Largest lakes & reservoirs in Michigan by shoreline length
The length of the exterior shoreline around a lake is measured at the lake’s normal elevation. The shoreline length can be considerably shorter or longer when lake water levels are lower or higher than normal. A lake with many coves has a much longer shoreline than a lake of similar surface area that is nearly circular in shape.When known, the shoreline miles that we report in our statistics include only the lake’s exterior shoreline, and exclude the shorelines of islands located within a lake’s boundaries. In lakes with many islands, those islands’ combined shorelines may exceed a lake’s exterior shoreline.
You can find many of the world’s longest-shoreline lakes on LakeLubbers. Note: For some lakes, "Longest Shorelines" data is unknown or does not apply, so this table may display fewer lakes than the total 90 articles we have published for Michigan lakes.
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Below are lakes within USA > US Midwest Region > Michigan > Compared by longest shoreline length in miles. This list does not represent all lakes in Michigan, only the 90 Michigan lake articles we have published on the LakeLubbers website.
Lake name  |
Shoreline length in miles |
Lake description |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Michigan-Huron (Canada, Chicagoland Region, IL, Great Lakes of North America, Illinois, Indiana, Lake Michigan Region, WI, Michigan, North Indiana, Northeast Michigan, Northwest Michigan, Ontario, Canada, Southwest Michigan, US Midwest Region, USA, Upper Peninsula Region, MI, West Central Michigan, Wisconsin) |
5,463 mi | Lake Michigan and Lake Huron – two of North America’s Great Lakes – are contiguous and they share the same elevation of 577 feet above sea level. They … |
| Lake Huron (Canada, East Central Michigan, Great Lakes of North America, Michigan, Northeast Michigan, Ontario, Canada, US Midwest Region, USA, Upper Peninsula Region, MI) |
3,825 mi | A glacial lake of epic proportions, Lake Huron is the second largest of the five Great Lakes by surface area, boasting 23,010 square miles and an incr … |
| Lake Superior (Canada, Great Lakes of North America, Lake Superior Northwoods Region, WI, Michigan, Minnesota, Northeast Minnesota, Ontario, Canada, US Midwest Region, USA, Upper Peninsula Region, MI, Wisconsin) |
2,726 mi | Skipping over state and country borders, Lake Superior, the largest, deepest, coldest, cleanest, least developed, and most pristine of the Great Lakes … |
| Lake Michigan (Chicagoland Region, IL, Great Lakes of North America, Illinois, Indiana, Lake Michigan Region, WI, Michigan, North Indiana, Northwest Michigan, Southwest Michigan, US Midwest Region, USA, Upper Peninsula Region, MI, West Central Michigan, Wisconsin) |
1,638 mi | As the only Great Lake nestled completely within the boundaries of the United States, Lake Michigan is the pride and joy of Wisconsin, Illinois, India … |
| Lake Erie (Canada, Chautauqua-Allegheny Region, NY, Great Lakes Region, PA, Great Lakes of North America, Greater Niagara Region, NY, Michigan, New York, Northeast Ohio, Northwest Ohio, Ohio, Ontario, Canada, Pennsylvania, Southeast Michigan, US Mid-Atlantic Region, US Midwest Region, USA) |
871 mi | Lake Erie, one of the Great Lakes of North America, straddles the borders of Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Michigan, and the Canadian province of Onta … |
| Lake Saint Clair, MI / Canada (Canada, Michigan, Ontario, Canada, Southeast Michigan, US Midwest Region, USA) |
127 mi | Also known as Lake St. Clair Heart-shaped Lake Saint Clair is the smallest body of water in the Great Lakes system. Tucked between Lake Huron to the north and Lake Erie to the sou … |
| Lake Charlevoix, MI (Michigan, Northwest Michigan, US Midwest Region, USA) |
60 mi | Also known as Pine Lake Lake Charlevoix is one of the most famous of northern Michigan lakes primarily because of its popularity among boaters of all types. Originally called … |
| Lake Gogebic, MI (Michigan, US Midwest Region, USA, Upper Peninsula Region, MI) |
44 mi | Lake Gogebic, located at the western tip of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula (UP) is a hidden gem, far undervalued in the outdoor sports world. Lake Gogebic … |
| Torch Lake, MI (Michigan, Northwest Michigan, US Midwest Region, USA) |
41 mi | Torch Lake holds the dual distinction as Michigan’s longest inland lake (18 miles) and its second largest inland lake (18,770 acres). The lake’s unpar … |
| Lake Leelanau, MI (Michigan, Northwest Michigan, US Midwest Region, USA) |
41 mi | Also known as Carp Lake Michigan is a bounty of natural resources – a place where every town is less than two hours from a body of water. Among these bodies of water, Lake Le … |
| Lake Michigamme (Michigan, US Midwest Region, USA, Upper Peninsula Region, MI) |
36 mi | Located in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Lake Michigamme’s name derives from the Ojibway word for ‘big water’, the same Native American word that gives … |
| Tittabawassee Lakes (East Central Michigan, Michigan, Northeast Michigan, US Midwest Region, USA) |
34 mi | Also known as Secord Lake, Sanford Lake, Smallwood Lake, Wixom Lake The Tittabawassee River is one of Michigan’s main river systems, draining lands in the Northeast and East Central Michigan regions into the Saginaw Ri … |