Perch Lake Public Beach
South Boardman, Michigan · on Perch Lake
Verified · 3 independent sources
- WATER
- lake
- ACCESS
- Designated swim area
- FEE
- No fee found
- SEASON
- Varies by conditions
About Perch Lake Public Beach
Perch Lake Public Beach is the designated swimming hole at Perch Lake Township Park, a small municipal park owned and operated by Boardman Township on Hart Road at the east end of Perch Lake, near the village of South Boardman in Kalkaska County, Michigan. The township's own parks page confirms the park was recently renovated and includes picnic facilities and a designated swimming beach, and states that both a general park ordinance and a lake-specific motor ordinance govern the site. Independent sources corroborate the lake's small size (~21-23 acres) and its electric-motor-only status.
Perch Lake is a small (~21-23 acres, per two independent lake-data sources) electric-motor-only, no-wake inland lake in Boardman Township, Kalkaska County, Michigan -- not Grand Traverse County, as one earlier aggregator source incorrectly stated -- near the village of South Boardman and roughly 20 miles from Traverse City. Reported maximum depth is about 30 feet, with a nearshore bottom of sand, gravel, and rock grading to organic/peat sediment in deeper water. The township park sits on Hart Road at the lake's east end; a separate hand-launch access point for small non-motorized/electric-only watercraft is off Woodman Road nearby.
Swimming at Perch Lake Public Beach
The site is an official, developed swimming beach maintained by Boardman Township rather than an informal or backcountry swim spot; it fronts a small, quiet, electric-motor-only inland lake with a sand/gravel nearshore bottom, making it suited to casual, family-style lake swimming rather than deep-water or current-driven swimming.
How to get to this swimming hole
Perch Lake Township Park and its swimming beach are on Hart Road at the east end of Perch Lake, in Boardman Township near South Boardman, Kalkaska County, Michigan (roughly 20 miles from Traverse City). A separate boat launch for small non-motorized/electric-only watercraft is located off Woodman Road nearby. No turn-by-turn driving directions are published by the township.
The walk in
No real hike here. The water is a short walk from where you park. This is a drive-up municipal swimming beach at Perch Lake Township Park on Hart Road; no hike is needed to reach the water from the roadside parking.
Plan your visit
Bringing kids
OK with supervision
It's a small, quiet, electric-motor-only lake with a sand/gravel nearshore bottom suited to casual lake swimming, but sandee.com (single, lower-confidence aggregator source) reports no lifeguards on duty and no restrooms/nearby food, so it's best for families who supervise closely rather than a fully developed, staffed beach.
Parking
Free
No dedicated parking lot; free street parking near the entrance on Hart Road, per sandee.com (the township park page does not itself describe parking).
Restrooms
None on site
No restrooms or showers at the beach per sandee.com; the township's own park page does not mention restrooms either, so none are confirmed on site.
Water clarity
Clear
Sandee.com (a single aggregator source, not independently corroborated) describes the lake as spring-fed with clear water; treat as lower-confidence since it's the only clarity-specific source found and its stated depth (over 40 ft) conflicts with an independent lake-directory figure (~30 ft max) already noted in the prior dossier.
On the water
Restrictions: Electric-motor-only / no-wake lake per Boardman Township's Perch Lake Motor Ordinance, corroborated by outdoormichigan.org; a hard-surface boat launch for small/medium non-motorized or electric watercraft is off Woodman Road, separate from the Hart Road swimming beach itself.
Sandee.com additionally lists kayaking and paddleboarding as favored activities at the beach itself, consistent with the motor restriction.
Backstory
The Boardman Township parks page notes the park was 'recently renovated.' No further history was located.
Perch Lake Public Beach: FAQ
Is Perch Lake Public Beach kid friendly?
It's a small, quiet, electric-motor-only lake with a sand/gravel nearshore bottom suited to casual lake swimming, but sandee.com (single, lower-confidence aggregator source) reports no lifeguards on duty and no restrooms/nearby food, so it's best for families who supervise closely rather than a fully developed, staffed beach.
Do I need to hike to reach Perch Lake Public Beach?
No significant hike is required. The swimming area is close to parking and access.
Where do I park for Perch Lake Public Beach?
No dedicated parking lot; free street parking near the entrance on Hart Road, per sandee.com (the township park page does not itself describe parking).
Can I bring a kayak or paddleboard to Perch Lake Public Beach?
Sandee.com additionally lists kayaking and paddleboarding as favored activities at the beach itself, consistent with the motor restriction.
What are the rules at Perch Lake Public Beach?
Boardman Township states that two local ordinances govern the site: the Boardman Township Park Ordinance (general park rules) and the Perch Lake Motor Ordinance, which restricts the lake to small, non-motorized/electric-only watercraft -- independently corroborated by outdoormichigan.org, which lists the lake as 'electric motor only.' The full text/specific provisions of these ordinances were not found published online.
What water body is Perch Lake Public Beach on?
Perch Lake Public Beach is on Perch Lake, a natural lake verified in USGS hydrography data.
