Living on Hubbard Lake

Tucked into the west side of Alcona County, Hubbard Lake is one of the largest inland lakes in the whole northeast Lower Peninsula. It runs about 8,850 acres, roughly seven miles long and two miles wide. The water is unusually clear and deep. The lake spans three townships: Alcona, Caledonia, and Hawes. A ring of cottages and year-round homes follows the shoreline.

For a lot of people, Hubbard Lake is the reason they move here. The lake is big enough for real boating, with several bays and sandbars to anchor at. The fishing is good year-round: walleye, northern pike, smallmouth bass, yellow perch, and rainbow trout. Ice fishing keeps it going in winter. There are public DNR boat launches on the north, east, and south shores. There’s also a marina and a small commercial cluster with a store and a couple of restaurants. The lake community is tight-knit and leans toward retirees and seasonal families. It does the small-town summer thing well, right down to a Fourth of July parade.

If you’re buying on the water, a few things are worth a closer look. Check how the septic system is set up; lakeside systems get extra scrutiny, so see the well-and-septic note. Check where the property line meets the water. And check what comes with the dock and bottomland. Lake levels and shoreline rules matter on any inland lake. The lake was named back in 1867 for Bela Hubbard, a Michigan geologist. Old-timers once called it the “Bottomless Lake.”