Lake Cadillac is a

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 ...

located within the city of

Cadillac, Michigan Cadillac ( ) is a city in and county seat of Wexford County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 10,371 at the 2020 census, which ranks it the third most-populated city in the Northern Michigan region after Traverse City and Al ...

. It is part of the

Muskegon River Muskegon River is a river in the western portion of the lower peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. The river source is located at Houghton Lake in Roscommon County, flowing out of the North Bay into neighboring Missaukee County. The river ...

watershed.

Natural features

Lake Cadillac is fed by two inlets: a small river flowing from Lake Mitchell and a short canal of the same origin. There is one outlet, the Clam River. In 2005, infestations of Eurasian water milfoil were discovered. During the summer, over a quarter of the lake's surface area became inhabited by the milfoil. Treatments for the invasive began in 2006. In 2007 the infestation was brought down to acceptable levels.

History

Historically, Lake Cadillac was referred to as ''Little Clam Lake''. In 1873, local businessman George A. Mitchell founded the village of Clam Lake (renamed

, in 1882) and constructed the

Clam Lake Canal The Clam Lake Canal (sometimes called the Cadillac Canal) is a man-made canal between Lake Mitchell and Lake Cadillac in Cadillac, Michigan made by George A. Mitchell in the 1870s. The purpose of the canal was to facilitate the movement of log ...

, connecting Little Clam Lake to Big Clam Lake. At the time, the canal enabled logging on the west side of Big Clam Lake; logs floated through the canal entered Little Clam Lake, on the east shore of which stood

lumber mill 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 ...

s, the

railroad Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...

and the Village of Clam Lake. The names of the two lakes were changed in 1903, with Little Clam Lake renamed as Lake Cadillac (for the renamed community) and Big Clam Lake as Lake Mitchell, in honor of William W. Mitchell, the nephew and business partner of George A. Mitchell. Following the passing of the lumber era the lake became a regional tourist destination. William Mitchell State Park, popular with campers, now occupies the west shore of the lake, adjacent to the canal.

References

External links

Cadillac Area Visitors BureauCity of Cadillac
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cadillac Lake Bodies of water of Wexford County, Michigan Cadillac Kettle lakes in the United States

Natural features

History

See also

References

External links