Big Glen · Little Glen · Glen Arbor, MI
Glen Lake homes for sale
Every lakefront home for sale on Big Glen and Little Glen Lake near Glen Arbor, Burdickville and Empire, 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 October 5, 2026. Prices and status can change between updates, so ask us before you fall for one.
Glen Lake
Leelanau County · MI
This 3D lake model needs a browser with WebGL. Ask us about Glen Lake frontage and we’ll send you the depth map.
The lake bottom comes from the Michigan DNR lake survey of Big Glen, whose deepest contour is 130 feet. Little Glen has no state depth survey, so it shows gray; it is shallow, about 13 feet at most. Height is exaggerated so the drop offs show. A guide, not a navigation chart.
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Homes for sale on Glen Lake
Every active Big Glen and Little Glen waterfront listing, homes first, highest price first, then lots. Tap a photo to fly to it on the lake.
$5,300,000
8205 W Day Forest Road
Empire, MI 49630
5 bd · 5.5 ba · 3,760 sq ft
100 ft of private frontage · Little Glen Lake · Built 2019
Listing courtesy of @properties Christie's International · MLS #1950854
Ask about this home →$2,995,000
7953 S Glen Lake Road
Glen Arbor, MI 49636
6 bd · 6.5 ba · 4,854 sq ft
131 ft of private frontage · Big Glen Lake · Built 1994
Listing courtesy of Serbin Real Estate · MLS #1947576
Ask about this home →$2,895,000
6158 S Tamarack Lane
Maple City, MI 49664
4 bd · 3.5 ba · 2,004 sq ft
100 ft of private frontage · Big Glen Lake · Built 1970
Listing courtesy of Coldwell Banker Schmidt-Glen A · MLS #1950208
Ask about this home →$2,849,000
6439 S Sunset
Glen Arbor, MI 49636
3 bd · 3 ba · 1,204 sq ft
217 ft of private frontage · Built 1960
Listing courtesy of LVR Realty, LLC · MLS #1947982
Ask about this home →Living on Glen Lake
Glen Lake sits between the hills of Leelanau County and Sleeping Bear Dunes, about a mile from Lake Michigan, with Glen Arbor just to the north.
Glen Lake is really two basins. Big Glen, on the east, is nearly round and drops to about 130 feet. Little Glen, on the west, is long and shallow. The M-22 bridge at the Narrows crosses the channel between them.
Big Glen’s water is clear, and a wide sandy shelf rings much of the shore before the bottom drops away, which you can see on the 3D map. Little Glen warms up faster and stays shallow from shore to shore.
Much of the land that drains into the lake is National Lakeshore or forest, so the hills around it stay wooded. Frontage is listed as private or shared, and every card above says which one it is.
Size
About 6,286 acres in all: Big Glen is about 4,871 acres and Little Glen about 1,415.
Depth
Big Glen reaches about 130 feet. Little Glen tops out around 13 feet.
Outlet
The Crystal River runs about 6 miles through Glen Arbor to Lake Michigan, past a dam that holds the lake level.
Lake association
The Glen Lake Association works on water quality across the Glen Lake and Crystal River watershed and runs the dam.
Communities
Glen Arbor to the north, Burdickville on the southeast shore and Empire to the southwest, in Glen Arbor, Empire and Kasson townships.
DNR boat launch
On Little Glen off Day Forest Road, near the Narrows.
Old Settlers Park
A Leelanau County day use park on the southeast shore of Big Glen.
Glen Lake Beach Park
A day use area on the west shore of Little Glen.
Getting on the water
Big Glen is a big, deep all sports lake, and Little Glen is a calmer place to paddle and fish. Watch the no wake zone at the Narrows when you cross between them.
Fishing splits by basin: lake trout and smallmouth bass in deep, cold Big Glen, and perch and pike in warmer, shallow Little Glen.
Buying on Glen Lake: what to know
Septic inspection at sale
Leelanau County requires a septic inspection at sale or transfer for homes on septic. We get it scheduled early, because the report can change a deal.
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
Rules vary by township, and Glen Lake touches three of them. We check the exact address.
Big Glen or Little Glen
Big Glen is deep and clear. Little Glen is shallow, warm and quieter. Spend time on both before you decide.
Depth off the dock
Some shorelines drop off fast and some stay shallow for a long way. Use the 3D map, then look in person.
Lake level
The dam is set to court ordered levels that run higher in summer and lower in winter, so plan your dock and boat lift for both.
Glen Lake questions
How deep is Glen Lake?
Big Glen reaches about 130 feet at its deepest. Little Glen, west of the M-22 Narrows, is shallow, about 13 feet at most, and the state has never done a full depth survey of it.
How big is Glen Lake?
About 6,286 acres in all. Big Glen is about 4,871 acres with a 10.8 mile shoreline, and Little Glen is about 1,415 acres with a 6.5 mile shoreline.
What is the difference between Big Glen and Little Glen?
Big Glen is round, deep and cold, with a shallow sandy shelf before the bottom drops away. Little Glen is long, shallow and warmer. They are one lake, joined by a narrow channel at the M-22 bridge, so you can boat between them.
Where does Glen Lake drain?
Into Lake Michigan through the Crystal River, which starts at the Fisher lakes on the north side and winds about 6 miles through Glen Arbor and Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. A dam on the river, run by the Glen Lake Association and rebuilt in 2002, holds the lake to court ordered levels.
Where is public access on Glen Lake?
The DNR boat launch is on Little Glen off Day Forest Road near the Narrows. Old Settlers Park, a Leelanau County park on the southeast shore of Big Glen, and Glen Lake Beach Park on the west shore of Little Glen are day use areas.
What fish are in Glen Lake?
Big Glen holds cold water fish like lake trout along with yellow perch and smallmouth bass. Little Glen is warm and shallow, better suited to perch, pike and other warm water fish.
Do Glen Lake homes need a septic inspection to sell?
Yes, if the home is on a septic system. Leelanau County adopted a time of transfer rule in 2022, and since the health code took effect in January 2023 homes on a septic system need an inspection at sale or transfer, done through the Benzie-Leelanau District Health Department.
Can I rent out a Glen Lake home short term?
Glen Lake touches Glen Arbor, Empire and Kasson townships, and each sets its own rules. Ask us to pull the current ordinance for the exact address before you buy.
Looking on Glen Lake?
Glen Lake homes don’t come up often, and many sell to people who were already watching. We are Traverse City Realtors who work Leelanau County every week. Tell us your budget and whether you want deep Big Glen or shallow Little Glen, and we will send you new 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: Glen Lake Association, Watershed 101, Michigan DNR fisheries survey of Glen Lake, Michigan DNR Glen Lake fishery report, Michigan Lakes and Streams Association on the Glen Lake dam, Wikipedia, Leelanau Ticker on the county septic ordinance. Depth map from Michigan DNR Institute for Fisheries Research lake contours (Big Glen). Imagery: USGS. Elevation: Mapzen / AWS Terrain Tiles.