Michigan’s Prettiest Lake Revealed

Going to a lake is a great way for Americans to soak up the sun during the summer months. What's really easy about visiting a lake is that it's a lot more attainable than going to the ocean for a lot of Americans. According to the NOAA, in the U.S., 127 million people live in coastal counties, which sounds like a big number, and it is, especially considering that it's as much as the population of Japan. However, "though home to almost 40% of the U.S. population, coastal areas account for less than 10% of the total land in the contiguous United States." In that spirit, one of our state's lakes is being recognized as one of the most beautiful in the country.

The coastal areas of the U.S. are packed with people, which often makes ocean beaches crowded. That's not to mention that going to an ocean beach, one also runs into plenty of vacationers with similar plans. "Coastal areas are also far more crowded than the U.S. as a whole; population density is over five times greater in coastal shoreline counties than the U.S. average," the NOAA states, adding that, "this means that issues that affect the coasts affect a large proportion of Americans."

Here's where lakes come in. Visiting a lake can be a super fun, relaxing getaway and just as pleasurable as being at the ocean. It's even better if that lake is really pretty.

The crew at Reader's Digest has put together a tally of the prettiest lakes in the U.S. "From the vast Great Lakes to small spring-fed wonders, and from alpine watering holes to man-made reservoirs, these are the prettiest lakes in the country—and some of the best-kept secrets in every state," they state.

For Michigan, they named the No. 1 best lake in the state Torch Lake, which is located in the Northern Lower Peninsula of Michigan. "This Northern Michigan gem, which covers nearly 20,000 acres, is the deepest inland lake in the state," Reader's Digest states, adding that it's sometimes nicknamed a "slice of the Caribbean in the Midwest."