Living on the Lake Huron shore in Iosco County

Iosco County’s eastern edge is all Lake Huron, and the shoreline is the main event. The centerpiece is Tawas Bay — a calm, sandy-bottomed bay tucked behind the long hook of Tawas Point — with Tawas City and East Tawas right on the water. North of the bay the open-lake shore runs up past Au Sable to Oscoda and the mouth of the Au Sable River; to the south, the coast continues down through Alabaster along Saginaw Bay.

For people who live here, the lake is a year-round draw: sandy beaches and calm swimming in Tawas Bay, boating and sailing out of the harbors, and some of the best fishing on this side of the state — walleye and perch in the bay, plus salmon, trout, and walleye out in the big water. Waterfront and water-view property is the premium real estate in the county, and US-23 hugs the shore so the views come easy.

A couple of practical notes for shoreline buyers: Great Lakes water levels rise and fall over the years, so ask about high-water marks, erosion, and required bluff setbacks on any lakefront lot. And as with any Great Lakes fishery, check the state’s current fish-consumption guidelines. The payoff is real, though — this stretch of the Sunrise Side is one of the nicest places to live on Lake Huron.