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Michigan's Hubbard Lake

Cottage owners and local fishermen return to Hubbard Lake year after year. But with giant Lake Huron nearby and the north woods camouflaging its shores, this northeastern Lower Peninsula lake is easy to overlook.

Even on summer weekends, the center of the lake remains almost empty. In a pontoon boat, you can spend all day exploring the more than 25 miles of shore along the seven-mile-long lake.

Anglers don't need to travel far to find a good spot for hooking walleye. The lake boasts some of the state's best fishing. "You'll catch fish all over the lake," declares Len Barraco, the owner of Len and Layne's Little Store in South Shore, one of several lakeside hamlets.

Nearby and in other tiny shore communities--called simply West Shore, East Shore and Hubbard--cottages and a handful of small resorts edge the water. Several homey cafes, grocery stores and ice cream stands cater to fishermen and summer visitors.

The 1920s-era Churchill Pointe Inn, a bed and breakfast and restaurant, stands on a peninsula between two north-side bays. Guests boat in for dinners served at linen-draped tables. Wide windows flank the inn's dining room on three sides, and regulars look forward to gazing out over Hubbard Lake's calm waters.

As innkeeper Don Geib jokes with guests, "If I saw 12 boats at one time, I'd say the lake was crowded."

Travel Tips

For lake information, contact: Len & Layne's Little Store (989/736-6418).

For area information, contact: Michigan's Sunrise Side (800/424-3022).

www.misunriseside.com >>

Attractions

Sturgeon Point Lighthouse -- Historic site on Lake Huron about 15 miles southeast of Hubbard Lake. Tours Memorial Day through mid-September (517/724-6297).

www.terrypepper.com >>

White Pine National Golf Club -- Championship 18-hole course, designated as a certified Audubon wildlife sanctuary (989/736-3279).

www.whitepinenational.com >>