Walloon Lake

Walloon Lake is a glacier-formed lake located in Charlevoix and Emmet counties in northern Michigan. It is now home to many vacation homes and cottages. Though the end of the west arm of the lake is less than 1 mile (1.6 km) from Lake Michigan, Walloon Lake's surface elevation is over 100 feet (30 m) higher. The Bear River drains from the east end of the lake in Walloon Lake village, winding east then north down to its outflow into Lake Michigan at the south end of Petoskey.

History

Walloon Lake was originally named Talcott. As the story goes, a local butcher, J. R. Haas, saw the name Walloon Lake on an old railroad map and tried to discover the history behind the name. It is thought that a group of Walloons from Belgium settled the land at the north end of the lake, which was then called Bear Lake. No trace of this settlement has ever been found.

Ecology

Locals refer to their cottages as being on the "west arm", or the "foot", etc. The lake covers 4,270 acres (17.3 km²) and is primarily fed from groundwater. Its maximum depth is just over 100 feet (30 m). Recently, the introduction of zebra mussels has made the clear waters even clearer. For a few months after the ice melts (usually in April), it is possible to see to the bottom of the lake at depths up to 30 feet. Also in the summer there's a camp were you can swim across the lake.