$1,255,000
Family compound with guest cabin
4 bd2 ba
2,850 sqft
180 ft shore
Crib dock with lift
$6,972/ft
Hgjudd
· CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Photographs of Torch Lake via Wikimedia Commons. Credit and licence on each image — hover to view, click through to the source.
Torch Lake covers 18,770 acres in Michigan and drops to 285 feet at its deepest point. It is a natural lake, which generally means a more stable shoreline and fewer drawdown surprises than an impoundment. Level is unusually stable, which protects dock usability and shoreline appearance year round. Water clarity averages around 30 feet, placing it among the clearer bodies of water in the country. Short-term rental posture: Township by township. Confirm at the municipal level before underwriting rental income.
Each axis is computed by published formula from this lake's own attributes. How we score.
Computed from measured clarity, trophic state, and drawdown magnitude — not an opinion. See the formula.
Weighted: water 26% · recreation 22% · investment 20% · value 18% · access 14%.
Idealized cross-section. Max depth 285 ft, average 91 ft. Depth at a specific dock depends on local bathymetry — verify at the property.
Township by township
What a median-priced home on Torch Lake actually costs to carry, with waterfront-specific line items most calculators omit.
| Principal & interest | $54,690 |
| Property taxes | $9,082 |
| Hazard insurance | $3,633 |
| Flood insurance | $650 |
| Utilities | $2,700 |
| Maintenance reserve (1.1%) | $9,515 |
| Septic service | $520 |
| Well & water testing | $260 |
| Dock maintenance | $900 |
| Winterization / seasonal close | $750 |
| Shoreline / seawall reserve | $960 |
| Total | $83,661 |
Main channel is fantastic. Some of the back coves get shallow and mucky by late summer. Walk the actual shoreline before you commit, not just the listing photos.
Beautiful clear water and the fishing is genuinely good. Be aware the level drops in the fall and our dock needed a longer walkway than we budgeted for. Not a dealbreaker, just plan for it.
Prices here are meaningfully lower than the lake an hour north for water that is nearly as clear. Fewer restaurants and services, which is the tradeoff.
