Walloon Lake

Walloon Lake
View of North Arm
Location	Charlevoix / Emmet counties, Michigan, United States
Coordinates	45°17′09″N 85°01′06″W / 45.28583°N 85.01833°W / 45.28583; -85.01833Coordinates: 45°17′09″N 85°01′06″W / 45.28583°N 85.01833°W / 45.28583; -85.01833
Type	Glacial
Primary inflows	groundwater
Primary outflows	Bear River
Basin countries	United States
Max. length	9 mi (14 km)
Max. width	0.7–1.3 mi (1.1–2.1 km)
Surface area	4,270 acres (17.3 km2)
Max. depth	100 ft (30 m)
Residence time	5+ years
Surface elevation	686 feet (209 m)
Settlements	Village of Walloon Lake

Walloon Lake is a glacier-formed lake located in Charlevoix and Emmet counties, just southwestward from the northern tip of the Lower Peninsula of 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.

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.

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.

Real-estate value has increased rapidly since the 1970s, and many large houses have been built around the lake. There are two camps on the lake: Camp Daggett and Camp Michigania, the University of Michigan's Alumni Association camp. Starting around 2010, the area on the foot of the lake began redevelopment. New condominiums were constructed. In the next few years, a restaurant was built, and a retail store was created on the site of the old SI's marine. In 2014 developers broke ground on a new hotel to sit in between the marina and condominiums.