake Michigan beaches, Glen Haven and the villages of Glen Arbor and Empire all close. The Leelanau Peninsula’s wineries, M-22 scenic drive, Traverse City and Lake Michigan are all within reach, making the area one of Michigan’s premier destinations.

See the turquoise shallows by boat or from the M-22 overlook on a sunny day when the color is most vivid. Visit on a weekday or in the shoulder seasons to avoid the summer Sleeping Bear crowds. Always clean, drain and dry your craft to protect the lake’s clarity. Pair a visit with the Dune Climb, Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive and the Leelanau wineries.