Lake Michigan · Leelanau County, MI
Lake Michigan homes for sale in Leelanau County
Every Lake Michigan frontage home and lot for sale on the open lake side of Leelanau County, from Cathead Bay and Gills Pier down through Leland, Good Harbor Bay, Glen Arbor and Empire, pulled from the MLS each week, with a 3D map of the lake floor offshore.
Listings updated October 8, 2026. Prices and status can change between updates, so ask us before you fall for one.
Lake Michigan in Leelanau County
Leelanau County · Lake Michigan
This 3D lake model needs a browser with WebGL. Ask us about Lake Michigan in Leelanau County frontage and we’ll send you the depth map.
The lake floor comes from NOAA Great Lakes bathymetry, with the height exaggerated so the drop offs show. Grand Traverse Bay is shaded gray (see our West Bay page). The 50 miles is our estimate of the mainland Lake Michigan shore from the Benzie County line to the tip of the peninsula, measured on the map, and leaves out the bay side and the Manitou Islands. The 279 foot average is for all of Lake Michigan. A guide, not a navigation chart.
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Lake Michigan homes and lots for sale in Leelanau County
Every active Lake Michigan frontage listing on the Leelanau shore, including Northport, Leland, Glen Arbor and Empire, homes first, highest price first, then lots. Tap a photo to fly to it on the map.
$4,200,000
13515 N Cathead West
Northport, MI 49670
3 bd · 2.5 ba · 5,346 sq ft
200 ft of private frontage · Built 1988
Listing courtesy of Coldwell Banker Schmidt Traverse City · MLS #1948812
Ask about this home →$3,500,000
968 S Manitou Trail
Lake Leelanau, MI 49653
4 bd · 3.5 ba · 3,989 sq ft
150 ft of private frontage · Built 1941
Listing courtesy of Schaub Team Premier Realty · MLS #1947207
Ask about this home →$1,200,000
5707 (12FGH) S Lake Street
Glen Arbor, MI 49636
3 bd · 2.5 ba · 2,200 sq ft
242 ft of shared frontage · Built 2004
Listing courtesy of LVR Realty, LLC · MLS #1944812
Ask about this home →$1,200,000
13700 N Forest Beach Shores
Leland, MI 49654
3 bd · 3 ba · 1,980 sq ft
62 ft of private frontage · Built 1999
Listing courtesy of Coldwell Banker Schmidt-Leland · MLS #1950257
Ask about this home →$1,095,000
12271 N Island View Drive
Northport, MI 49670
3 bd · 2 ba · 1,716 sq ft
4157 ft of shared frontage · Built 2008
Listing courtesy of Five Star Real Estate · MLS #1946470
Ask about this home →$985,000
14619 N Cathead Bay Drive
Northport, MI 49670
2 bd · 1 ba · 550 sq ft
100 ft of private frontage · Built 1960
Listing courtesy of Net Real Estate · MLS #1938988
Ask about this home →$495,000
13057 N Cherrywood Court
Northport, MI 49670
3 bd · 2 ba · 2,464 sq ft
800 ft of shared frontage · Built 1998
Listing courtesy of Net Real Estate · MLS #1950343
Ask about this home →$5,995,000
00 W Bay Lane
Glen Arbor, MI 49636
Vacant lot · 4.04 acres
208 ft of private frontage
Listing courtesy of Serbin Real Estate · MLS #1950574
Ask about this lot →$2,100,000
N Cathead West
Northport, MI 49670
Vacant lot · 10.40 acres
200 ft of private frontage
Listing courtesy of Coldwell Banker Schmidt-Leland · MLS #1945765
Ask about this lot →$1,395,000
N Manitou Trail
Leland, MI 49654
Vacant lot · 3.21 acres
250 ft of private frontage
Listing courtesy of Schaub Team Premier Realty · MLS #1944015
Ask about this lot →$849,000
12281 N Island View Drive
Northport, MI 49670
Vacant lot · 2.20 acres
4000 ft of shared frontage
Listing courtesy of Coldwell Banker Schmidt-Leland · MLS #1951036
Ask about this lot →$145,000
Lot 40 N Shores Court
Northport, MI 49670
Vacant lot · 0.91 acres
4000 ft of shared frontage
Listing courtesy of Coldwell Banker Schmidt Traverse City · MLS #1949564
Ask about this lot →Living on Lake Michigan in Leelanau County
The west side of the Leelanau Peninsula faces open Lake Michigan, with the Manitou Islands on the horizon and the sun setting over the water.
The shore runs from Empire and the Sleeping Bear Dunes north through Glen Haven, Glen Arbor and Good Harbor Bay, past Leland and Gills Pier, to Cathead Bay near the tip of the peninsula. Northport itself sits on the Grand Traverse Bay side, which we cover on our West Bay page.
Much of this shore is public land. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, authorized in 1970, covers 35 miles of mainland shoreline across Leelanau and Benzie counties, and Leelanau State Park holds the land around Cathead Bay and the Grand Traverse Lighthouse. Private frontage is mostly around the villages and along the shore north of Leland toward Northport.
Frontage ranges from high bluffs with long stairs to low sandy beaches and dune lots. Every card above says what kind of frontage it has.
Shoreline
About 50 miles of mainland Lake Michigan shore by our estimate, from the Benzie County line to the tip of the peninsula.
Depth
Lake Michigan averages 279 feet deep. The deepest water on our map, about 590 feet, is north of Leland.
National Lakeshore
Sleeping Bear Dunes covers 35 mainland miles plus North and South Manitou Islands, and about 32,500 acres became federal wilderness in 2014.
Leland Fishtown
Historic fishing shanties along the Leland River, most built before 1930, and the ferry dock for the Manitou Islands.
Sunsets
This whole shore faces west or northwest over open water.
Peterson Park
A west facing township park near Northport, with a long stairway down the bluff to a rocky beach known for Petoskey stones.
Leelanau State Park
A sandy Lake Michigan beach at Cathead Bay, reached by trail, and the Grand Traverse Lighthouse at the tip.
Van’s Beach, Leland
A public beach at the end of Cedar Street, known for sunsets, Manitou views and Leland blue stones.
Empire Beach Village Park
A village beach with a boat launch, pavilion and views of the Empire Bluffs and the dunes.
Getting on the water
Leland has a harbor at Fishtown, and ferries to North and South Manitou Islands leave from Fishtown in season. Empire has a launch at the village beach.
This is open Great Lakes water. West winds build real waves, there is no protected bay between you and Wisconsin, and boating plans depend on the forecast.
Buying on Lake Michigan in Leelanau County: what to know
Well and septic at sale
Leelanau County requires a well and septic evaluation through the Benzie-Leelanau District Health Department before a property with onsite systems changes hands. We get it scheduled early.
Critical dunes and erosion areas
Leelanau County has state designated critical dune areas, where building, adding on or regrading needs an EGLE permit. We also check whether a lot sits in a high risk erosion area, which carries setbacks.
Next to the National Lakeshore
Some lots border park land, which can mean quiet neighbors and busy public beaches nearby. Check the boundary on the survey.
Bluff, low bank or dune
A bluff gives you the view and a low bank gives you the easy walk to the water. Count the stairs, look at the slope and ask how the stairs held up at high water.
Water levels
Lake Michigan went from a record low in 2013 to record highs in 2020. Picture the beach, stairs and setbacks at both.
Wind and ice
West facing shore takes the full force of storms and winter ice. Ask about shoreline protection, stair repairs and insurance before you write an offer.
Lake Michigan in Leelanau County questions
How much Lake Michigan shoreline is in Leelanau County?
By our measurement, about 50 miles of mainland shore face open Lake Michigan, from the Benzie County line near Empire to the tip of the peninsula. That leaves out the Grand Traverse Bay side, which is on our West Bay page, and the Manitou Islands.
How much of the Leelanau shore is in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore?
A lot of it. The National Lakeshore covers 35 miles of mainland Lake Michigan shore across Leelanau and Benzie counties, plus North and South Manitou Islands. Empire, Glen Arbor and Leland sit along or near it, and private frontage is mostly in and around the villages and up the shore toward Northport.
How deep is Lake Michigan here?
Lake Michigan averages 279 feet deep and reaches about 925 feet at its deepest, according to the EPA. On our map, the deepest water off the Leelanau shore is about 590 feet, out in the open lake north of Leland.
How much does the water level change?
A lot over the years. Lake Michigan and Lake Huron hit a record low in January 2013, then rose about 5.5 feet in seven years and set monthly record highs in 2020. Beaches, bluffs and stairs can look very different at high and low water.
Where are the public beaches on this shore?
Peterson Park near Northport is a west facing township park with stairs down the bluff. Leelanau State Park has a sandy beach at Cathead Bay, Leland has Van’s Beach next to Fishtown, and Empire has Empire Beach Village Park with a boat launch. The National Lakeshore has more beaches in between.
Do I need a permit to build near the Lake Michigan shore?
Often, yes. Leelanau County is one of the counties with state designated critical dune areas, where building, adding on or regrading needs a permit from Michigan EGLE. EGLE also maps high risk erosion areas along parts of the Great Lakes shore, which carry required setbacks. We check the exact parcel.
Do Leelanau waterfront homes need a well and septic inspection to sell?
Yes. The Benzie-Leelanau District Health Department requires properties in Leelanau County with an onsite well or septic system to be evaluated before the property is sold or transferred. We get it scheduled early so it does not hold up closing.
Looking on Lake Michigan in Leelanau County?
Private Lake Michigan frontage in Leelanau County is limited, because so much of the shore is national lakeshore, state park or conservancy land. We are Traverse City Realtors who sell up and down the Leelanau shore. Tell us your budget and whether you want a bluff, a dune or a walk out beach, 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.
Shore facts: Sleeping Bear Dunes park statistics (NPS), Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore on Wikipedia, EPA physical features of the Great Lakes, LEVELnews, March 2020 (Environment and Climate Change Canada), EGLE critical dune areas, EGLE high risk erosion areas, Benzie-Leelanau District Health Department time of transfer, Leland Historic District on Wikipedia, Leland beaches, Northport Omena Chamber beaches, Leelanau State Park, Empire Beach Village Park. Depth map from NOAA NCEI Great Lakes bathymetry. Imagery: USGS. Elevation: Mapzen / AWS Terrain Tiles.