Lac La Belle

Lac La Belle is a beautiful, secluded lake near the tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula in Keweenaw County, tucked among the rugged hills and wild Lake Superior shore of the copper country. Connected to Lake Superior’s Bete Grise Bay by a channel, the clear, scenic lake sits in one of the most remote and dramatic corners of Michigan.

Ringed by forest and overlooked by the slopes of Mount Bohemia, Lac La Belle is a quiet retreat for boating, fishing, paddling and simply soaking in the wild Keweenaw scenery, with the sandy beaches of Bete Grise and the singing sands nearby. The small community of Lac La Belle and a few lodges dot its shores, but the setting remains wonderfully remote and natural. For those exploring the tip of the Keweenaw, Lac La Belle offers a serene, off-the-beaten-path lake in spectacular surroundings.

Summer brings the warmest weather and the best conditions for boating, paddling and enjoying the Bete Grise beaches, with the Keweenaw tip at its most accessible. Fall adds spectacular color across the rugged Keweenaw hills. Winter brings the region’s legendary deep snow, with nearby Mount Bohemia a destination for extreme skiing. Summer and fall are best for enjoying the lake and the wild Keweenaw scenery around it.

The lake, its shore and the surrounding Keweenaw forest host white-tailed deer, black bear, beaver and a variety of birds, with loons and waterfowl on the lake, eagles overhead, and the Lake Superior shore at Bete Grise drawing waterbirds and migrating birds. The wild, remote Keweenaw tip is excellent wildlife country, and the mix of lake, channel and Lake Superior shore makes for fine wildlife watching in spectacular surroundings.

Lac La Belle offers fishing in its clear waters and, through the connecting channel, access to Lake Superior’s Bete Grise Bay, holding species such as smallmouth bass, northern pike, perch and panfish, with the connected Lake Superior waters adding coldwater species. The lake’s structure and the channel to the big lake provide varied fishing. Follow current Michigan DNR seasons, limits and regulations for the lake’s species and the connected Lake Superior waters before fishing.

Lac La Belle is connected to cold Lake Superior through the channel, and the big lake’s waters and weather can affect the area — boaters should watch conditions, wear life jackets, and take care in the channel and Bete Grise Bay. The water is cold; supervise swimmers. The area is remote with limited services, so come prepared. Respect the fragile dunes and private property, and dress for the cool Keweenaw weather even in summer.

Lac La Belle offers quiet boating, fishing, paddling and swimming in its clear waters, with a channel connecting to Lake Superior’s Bete Grise Bay for access to the big lake. The surrounding Keweenaw tip adds the sandy beaches and famous ‘singing sands’ of Bete Grise, the rugged slopes of Mount Bohemia, hiking, and Lake Superior shore exploration. Secluded and scenic, it rewards those seeking a peaceful, off-the-beaten-path lake in the wild beauty of the Keweenaw.

Lac La Belle and the surrounding Keweenaw tip were part of the copper-mining country that drew the world to the peninsula in the 19th century, and the channel connecting the lake to Lake Superior’s Bete Grise Bay served the region. The small community of Lac La Belle grew on its shores. Today the lake and the wild country around it — including Mount Bohemia and the Bete Grise beaches — are a remote, scenic retreat at the tip of the copper country.

Lac La Belle sits among the ancient volcanic and conglomerate rock of the Keweenaw — the billion-year-old rift geology that hosted the region’s native copper — in a basin connected by channel to Lake Superior’s Bete Grise Bay. Glaciers and the lake’s waves shaped the lake, the channel, the dunes and the rugged surrounding hills, including nearby Mount Bohemia. The deep geology and glacial history give the area its dramatic, wild character.

Lac La Belle is a clear lake connected to Lake Superior’s Bete Grise Bay, sharing the great lake’s cold, clean water through the channel, set within the cool, boreal-edge ecosystem of the Keweenaw tip. The lake, the channel, the Bete Grise dunes and beaches, and the surrounding rugged forest support a rich, relatively undisturbed natural community. The remote setting and the connection to Lake Superior make the lake an ecologically distinctive corner of the Keweenaw.

Lac La Belle, with its clear waters, its connection to Lake Superior’s Bete Grise Bay, and its setting among the rugged hills and singing sands of the Keweenaw tip, is a serene, off-the-beaten-path retreat in one of Michigan’s most remote and scenic corners. Near Mount Bohemia and the wild Lake Superior shore, it anchors the quiet, dramatic appeal of the very tip of the copper country.

Lac La Belle is reached via back roads off US-41 near the tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula in Keweenaw County, toward Bete Grise and Mount Bohemia, east of Lac La Belle’s small community. Public access comes through launches and the channel to Bete Grise Bay; the area is remote, with limited services. Copper Harbor, Lac La Belle and the Keweenaw communities provide the nearest amenities. Check local sources for access and conditions in this remote corner.

Lac La Belle and its connection to Lake Superior’s Bete Grise Bay lie within the wild, relatively undisturbed country of the Keweenaw tip, with the fragile Bete Grise dunes and the rugged forest nearby. Visitors help by cleaning, draining and drying boats to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species through the connected waters, staying off the fragile dunes, respecting the remote setting and private property, and packing out everything. Protecting the lake and its surroundings preserves this wild corner.

Follow Michigan DNR fishing regulations, seasons and limits for the lake’s species and the connected Lake Superior waters. Boaters must follow state boating and invasive-species laws — clean, drain and dry — especially given the connection to Lake Superior. Stay off the fragile Bete Grise dunes and respect private property around the lake. Pack out litter. Check the DNR and local sources for current access and rules in this remote area.

The tip of the Keweenaw surrounds Lac La Belle: the sandy beaches and famous ‘singing sands’ of Bete Grise, the rugged slopes of Mount Bohemia (a destination for extreme skiing), Copper Harbor, Brockway Mountain, Eagle Harbor and the lighthouses, and Fort Wilkins Historic State Park are all within reach. The wild Lake Superior shore and the copper-country history make this one of the most spectacular corners of Michigan.

Enjoy the secluded, scenic lake for quiet boating, paddling and fishing, and explore the connected Bete Grise Bay and its famous singing-sand beaches. Clean and drain your boat to protect the connected Lake Superior waters, and respect the fragile dunes and private property. Come prepared for the remote setting, and pair a visit with Mount Bohemia, Copper Harbor and the wild beauty of the Keweenaw tip.