The Manistique Lakes

Down in the southwest corner of Luce County, the land flattens out into lake country. This is the edge of the Manistique Lakes, a chain of big, shallow, fish-filled lakes that straddle the Luce-Mackinac county line. The biggest, Big Manistique Lake, covers more than ten thousand acres — one of the largest inland lakes in Michigan — and the little community of Helmer sits on its northeast shore here in Lakefield Township.

These lakes are famous for fishing. Anglers come from all over for walleye, perch, bass, northern pike, and trophy muskie, and the action keeps going right through winter, when ice fishing takes over. There’s a county park on the lake with a boat launch and swimming, and plenty of quiet shoreline.

The main hub for the lakes is Curtis, just across the county line in Mackinac County, which calls itself the area’s “waterfront village” and runs the local tourism office. For buyers, the Luce County side offers something a little more off-the-beaten-path: lakefront and woods on one of the Upper Peninsula’s biggest lakes, without the busier resort feel.