Leland, Fishtown, and the Manitou Islands

On the Lake Michigan side of the peninsula sits Leland, a small town whose best-known spot is Fishtown. This is a cluster of weathered wooden fishing shanties, docks, and smokehouses along the Leland River. It is a working waterfront that dates back more than a century. Today it is a preserved historic site. You can walk the plank boardwalk and buy smoked whitefish. You can browse the little shops and watch the boats come and go. Leland was the county seat until 2008. It still anchors this part of the county.

Leland’s harbor is the traditional mainland departure point for the Manitou Islands, but 2026 is different. The National Park Service says the passenger ferry will not operate while island docks and other infrastructure are rebuilt. Personal boats cannot dock either, and major facilities on both islands are closed. Check the park’s current access page before planning an island trip. North and South Manitou remain part of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore; South Manitou holds an old lighthouse, ancient cedars, and the Francisco Morazan wreck, while much of North Manitou is designated wilderness.

Inland, long and narrow Lake Leelanau runs down the spine of the peninsula. A channel called the Narrows splits it into a north and south lake. The little community of Lake Leelanau sits right there.

For buyers, this is prime water country. Lake Michigan frontage near Leland is highly prized. So is frontage on clear Lake Leelanau. Both are priced accordingly. The quieter, more rural townships inland (like Centerville, around the lake) offer a bit more room and value. Homes outside the sewered Leland area are on wells and septic (see the well-and-septic note).