Hamlin Lake is a man-made
lake
A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...
in
Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
enlarged by the backup of the
Big Sable River
The Big Sable River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed November 21, 2011 river in Michigan in the United States. It originates in Lake County in the chain of lakes kno ...
by the Hamlin Lake Dam before it reaches
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume () and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the east, its basin is conjoined with that o ...
. The lake, which covers , is long and wide. It is the largest man-made lake in
Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
.
It has two sections, the upper and lower lakes, which are separated by the narrows. The western section has a maximum depth of almost while the eastern section is only
Hamlin Lake Mason County Big Sable River watershed, surveyed 2010
Mark A. Tonello, Michigan Dept. of Natural Resources, 2012 The first dam was built in the 1850s for a sawmill
A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes (dimensi ...
. Ludington State Park
Ludington State Park is a public recreation area located two miles north of Ludington, Michigan, occupying between the shores of Lake Michigan and Hamlin Lake. The state park is crossed by a one-mile stretch of the Big Sable River and is home t ...
lies along the entire western shore of the lake while the eastern tip of the lake is in the Manistee National Forest
The Manistee National Forest is a national forest located in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. It has a total area of . It was established in 1938, and combined with the Huron National Forest in 1945 for administrative purposes, creating the Huro ...
.
The lake is great for swimming during summer months as it is typically much warmer than Lake Michigan and has a smaller swimming area, making it easier to keep track of family and friends. Dune
A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, f ...
s separate the western shore of Hamlin Lake from the eastern shore of Lake Michigan. State park visitors can rent a variety of boats at this location and many of the park's trails (including a canoe trail) begin and end here. During the winter season, ice fishing
Ice fishing is the practice of catching fish with lines and fish hooks or spears through an opening in the ice on a frozen body of water. Ice fishers may fish in the open or in heated enclosures, some with bunks and amenities.
Shelters
Longer ...
is popular. Gamefish have been stocked in the lake since the 1890s.
History
Hamlin lake once was a small town, but in 1888 the wooden dam protecting the town collapsed, flooding the town. The dam was rebuilt in 1912, before collapsing again, flooding the area. It was later incorporated into Ludington State Park in the 1930s.
It is the largest man-made lake in Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
.
See also
*List of lakes in Michigan
This is a list of lakes in Michigan. The United States, American state of Michigan borders four of the five Great Lakes, Great Lakes.
The number of inland lakes in Michigan depends on the minimum size. There are:
* 62,798 lakes ≥
* 26,266 lak ...
References
https://hamlinlake.com/stories/history_of_the_village_of_hamlin_michigan
https://www.michigan.gov/documents/dnr/2012-132_394439_7.pdf
External links
Hamlin Lake
Michigan DNR
Hamlin Lake Tourism
{{authority control
Bodies of water of Mason County, Michigan
Lakes of Michigan
Reservoirs in Michigan