Devils Lake: the Irish Hills' old summer resort

Devils Lake, in the Irish Hills, is one of the largest and deepest natural lakes in this part of Michigan — over a thousand acres, and deep enough in spots to surprise you. People have been coming here to cool off for a very long time. Settlers arrived in the 1830s, and by the 1870s the shore around Manitou Beach had become a full-blown summer resort, with lakeside hotels, a dance hall, and a yacht club drawing visitors out from the cities.

That resort feel never really left. The lake and the little community of Manitou Beach are still a warm-weather destination — boating, fishing, swimming, and a cluster of lakeside shops and cafes. If you’re house-hunting around here, just remember it’s lake living (see the note on Lenawee lakes for what that involves).