Fife Lake · Grand Traverse County, MI
Fife Lake homes for sale
Every lakefront home and lot for sale on Fife Lake, the lake the village of Fife Lake is built around, pulled from the MLS each week, plus a 3D map of the lake bottom so you can see the water off each shoreline.
Listings updated . Prices and status can change between updates, so ask us before you fall for one.
Fife Lake
Grand Traverse County · MI
This 3D lake model needs a browser with WebGL. Ask us about Fife Lake frontage and we’ll send you the depth map.
The lake bottom comes from the Michigan DNR lake survey, whose deepest contour is 55 feet; the DNR lists Fife Lake at about 60 feet deep. Height is exaggerated so the drop offs show. A guide, not a navigation chart.
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Homes for sale on Fife Lake
When a Fife Lake home or lot lists, it shows here, homes first, highest price first, then lots. Tap a photo to fly to it on the lake.
Nothing on Fife Lake is listed right now.
Living on Fife Lake
Fife Lake is a small town lake: the village of Fife Lake sits on its north and west shores, in the southeast corner of Grand Traverse County.
The village started in 1872 as two small settlements on the new Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad and was incorporated in 1889. Today the public launch, a marina and the village are all at the north end.
Much of the lake bottom is sand and marl shoals, with deeper water out in the middle and around the two islands, Helen’s and Florence. The 3D map shows where the shelf ends off each shoreline.
About 90 percent of the shoreline is developed with homes and cottages. Frontage is listed as private or shared, and every card above says which one it is.
Size
About 617 acres, with two islands.
Depth
About 60 feet at its deepest, with sand and marl shoals over about half of the bottom.
Outlet
The Fife Lake Outlet leaves the south end and runs to Headquarters Lake and the Manistee River.
Sewer
The DNR notes a sanitary sewer was installed around the lake in the 1940s.
Community
The village of Fife Lake, in Fife Lake Township, Grand Traverse County.
Public access site
A DNR owned boat launch on the north side of the lake, kept up by the village.
Marina
A private marina near the public launch.
Rock reef
A rock reef built in 1958 off the west tip of Florence Island for walleye spawning.
Getting on the water
Fife Lake has its public launch right in the village, with a marina next to it.
Fishing leans warm and cool water: walleye, which the DNR has stocked here for decades, plus largemouth and smallmouth bass, northern pike, rock bass and bluegill.
Buying on Fife Lake: what to know
Sewer or septic
A sanitary sewer runs around the lake, so many homes may not need one. Grand Traverse County requires a well and septic evaluation at sale for waterfront homes with a well or septic. We check the address and get it scheduled early.
Private or shared frontage
Shared frontage usually means an association lot and dock rules. Ask for the association documents before you write an offer.
Short term rentals
The village and the township have both been working on short term rental ordinances. We check the current rules for the exact address.
Village or township
The village covers the north and west shores. Taxes and zoning depend on whether the address is inside the village.
Depth off the dock
Some shorelines stay shallow for a long way before the drop off. Use the 3D map, then look in person.
Swimmer’s itch
The DNR notes swimmer’s itch has been a problem on Fife Lake in the past. Ask neighbors how their stretch of shore does.
Fife Lake questions
How deep is Fife Lake?
About 60 feet at its deepest, according to the Michigan DNR. Sand and marl shoals cover about half of the lake bottom, so a lot of the lake is shallow water near shore.
How big is Fife Lake?
About 617 acres, with two islands, Helen’s and Florence. About 90 percent of the shoreline is developed with homes and cottages.
Where does Fife Lake drain?
Out the south end through the Fife Lake Outlet, which is dammed about two miles downstream to form Headquarters Lake and then joins the Manistee River. Two small streams flow in, one from Spring Lake and one from springs at the northeast end.
Where is public access on Fife Lake?
The DNR owns a public access site with a boat launch on the north side of the lake, inside the village. The village maintains it under a lease with the DNR, and there is a private marina nearby.
What fish are in Fife Lake?
Walleye, largemouth and smallmouth bass, northern pike, rock bass, bluegill, black crappie and yellow perch. The DNR has stocked walleye in Fife Lake for decades, and the lake is one of the few inland lakes in Michigan known to have had Michigan grayling.
Are Fife Lake homes on sewer or septic?
The DNR notes a sanitary sewer was installed around the lake in the 1940s. Since January 1, 2026 Grand Traverse County requires a time of transfer evaluation for homes within 300 feet of a lake or stream that have a well or septic system, so we check the exact address.
Can I rent out a Fife Lake home short term?
Both the Village of Fife Lake and Fife Lake Township have held public hearings on short term rental ordinances. We check the current rules for the exact address before you count on rental income.
Looking on Fife Lake?
Fife Lake is a small lake, so there is not much to choose from at any one time. We are Traverse City Realtors who work all of Grand Traverse County. Tell us your budget and what you want on the water, and we will send you Fife Lake listings as soon as they hit the MLS.
More lakes near Traverse City
Listing information comes from Northern Great Lakes REALTORS® MLS and is refreshed weekly. Homes listed by other brokerages are shown with the listing office’s name. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed and should be verified. Janel Brown and Taylor Brown, Real Estate One, Traverse City.
Lake facts: Michigan DNR Fife Lake report (2014), Fife Lake, Michigan on Wikipedia, Fife Lake Township on Wikipedia, Fife Lake boat access site, Fife Lake Township short term rental hearing, Grand Traverse County time of transfer. Depth map from Michigan DNR Institute for Fisheries Research lake contours. Imagery: USGS. Elevation: Mapzen / AWS Terrain Tiles.