Lake Leelanau facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lake Leelanau |
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The south half of Lake Leelanau
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 Lake Leelanau
Location in Michigan
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| Location | Leelanau County, Michigan |
| Coordinates | 45°0′N 85°44′W / 45.000°N 85.733°W |
| Primary inflows | Cedar Run, Victoria Creek |
| Primary outflows | Leland River |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Max. width | 1.5 miles (2.4 km) |
| Surface area | 2,914 acres (12 km2) North 5,693 acres (23 km2) South |
| Max. depth | 121 ft (37 m) North 62 ft (19 m) South |
| Surface elevation | 587 feet (179 m) |
| Settlements | Leland, Lake Leelanau, Fountain Point, Cedar |
Lake Leelanau is a beautiful lake in Michigan, a state in the United States. It's located on the Leelanau Peninsula. This large lake is actually made of two parts: North Lake Leelanau and South Lake Leelanau. Together, they cover about 8,608 acres. You might also hear it called Carp Lake. It's all found within Leelanau County.
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Exploring Lake Leelanau
Lake Leelanau is a long lake, stretching about 21 miles through the middle of the Leelanau Peninsula. At its widest, it's about 1.5 miles across.
North and South Lakes
The southern part of the lake, South Lake Leelanau, covers about 5,693 acres. Its average depth is 24 feet, and it can go as deep as 62 feet. The northern part, North Lake Leelanau, is smaller at 2,914 acres. It's deeper, with an average depth of 40 feet and a maximum depth of 121 feet. The total shoreline of both lakes is about 41.2 miles.
Where the Lake Connects
On the northwest side, Lake Leelanau connects to the Leland River. This river flows for about one mile until it reaches Lake Michigan.
Between North Lake Leelanau and South Lake Leelanau, the water becomes narrow for about a mile. This area is near the community of Lake Leelanau. A bridge on M-204 crosses these narrows. Just south of the bridge, you'll find Fountain Point, a historic and popular summer resort.
At the very southern end, South Lake Leelanau turns into a marshy area. Several small creeks feed into it. This part of the lake is close to the community of Cedar in Solon Township.
The History of Lake Leelanau's Name
The Native Americans who first lived in this area had a name for the land: "ke-ski-bi-ag." This name meant "narrow body of water," which perfectly describes Lake Leelanau.
Who Named Leelanau?
For a long time, people thought that Henry Rowe Schoolcraft, an agent for Native American affairs, officially named the county. They believed he used "Leelinau" as a character in his stories.
However, experts have since found that the name "Leelinau" was first used by Schoolcraft's wife, Jane Johnston Schoolcraft. She used it as a pen name for her writings in "The Literary Voyager." This was a family magazine she wrote with her husband in the 1820s.
Jane Johnston Schoolcraft's Legacy
Jane Johnston was of both Ojibwe and Scots-Irish heritage. She wrote in both Ojibwe and English. Although her writings weren't formally published during her lifetime (except when her husband used them under his own name), she is now recognized for many important achievements. She is known as the first Native American literary writer, the first known Indigenous woman writer, and the first known Indigenous poet. She was also the first known poet to write poems in a Native American language. In 2008, Jane Johnston Schoolcraft was honored by being inducted into the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame.
