Big Portage Lake homes have wells. Most are on sewers though there are some on septic systems. Big Portage Lake homes range from 420 square feet to over 6100 square feet in size. Most homes range in size from cozy cottages to mid-size single family homes to luxury lakefront estates. Most of the land around Portage Lake is flat. It is not like some lakes. Big Portage is not like a bowl so you are not going to have homes sitting way up on a hillside with lots of stairs.
Many residential homes surround the lake, with most now used for year around living. Though some are still used as weekend cottages. Most lots are small but there are some that are 1-2 acres in size. There are very, very few buildable vacant lots on the lake. There are a few lots with homes over 10 acres in size. Here are the basic characteristics of lake houses homes on Portage Lake in Livingston and Washtenaw County.
They have one to five bathrooms, one to five bathrooms, and some lake homes have no garages to homes with six or more car garages. There are all styles of homes on the lake from tiny two room ranches to colonials, and contemporary homes. Most homes are on slabs, or crawl spaces. A small amount of homes have basements. Some have walkout basements. There are no condos on the lake that I know of.
Big Portage is a public all sports lake that is about 664 acres in size. The DNR boat launch is located off McGregor Road on the east side of the lake. It has about 21 parking spots for the public. There is no public beach, no water ski course on the lake. There are no wake restrictions that I know of The deepest point on the lake is about 84 feet deep though they say the average depth is only five feet deep. There are some shallow sandbar areas on the lake.
The lake is mainly fed by the Huron River though there are two streams that come into the lake from the north. They are Honey Creek and Portage Creek. There are canals on the lake but I do not know of any islands on the lake. The school district for the lake is either Dexter schools, Pinckney school system depending on where they live on the lake. The streets around the lake are either paved, gravel.
Portage Lake is the biggest lake on the Hamburg chain of lakes . The chain of Lakes is called several names including the Huron River chain of lakes or the Portage Chain of Lakes. It is a public lake, you can get on the lake via a State of Michigan DNR Boat Launch that is located off McGregor Road on the east side of the road. Lake level was erratic prior to 1960. Spring flooding on Portage Lake was frequent. Often lakefront residents would row or paddle right up to their cottages at lake level; septic systems didn't respond well either. After several dry years in the early 60s, lake levels were extremely low, and by 1963, boats and docks were suddenly left high and dry. This was the impetus that led to constructing the dam.
The eight main lakes on the chain can be accessed by most boats, with only Ore Lake accessible only by small boat. Some areas on the chain and river cannot be accessed by pontoon due to low under-road clearances or narrow passages. The lakes in the chain include Little Portage Lake, Big Portage Lake, Base Line Lake, Whitewood Lake, Zukey Lake, Tamarack Lake, Gallagher Lake, Strawberry Lake and Ore Lake.
The deepest point on the lake is 84 feet deep although 44% of the lake is considered shoal area (5 feet deep or less). There are a couple of sand bars that people pull up to and hang out with friends. Two creeks run into Portage Lake from nearby communities, Honey Creek that runs from Pinckney, and Portage Creek that runs from Hell.
Whatever you want to do on Portage Lake the boating and recreation opportunities on the Chain of Lakes are absolutely endless. During the summer months, the lakes are a haven for pontooners, boaters, jet skiiers, paddleboarders, and kayakers. You will have a great times with great fishing on the lakes, waterskiing, tubing, paddle boarding, or just relaxing at a sand bar. You can pull your boat up to Riverside Pizza to grab a bite to eat or dock at Zukey Lake Tavern for a nice cold drink, appetizers, or lunch or dinner. You can keep your boat at one of the marinas on the chain. Klave's Marina has been serving the boating community on Portage Lake in Pinckney, MI for more than 50 Years! Portage Lake is a great place for wintering migratory waterfowl such as Canvasbacks, Bufflehead, and Common Loons. There are boat rentals and cruises offered through a few different companies.
Round-trip boating through the major lakes takes about four hours, covering a distance of 13 miles.
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Why give your money away to some real estate agent? When you sell your home keep more of your homes profits by hiring a great realtor with a low commission rate. Save thousands and thousands of dollars. Call Russ today to see how much you can save when listing your home. 248-310-6239 |
Portage Lake lies in both Livingston and Washtenaw County in Michigan. It also lies in 3 different communities Dexter Township, Hamburg, and Putnam Township. Though most of the homes have Pinckney mailing addresses.
A number of species were stocked in the late 1930's, including bluegill and largemouth bass from 1937-
1942, yellow perch from 1937-39, and walleye in 1937 and 1938. The first fisheries survey was an
extensive survey conducted in 1941. Game fish included largemouth and smallmouth bass, northern pike,
walleye, various panfish, and a good number of ciscos (a species of whitefish). Rainbow trout were
stocked from 1942-44, but this was discontinued due to poor survival. To address the minimal amount of
cover in the lake, 200 brush structures were installed in 1949 to enhance fish habitat. Legal sized trout
were stocked from 1955-64 (excluding 1957), but switched to fall fingerlings from 1965-70. Tiger
muskellunge were stocked on an alternate year basis from 1980-86, at which point the tiger musky
program was discontinued in Michigan. Walleye were stocked intermittently in the 1980's and 1990's as
well as 2001, 2004 and 2006. Channel catfish were stocked once in 2004. Fisheries surveys in 1967,
1983, 1995 and 1999 documented good fish populations and anglers report good bluegill and largemouth
bass fishing.
Portage Yacht Club (734-426-4155) is one of the leading inland lake sailing centers in the Midwest and one of the oldest sailing clubs in Michigan. Located on 650-acre Portage Lake, 17 miles northwest of Ann Arbor, it provides a venue for sailors of all skill levels. The sailing season runs from early May through late September. Wind conditions can vary from light for a casual, easy sail to heavy for a more challenging sailing adventure. The topographic features around the lake often produce winds that shift direction giving skippers the opportunity to master their skills on a typical inland lake. In addition to offering moorings for both single- and multi-handed sailboats, the Club also offers boat rentals, junior instruction, and an adult learn to sail program. Midwest Sailing, located on the site, provides boat sales as well as boat parts and accessories.
The Club is known for its sailboat racing program which has produced National and North American champions in several sailing classes as well as prestigious US Sailing national championships. Innovations in the rules of racing first used at PYC have been adopted internationally.
Races are held on Tuesday evenings for single-handed boats including Lasers, MC Scows and Sunfish and on Thursday evenings and Weekend days for multi-handed boats including 18-ft Interlakes and 19-ft Flying Scots. Invitational regattas are held for the PYC sailboat classes in August and September. The Club has also hosted national and regional championship events.
There are several types of weed control. One is a harvester control and the other is chemical control. There are some lakes that do no weed control at all. I don’t know what type of weed control is done on Portage lake in Pinckney. So it is always best to ask the seller when buying a waterfront home.
One of the big benefits of owning a lake home is all the wonderful sights you will get to see. You may take rides on the boat to see the sunset, or you may get a bottle of wine and a blanket to take a leisurely cruise around the lake to see the fall colors. Or you may just sit on the porch of your lake home watching the ducks swim by.
If you are looking for a good Michigan realtor that really knows his stuff and has over 15 years of experience then you have come to the right place. Call Russ at 248-310-6239. Buying a waterfront home is a dream for many home buyers and my goal is to help you achieve that dream. I helped buyers and sellers with over 17 million dollars of homes last year. Our lakes have different factors that you will need to consider when buying a lake house. For example lake homes in Waterford are on city water and sewer whereas waterfront homes in Highland are on well and septic. Little things that I have picked up over the years as which lakes are due for a big assessment because sewers are coming in is important to lake house buyers. Will a non lake realtor know that? Probably not.
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