South Manistique Lake facts for kids

Quick facts for kids South Manistique Lake
South Manistique Lake Location in Michigan Show map of Michigan South Manistique Lake Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	Mackinac County, Michigan
Coordinates	46°10′31″N 85°46′04″W / 46.1753°N 85.76786°W / 46.1753; -85.76786
Primary inflows	Shoepac River
Primary outflows	Portage Creek
Max. length	4.5 miles (7.2 km)
Max. width	2 miles (3.2 km)
Surface area	4,001 acres (1,619 ha)
Average depth	10 feet (3.0 m)
Max. depth	29 feet (8.8 m)
Surface elevation	692 feet (211 m)
Islands	Norton Island
Settlements	Curtis

South Manistique Lake is a 4,001-acre (1,619 ha) lake in Mackinac County, in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. Approximately 4.5 miles (7.2 km) long and 2 miles (3.2 km) wide, it is oriented in a southwest–northeast direction. Elevated 692 feet (211 m) above sea level and 6 feet (1.8 m) above Big Manistique Lake, South Manistique Lake drains northeastward through Portage Creek into the larger lake.

Homeowners and visitors are served by the unincorporated community of Curtis, Michigan, located on an isthmus that divides South Manistique Lake from Big Manistique Lake directly to the north.

A 1.5-mile-long (2.4 km) spit of glacial gravel, left behind by some long-forgotten Ice Age glacier, projects from South Manistique Lake's western shore out into the lake. Not surprisingly, it is called "Long Point." An islet, Norton Island, can be seen near the lake's southeastern shore.

As with other Upper Peninsula lakes, South Manistique Lake is known for its fishing. Local guides point fisherfolk toward muskie, smallmouth bass, and the lake's self-sustaining population of walleye. The lake's average depth is 10 feet (3.0 m), and its maximum depth is 29 feet (8.8 m).