Lake Leelanau: Two Basins, One Lake

Lake Leelanau is actually two lakes connected end to end. North Lake Leelanau sits right beside Leland, and South Lake Leelanau stretches away to the south. Between them runs a narrow channel called the Lake Leelanau Narrows — a pinch point the U.S. Geological Survey officially recognizes and monitors.

The lake doesn’t just sit there, either. It drains through an outlet that crosses M-22 right in Leland, which is how the lake’s water reaches Leland’s waterfront. The USGS tracks that outlet too.

If you’re looking at property on this lake or just trying to get your bearings, knowing there are two distinct basins — North Lake near Leland and South Lake on the far side of the Narrows — helps explain why people describe their shoreline the way they do.