Torch Lake Mi

[wizard8575]

The wife and I are heading to a bed and breakfast on Torch lake and I am taking the Trimate. I was wondering if anyone on here has spent some time there and knows of and good places to eat on the water and all the good spots on the lake. The place we will be staying is on the north end. I sure some you have been there. I heard it ones of the clearest lakes in the country. Anyone got some pics?

 

[chadbrown]

Torch Lake Boating

You're in for a great time! Torch and the connecting lakes provide for amazing boating!! From The North end of the lake you'll want to definitely stop in at The Dockside Restaurant which is on the lake right where the clam river flows into the lake. It's about 2/3 of the way toward the south end of the lake on the East side. Good beer and bar type food and an awesome deck overlooking the water.

From there you have to head to the very South end of the lake to check out the sandbar. You'll likely see a bunch of boats near the Southern shore a bit West of center. It comes up to only 6" or so of water so be careful on your approach. You can beach the boat along the West side of the sandbar or there is a cut along that Western side that allows you to come inside and beach along the South side of the bar. Great times always!

Once you leave the sandbar, head out the South end of the lake into The Torch River. There's a little store on the left hand side where you can stock up on beverages and snacks. The river is no wake and is a nice leisurely ride into Lake Skegemog. Shoot across the North end of Lake Skegemog into The East side of Elk Lake. From here you can head North along the Western side of the lake into The Elk River. There's a restaurant on the righ (North Side) just before you go under the US 31 bridge calle The Riverwalk Grill. Not a bad place if you want to sit outside. You can also park a the transient slips off to the righ just before you get to the bridge. Walk across US 31 and go just a couple blocks into downtown on River Street to Siren Hall. It's one of the best restaurants in the entire area. Also some good little shops and stuff along the way.

As you can maybe tell, we spend a lot of time boating these lakes and love every minute of it. Have a great time.

Chad Brown

 

[wizard8575]

Wow Thanks for the info!! I will check it all out. Our plan is once we put the boat in to not touch the truck the whole weekend. If we can t reach it by boat we aren't going.

You're in for a great time! Torch and the connecting lakes provide for amazing boating!! From The North end of the lake you'll want to definitely stop in at The Dockside Restaurant which is on the lake right where the clam river flows into the lake. It's about 2/3 of the way toward the south end of the lake on the East side. Good beer and bar type food and an awesome deck overlooking the water.

From there you have to head to the very South end of the lake to check out the sandbar. You'll likely see a bunch of boats near the Southern shore a bit West of center. It comes up to only 6" or so of water so be careful on your approach. You can beach the boat along the West side of the sandbar or there is a cut along that Western side that allows you to come inside and beach along the South side of the bar. Great times always!

Once you leave the sandbar, head out the South end of the lake into The Torch River. There's a little store on the left hand side where you can stock up on beverages and snacks. The river is no wake and is a nice leisurely ride into Lake Skegemog. Shoot across the North end of Lake Skegemog into The East side of Elk Lake. From here you can head North along the Western side of the lake into The Elk River. There's a restaurant on the righ (North Side) just before you go under the US 31 bridge calle The Riverwalk Grill. Not a bad place if you want to sit outside. You can also park a the transient slips off to the righ just before you get to the bridge. Walk across US 31 and go just a couple blocks into downtown on River Street to Siren Hall. It's one of the best restaurants in the entire area. Also some good little shops and stuff along the way.

As you can maybe tell, we spend a lot of time boating these lakes and love every minute of it. Have a great time.

Chad Brown

 

[ross]

when are you going to be staying up here? when it gets close pm me and i will get you on the phone, i grew up on the lakes listed above and boat there all summer long.

 

[Needafunboat]

I'll be on torch all summer long, including mem day (weather permitting - UGGGHHHH). Ross knows the area far better than I do, but I'd be happy to talk to you about it too. Good/accurate info. already posted. Note that gas is only available near the dockside in clam, on the river at a 2? places and all the way over in Elk rapids.

Prop busters:
Stay in the markers where torch river meets skegmog - lots of stumps there, but a trimate with the trim up should be just fine - huge boats go through there but do churn the bottom and hit the occasional stump. Also stay in the middle of the neck where skegmog meets Elk (sort of obvious) but if you're on plane, you'll be more than fine. Extreme North end of torch is shallow and ROCKY - if you launch there go straight out and stay pretty far off shore, water is clear enough that you can see the rocky bottom if you look. sand bar shallows at south end of torch are also pretty obvious, again with my starliner I could drive just about up onto the sand bar with if I got up into the tilt range.

BE CAREFUL WHEN LEAVING THE SAND BAR - cops patrol there quite a bit and there is huge (but unmarked) no wake zone. When I've been drinking, I just idle the boat into the torch river or to the south ramp and never really get on plane. If I'm heading north, I idle over to the west "channel" and take it really easy. It's also no-wake for 300? or 500? ft north of the torch river. Not worth the hassle to show off for the people on the sand bar unless you know you're OK to chat with Antrim County's finest.

PM me your # and we can chat as I drive up there tomorrow after work if you're heading up this weekend.

I've been boating literally all of my 38 years and torch is the nicest place I've ever been. Grand traverse bay might be second, but if you're at a B&B with a dock on torch I'd stay there - more than enough to see. Plus you'd need a VERY calm day to enjoy the bay in your boat.

Have fun!!

 

[ross]

some very good and accurate info posted so far! you are in for a GREAT time

 

[wizard8575]

We are planning on being there the weekend of the 18th next month for our anniversary.

 

[EricK]

I grew up boating there as well.

If the B&B has a dock, make darned sure your careful when attatching the boat to it. Installing docks on Torch and other lakes in the area for the past 7-8yrs a lot of docks in Torch are not anchored to the bottom of the lake so they simply set there, wind blows and catches the boat, the dock moves with it. Creating harm to both the boat and dock. Torch is a 'hoist' lake with the scale of the wind and waves that can come up in an instant. At the north end, you'll have 2 launches close, so I'd use them morning/night for safety.

Other then that, the others have said great things, its a pretty long ride from North to South end (about 17miles), but on the East side you've got the Dockside on Clam river, then to continue into Clam River and into Lake Bellaire is a very senic ride to burn a day and a few brews on! I'd do this on a windy day, you could easily trailer your boat to Clam and put in there if Torch was rough, you'll want a breeze for that river!

Have a great time up there! I just got back an hr ago!!!!!!!

 

[Needafunboat]

Well yesterday was one of those days where a trimate (or anything else) would have been just fine in the Grand Traverse Bays. The west bay was literally glass for quite a while. Heading out around mission point is always a little rougher, but was still only a foot or two max. My old starliner would have been just fine out there. Water temp was a balmy 44 degrees in bay and 56 in omena bay. I forgot to check what torch was on Sun, but I'd guess only around 60.

We stayed out on the water 'til about 5pm. Pulled in to our house in SE MI around 10:30, but it was worth every yawn at work today. Sat and sun were not QUITE as nice...but we did get to torch on sun for a few hours - cold!!

 

[ross]

Well yesterday was one of those days where a trimate (or anything else) would have been just fine in the Grand Traverse Bays. The west bay was literally glass for quite a while. Heading out around mission point is always a little rougher, but was still only a foot or two max. My old starliner would have been just fine out there. Water temp was a balmy 44 degrees in bay and 56 in omena bay. I forgot to check what torch was on Sun, but I'd guess only around 60.

We stayed out on the water 'til about 5pm. Pulled in to our house in SE MI around 10:30, but it was worth every yawn at work today. Sat and sun were not QUITE as nice...but we did get to torch on sun for a few hours - cold!!

where were you at on monday? i put in on elk and went up through torch onto clam and back. ended up calling the marina in elk rapids to re-fuel! we were on the water from 10:30-5:30...

 

[EricK]

Well yesterday was one of those days where a trimate (or anything else) would have been just fine in the Grand Traverse Bays. The west bay was literally glass for quite a while. Heading out around mission point is always a little rougher, but was still only a foot or two max. My old starliner would have been just fine out there. Water temp was a balmy 44 degrees in bay and 56 in omena bay. I forgot to check what torch was on Sun, but I'd guess only around 60.

We stayed out on the water 'til about 5pm. Pulled in to our house in SE MI around 10:30, but it was worth every yawn at work today. Sat and sun were not QUITE as nice...but we did get to torch on sun for a few hours - cold!!

Last I heard Torch was in the mid-high 50's, but the last couple days may have helped the South end as the cold water got blown north with the winds...

where were you at on monday? i put in on elk and went up through torch onto clam and back. ended up calling the marina in elk rapids to re-fuel! we were on the water from 10:30-5:30...

I sure hope it wasn't full when you put it in!

Sure wished we could have made it out to meet you guys somewhere along the venture...Next time you'll have to come out and relax for the day w/us at the lot!

This pic was worth the work to get the stuff in and boat on the lift though:



^ Taken on Intermediate Lake just South of Deep Water Point.

 

[Needafunboat]

where were you at on monday? i put in on elk and went up through torch onto clam and back. ended up calling the marina in elk rapids to re-fuel! we were on the water from 10:30-5:30...

We did the bay on Monday - when I saw 3mph winds, there was no question where to boat. We'll be on torch most of the summer though. I'll PM you my number - I lost yours. We will be up without kids the weekend of June 24 so that might be a good weekend to meet up on torch.

 

[nathan]

that is an awesome picture!!

 

[wizard8575]

We had an awesome time on torch over the weekend. The boat did good also. We put the boat in on the river since I was not comfortable with putting in at north end since I am not used to how much gas it uses and it was not properly broken in. The only down side was the idle up the river to the lake. The wake off those big boats were pretty ruff. We hung out on the sand bar for a few hours took some trips down the river. Then we had dinner at dockside halfway up the lake. On the way back that just before the sun started setting the lake calmed down alot and all the boats were gone so I played around some. While we were at the sand bar I seen a nice looking sunsation over 30' with twin i/o's tied to a few other boats doing some major partying. When I got to the launch to leave he was there just pulling out of the water. I got off the dock while the wife held the boat so I could get the truck. When I started walking the guy tore off in his truck leaving his wife behind yelling at him. I caught up to her she said they already lost a prop now is trying to loose the boat. In the process of tearing off(gravel parking lot) he threw rocks all over the hull. I looked at the boat and one of the prop shafts were gone and he was so pissed he refused to tie down the boat but the wife was insisting. Good time I cant wait to go back. Also I cant believe how many gas stations there were on the water but it was so hard to find one on land for the truck. The only thing the boat did that was wierd was it kept wander up and down a few 100 rpms when I was constant on the throttle.

 

[ross]

where did you launch your boat?

 

[wizard8575]

on torch river there is a launch off the main roads in the woods not to busy easy in and out. Just gota watch for all the tree stumps around it. You cant see it unless your looking for it. It is on Aarwood trail in clearwater.

 

[ross]

on torch river there is a launch off the main roads in the woods not to busy easy in and out. Just gota watch for all the tree stumps around it. You cant see it unless your looking for it. It is on Aarwood trail in clearwater.

i have never, and will never use that launch. you should have gotten ahold of me, i could have shown you around

 

[wizard8575]

I would have if it wasnt our aniversary weekend. Wife would not have been happy if I met up with a friend during that weekend. I was suprised I did not see you out.