Named for its position near the center of a 75-mile chain of lakes stretching from Ellsworth to Grand Traverse Bay, Central Lake, Michigan is on the southern shores of Hanley Lake and the northern shores of Intermediate Lake.
The Village of Central Lake is in western Antrim County, in the northern part of the Lower Peninsula. It is surrounded by Central Lake Township, although the municipalities are administered autonomously.
The chief routes through the village are M-88 and Old State Road, which intersect in downtown Central Lake. Ellsworth is 8.0 miles north of Central Lake, while Bellaire is 8.2 miles south, East Jordan is 14.0 miles northeast, and Elk Rapids is 21.5 miles southwest. The Mackinac Bridge, leading to the Upper Peninsula, is about ninety miles northeast.
With a population of 952 in 2010, the village's peak population was 1,307 in 1900. Between 1900 and 1930, its population declined by more than fifty percent, but it has been gradually rising since then, except for a slight decline between 2000 and 2010. The village is largely residential, with a campground, a public beach, a softball field, and an active downtown district. Given its location between two significant lakes, Central Lake is a popular vacation destination.
Situated in the middle of the Elk River Chain of Lakes, Hanley Lake is a 91-acre narrow body of water connected to Ben-Way Lake upstream via the Green River, and its major outlet on the southern end drains into Intermediate Lake. The closest public access point to the lake is in the Village of Central Lake. In interest to fishermen, the lake is home to largemouth bass, rock bass, bluegill, black bullhead, brown bullhead, yellow bullhead, black crappie, johnny darter, longnose gar, bluntnose minnow, muskellunge, yellow perch, northern pike, black chin shiners, common shiners, longear sunfish, white sucker, and walleye.
Just south of Hanley Lake, Intermediate Lake is a 1,569-acre body of water that is long in shape, and situated between Hanley Lake upstream and Bellaire Lake downstream, and connected to both by the Intermediate River. The Village of Central Lake is at the lake's northern end and, at one time, Intermediate Lake was known as Central Lake. Fish that have been reported in Intermediate Lake include largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, rock bass, bluegill, cisco, longnose gar, logperch, muskellunge, yellow perch, northern pike, pumpkinseed, sunfish, white sucker, brown trout, rainbow trout, walleye, and whitefish.
Settled as a lumber town, a post office was established in Central Lake on April 26, 1869, with Stephen B. Davis as postmaster. In 1872, the settlement's first store was opened by James W. Wadsworth, son of Abram S. Wadsworth, founder of Elk Rapids. The village was platted in 1883, although it wasn't incorporated until 1895.
In 1892, the Chicago & West Michigan Railway (which later became the Pere Marquette Railway) established a station stop at Central Lake. With the benefit of the railroad, the new village grew quickly, reaching its peak population by 1900. However, with the depletion of the forests, the village experienced a sharp decline in its population that continued for three decades.
Today, Central Lake is a residential community whose economy benefits highly from outdoor tourism and summer vacation homes along the lakes.
With a focus on the village, appropriate topics for this guide include websites representing the village government, local businesses, schools, places of worship, organizations, attractions, and events.
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In business since 1942, the Central Lake, Michigan store’s theme is that of an old-fashioned five-and-dime. Still owned and operated by the family of the store’s founder, the store is open Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, and closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Private shopping sessions may be arranged by request. Contact information is published to the site, a photo gallery is displayed, and many of its products are available for purchase online.
https://www.bachmannsstore.com/
Central Lake Area Chamber of Commerce
Made up of businesses and professional people in the Central Lakes, Michigan region, the Chamber is operated by a volunteer board of directors who organize and execute Chamber programs and events. The benefits of membership are outlined, and a membership application can be downloaded from the site, which also includes a map, community information, and a guide to local businesses, organizations, and services. A calendar of events is available.
https://www.centrallakechamber.com/
Located on Maple Street, Central Lake, Michigan, the library carries books in print, electronic books, audiobooks, magazines, movies, and music, along with other materials. Cardholders may access their accounts online, search the library catalog, as well as the state library, download audiobooks, and other resources. The library’s hours of operation and contacts are posted to the site, and information about employment opportunities are posted.
http://www.centrallakelibrary.com/
CLPS is a public school district serving the Village of Central Lake, Michigan and the surrounding region, offering a K-12 curriculum through Central Lake Elementary School and Central Lake High/Middle School, both of which are featured here, along with a student handbook, a staff directory, members of the board of education, and the district athletics, food service, guidance, and transportation departments. Employment opportunities are posted.
https://clps.k12.mi.us/
Central Lake United Methodist Church
The UMC congregation meets at its facilities two blocks west of downtown Central Lake, Michigan, on the southeast corner of West State Street and Howard Street. Membership information, office hours, office telephone number, and a contact form are featured, and a schedule of worship services, programs, and events are published to the site, and a video archive of recent services is included. A blog is maintained by the congregation’s pastor, offering news and announcements.
http://centrallakeumc.org/
The Central Lake, Michigan congregation meets on Sundays at its facilities on West State Street, on the corner of Chestnut and State. Directions are provided, and a map shows the location of the church. Founded in 1884, the church has served the community for well over a century. Service schedules, an event calendar, an office phone number, and email address are given, and a phone app is available. Sermons may also be viewed through live streaming.
https://www.fcccentrallake.org/
KenCam - Central Lake, Michigan
This is a live webcam shot of a resident’s backyard on Intermediate Lake Road in the Village of Central Lake, Michigan. The picture is updated every ten seconds during the daylight hours but is sometimes shut off at sunset. During the winter, a snow depth gauge is installed so that viewers can determine the depth of the snow. Weather information for Central Lake is also posted, and notes about weather conditions and other things are sometimes posted to the site.
http://www.kencam.net/
Situated along North M-88, between Central Lake, Michigan and Torch Lake, King Orchards operates a farm market, as well as a pick-your-own business for berries, cherries, and other orchard fruits, and sometimes vegetables, an online shopping site featuring a variety of items, such as cherry juice concentrate, cherry salsa, dried cherries, frozen cherries, jams, jellies, and butter, pie filling and canned cherries, cherry juice concentrate, and others.
https://www.kingorchards.com/
Situated on the shores of Intermediate Lake, in the northern Lower Peninsula of Michigan, the village was incorporated in 1895. The official municipal website presents a brief history of the village, with photographs, and the village council, planning commission, and personnel are introduced. Village Council meeting agendas and minutes are posted, and its police department, public works department, and the Thurston Park Campground are featured.
https://centrallakemi.org/
