Torch Lake Webcam – Watch Michigan’s Longest Inland Lake

The Torch Lake Webcam looks out from the lawn at Dockside, a lakeside restaurant and pontoon rental in the small community of Clam River in northern Michigan. A row of white Adirondack chairs lines a stone-armored shoreline in the foreground, and a long grass-topped pier runs out into the lake, with boat slips and mooring posts along its left side and picnic tables on the grass below the camera. Beyond the end of the pier, open water stretches to a low, wooded far shore. Wind changes the scene more than anything else here. On a still morning the lake can lie flat and pale, while a breezy afternoon turns it choppy and sends small waves against the rocks. Summer fills the slips with pontoons, and winter can leave the lawn under snow.

About Torch Lake

Torch Lake is Michigan’s longest inland lake, running 31 kilometers (19 miles) through Antrim County at an average width of about 3.2 kilometers (2 miles). It is the state’s second largest inland lake by area, at roughly 76 square kilometers (29.3 square miles), and its deepest, reaching 94 meters (310 feet). That depth also makes it the largest inland lake in Michigan by volume. The surface sits 180 meters (591 feet) above sea level, and in sunshine the shallows show a bright turquoise that is often compared to the Caribbean.

Clam River is one of a handful of small places on the shore, along with Alden, Eastport, Torch River and a hamlet that shares the lake’s name. The short Clam River brings water into Torch Lake from Clam Lake, which is fed in turn by the Grass River flowing out of Lake Bellaire. Torch Lake drains through the Torch River into Lake Skegemog, and the whole system, known locally as the Chain of Lakes, eventually reaches Grand Traverse Bay. The village of Bellaire, the Antrim County seat with 1,053 residents at the 2020 census, lies about 7 kilometers (4 miles) to the east-northeast.

The name comes from the Ojibwe word waaswaaganing, meaning “Place of Torches,” after the old practice of fishing by torchlight at night, drawing fish toward the surface to be taken with spears and nets. Near the south end of the lake, a sandbar in shallow water is a popular summer destination, busiest around the Fourth of July, when anchored boats can crowd the shallows for the holiday weekend.

Weather and Climate at Torch Lake

Northern Michigan has warm summers and long, snowy winters. In July, afternoon highs around the lake typically reach 24 to 27 C (76 to 81 F), with nights of 15 to 17 C (59 to 62 F), and this is when the pier and the slips on the Torch Lake Webcam tend to be busiest. Spring comes slowly. April afternoons reach about 10 to 12 C (49 to 54 F) with nights close to freezing, so the lawn greens up well before most boats return. By October, highs have dropped to 14 or 15 C (57 to 59 F), lows to 5 to 8 C (41 to 46 F), and by the middle of the month the hills on the far shore turn rust and amber.

January highs sit around minus 2 C (28 to 29 F), with lows of minus 7 to minus 8 C (17 to 19 F). Lake-effect snow makes up a large share of the winter total in this part of the state: Traverse City, about 33 kilometers (21 miles) to the southwest, averages around 203 centimeters (80 inches) a season. On the camera, wind matters as much as temperature. When it blows, the water darkens and breaks into whitecaps, and spray reaches the stones in front of the chairs.

Things to Do Near Torch Lake

Getting onto the water is the main event. Dockside rents Premier tritoons from its own dock for cruising the shoreline or anchoring off the sandbar, and its restaurant opens at 11 am every day from May through August. In April and October it opens Thursday to Sunday, in September Wednesday to Sunday, and it is closed from November through March. Out by the sandbar the water turns a pale, clear green over the sand, darkening to deep blue where the lake drops away.

Inland, Grass River Natural Area near Bellaire protects the wetlands along the Grass River, the stream that links Lake Bellaire and Clam Lake. A nonprofit began buying land there in 1969, and today boardwalk trails, bridges and observation platforms give easy access to the river, its side streams and the marsh. Bellaire itself is home to Short’s Brewing Company and the historic Antrim County Courthouse. Shanty Creek Resorts, also at Bellaire, runs two ski areas in winter and four golf courses in summer, including one designed by Arnold Palmer.

Similar Webcams You Might Like

More inland lakes and northern Michigan water to watch next.

• Walloon Lake Webcam
• Traverse City Webcam
• Lake Louise Webcam

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Torch Lake located?

Torch Lake is in Antrim County, in the northwest of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. This camera stands at Dockside in Clam River, about 7 kilometers (4 miles) from Bellaire and about 33 kilometers (21 miles) northeast of Traverse City.

What can you see on the Torch Lake Webcam?

The camera looks over Dockside’s lawn and its row of Adirondack chairs, past a stone shoreline and a long grassy pier with boat slips, to open water and the wooded far shore of Torch Lake.

What is the weather like at Torch Lake?

Summers are warm, with July highs of 24 to 27 C (76 to 81 F). Winters are cold and snowy, with January highs around minus 2 C (28 F) and lows near minus 8 C (17 F).

How deep is Torch Lake?

Torch Lake reaches 94 meters (310 feet) at its deepest point, which makes it the deepest inland lake in Michigan and the largest by volume.

Where is the Torch Lake sandbar?

The sandbar lies in shallow water at the south end of the lake. It is a popular summer spot, especially over the Fourth of July weekend, and rental boats from Dockside can anchor off it.

How did Torch Lake get its name?

The name comes from the Ojibwe waaswaaganing, “Place of Torches,” after Native Americans who fished the lake at night by torchlight, drawing fish up to be speared or netted.

When is Dockside on Torch Lake open?

The restaurant opens at 11 am daily from May through August, Wednesday to Sunday in September, and Thursday to Sunday in April and October. It is closed from November through March.

Source: Dockside Torch Lake