Lakes and waterfront · Traverse City and Northern Michigan
Lake and waterfront homes for sale
Every waterfront home and lot for sale on the lakes and bays we work most, pulled from the MLS each week. Pick a lake to see its listings on a 3D map of the water, with depths, public access and what to know before you buy.
Listings updated October 8, 2026.
Lake Michigan in Leelanau County
Open Lake Michigan frontage from Empire and Glen Arbor up past Leland to Northport.
See Lake Michigan in Leelanau County homes → 4 for saleLake Michigan in Benzie County
Lake Michigan frontage around Frankfort, Elberta, Point Betsie and Platte Bay.
See Lake Michigan in Benzie County homes → 60 for saleWest Bay
Lake Michigan frontage from downtown Traverse City up the Leelanau and Old Mission shores.
See West Bay homes → 38 for saleEast Bay
The deeper arm of the bay, from Traverse City and Acme to Elk Rapids and Old Mission.
See East Bay homes → 35 for saleTorch Lake
Michigan's longest inland lake: 19 miles of deep, clear water and the famous sandbar.
See Torch Lake homes → 13 for saleLake Leelanau
North and South Lake Leelanau, joined at the Narrows in the heart of Leelanau County.
See Lake Leelanau homes → 4 for saleGlen Lake
Big and Little Glen beside Sleeping Bear Dunes, with clear water up to 130 feet deep.
See Glen Lake homes → 10 for saleCrystal Lake
Benzie County's big, clear lake: nearly 10,000 acres between Beulah and Frankfort.
See Crystal Lake homes → 8 for saleElk Lake
Deep, clear Elk Lake and shallow Lake Skegemog next to Elk Rapids on the Chain of Lakes.
See Elk Lake homes → 7 for saleLong Lake
Grand Traverse County's biggest lake, with five islands, 7 miles from downtown.
See Long Lake homes → 9 for saleSilver Lake
A 600 acre lake on the southwest side of Traverse City, up to 96 feet deep.
See Silver Lake homes → 2 for salePlatte Lake
Big and Little Platte near Honor, on the Platte River a few miles from Lake Michigan.
See Platte Lake homes → 3 for saleLake Bellaire
Lake Bellaire and Clam Lake on the upper Chain of Lakes, next to the village of Bellaire.
See Lake Bellaire homes → 3 for saleInterlochen Lakes
Green Lake and Duck Lake, with the state park and arts campus between them.
See Interlochen Lakes homes → 4 for saleArbutus Lake
Five connected basins southeast of Traverse City in East Bay Township.
See Arbutus Lake homes → 1 for saleLake Ann
A 500 acre lake by the village of Lake Ann, west of Traverse City in Benzie County.
See Lake Ann homes → 1 for saleCedar Lake
A quiet 252 acre lake just north of Traverse City near Greilickville.
See Cedar Lake homes → 14 for saleBoardman Lake
The in-town lake on the Boardman River, just south of downtown Traverse City.
See Boardman Lake homes → 3 for saleLittle Traverse Lake
A Leelanau County lake just south of Good Harbor Bay, downstream from Lime Lake.
See Little Traverse Lake homes → 0 for saleLime Lake
A Leelanau County lake near Maple City, up to 67 feet deep.
See Lime Lake homes → 1 for saleLower Herring Lake
A Benzie County lake just inland from Lake Michigan near Elberta and Arcadia.
See Lower Herring Lake homes → 5 for saleSpider Lake
Spider Lake and Rennie Lake southeast of Traverse City, full of bays and islands.
See Spider Lake homes → 8 for saleCathead Bay
The tip of the Leelanau Peninsula, by Leelanau State Park and the lighthouse.
See Cathead Bay homes → 1 for saleBass Lake
A 357 acre lake beside Long Lake and Silver Lake, west of Traverse City.
See Bass Lake homes → 0 for saleFife Lake
The lake at the village of Fife Lake in southeast Grand Traverse County.
See Fife Lake homes →Be first to know about new waterfront
New lake and bay listings, sent to your inbox the moment they hit the MLS, price drops included. Tell us the lakes you like and we will set it up. Stop it anytime.
Good waterfront can sell in days, so hearing first matters.
You're on the list.
Taylor will set up your alert and send a quick note so you know it's working. Questions before then? Text (231) 360-1510.
Choosing a lake up north
Every lake here feels different. The bays are big Lake Michigan water with harbors, sunsets and town close by. Torch, Elk and Bellaire are part of the Chain of Lakes. Glen Lake sits beside Sleeping Bear Dunes, and Crystal and Platte are the big lakes of Benzie County. Lake Leelanau runs through the middle of wine country. Long, Silver, Cedar, Arbutus, Boardman, Lake Ann and the Interlochen lakes are smaller inland lakes close to Traverse City, and Lime, Little Traverse, Lower Herring and Fife round out Leelanau, Benzie and southern Grand Traverse.
Each lake page shows the water depth off every shoreline, which matters more than most buyers expect: it decides whether you get a sandy wade-in beach or a dock in deep water.
Septic rules at sale
Grand Traverse, Leelanau and Benzie counties and Torch Lake Township all require septic inspections at sale for many waterfront homes. Each lake page has the details.
Short term rentals
Rules change township by township, and some areas ban or cap them. We check the exact address before you buy.
Private or shared frontage
Every listing says which one it is, and the difference matters for price, dock rights and resale.
Looking for waterfront?
The best lake homes often sell to people who heard about them first. Tell us your budget and the lakes you like, and we will send you new waterfront listings as soon as they hit the MLS.
Listing information comes from Northern Great Lakes REALTORS® MLS and is refreshed weekly. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Janel Brown and Taylor Brown, Real Estate One, Traverse City.