Overview
Lake Charlevoix is a roughly 17,200-acre inland lake in Charlevoix County and Michigan's third-largest inland lake by surface area. It connects to Lake Michigan through Round Lake and the short Pine River at the City of Charlevoix, so its surface elevation tracks the Michigan–Huron system. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources manages fisheries and public access information for this highly visited northern Michigan water.
With about 56 to 60 miles of shoreline, an average depth near 57 feet, and a maximum depth of 122 feet in the main basin (shallower in the South Arm), Charlevoix combines a broad main lake from Boyne City to Charlevoix with a long, narrower South Arm toward East Jordan. The Jordan and Boyne rivers are major tributaries, and the mix of deep basins, reefs, and sheltered arms gives the lake both inland and Great Lakes character.
The lake is renowned for boating, sailing, diving, and fishing, with Young State Park and multiple municipal and private access points. Anglers pursue lake trout, salmon, bass, and other species in a setting that blends inland-lake fishing with Great Lakes influence through the Charlevoix channel, drawing visitors from across Michigan and the Midwest.
Lake Charlevoix does not have an independent Corps rule curve; levels rise and fall with Lake Michigan–Huron and are best understood in the International Great Lakes Datum of 1985 (IGLD85) context used for the connecting Great Lakes. Monitoring Great Lakes water levels and local conditions is important for boating, docks, and shoreline use as wind, seiches, and basin supply change usable depths.
Current Conditions
- 7-day trendFallingLatest movement can differ from the seven-day trend.
- 7-day changeDown 0.08 ft
- 30-day changeDown 0.32 ft
- Drought conditionsNo Drought
About This Lake
Learn how this lake is managed, what affects its water level, and where Lake Insights gets its data.
Lake Charlevoix is a 17,200-acre natural lake with management context from Michigan DNR (level fluctuates with Lake Michigan-Huron). Levels respond to rainfall, runoff, and natural inflows and outflows.