Teal Lake Public Beach
Negaunee, Michigan · on Teal Lake
Verified · 3 independent sources
- WATER
- lake
- ACCESS
- Designated swim area
- FEE
- $75
- SEASON
- May
About Teal Lake Public Beach
Teal Lake Public Beach is a city-owned swimming beach on Teal Lake in Negaunee, Michigan, operated under a formal City of Negaunee beach/park use policy. Expanded and reopened in June 2023 with an ADA-accessible ramp, the swimming hole hosts an annual open-water charity swim event across the lake and gives Negaunee an official lake to swim in.
The beach sits on Croix Street on the western shore of Teal Lake, a small motor-free lake between the twin cities of Negaunee and Ishpeming near US-41/M-28 in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Teal Lake also serves as Negaunee's historic municipal drinking-water source, and only the designated western-shore beach area is open to public swimming.
Swimming at Teal Lake Public Beach
Swimming is in a designated, sand-bottomed lake beach area described by Negaunee's city manager as warm compared to nearby Lake Superior. The lake is calm (no gas-powered motors are permitted), making it suited to families and casual swimmers; it is also used for an organized annual open-water swim event covering distances from a quarter mile to 2.25 miles.
How to get to this swimming hole
The beach is located on Croix Street in Negaunee, Michigan, on the western shore of Teal Lake, between the cities of Negaunee and Ishpeming near US-41/M-28.
Parking: No dedicated parking lot is confirmed; the city's use policy states vehicle parking is 'designated and directed from time to time through traffic orders,' and an aggregator source describes street parking near the beach entrance.
The walk in
No real hike here. The water is a short walk from where you park. This is a drive-up municipal beach on Croix Street with roadside parking directly at the entrance; no hike or trail walk is needed to reach the swimming area.
Plan your visit
Bringing kids
OK with supervision
Sand-bottomed, calm, motor-free lake beach that visitor reviews call good for family swimming and kayaking, but the city beach has no lifeguards on duty (per aggregator listing) and one reviewer flagged general water-pollution concerns, so caution is warranted rather than unsupervised free play.
Parking
Free
No dedicated parking lot; street parking near the beach entrance on Croix Street. The city's use policy notes vehicle parking is 'designated and directed from time to time through traffic orders,' implying informal/seasonal roadside management rather than a fixed lot.
Restrooms
Yes
Restrooms and showers are listed as available on or adjacent to the beach (per Sandee.com beach listing); exact building location not otherwise documented.
Water clarity
Varies with season and flow
Visitor reports are mixed: multiple reviewers describe the water as calm, warm, and clean enough for family swimming and paddling, while at least one reviewer called it 'nice but very polluted.' No water-quality testing data was found to resolve the discrepancy.
Hours
Designated swim season May through September, 7:00am to 12:00am (midnight), per the City of Negaunee beach/park use policy.
On the water
Restrictions: No gas-powered motors permitted anywhere on the lake (city ordinance); watercraft may launch only at the designated boat-launch site, and swimming/wading is prohibited in the boat mooring area.
Visitor reviews (Wanderlog) specifically praise Teal Lake as 'an excellent spot for SUP and kayaking' due to the no-motor rule keeping the water calm.
What regulars say
Visitor reports describe Teal Lake as a quiet, uncrowded swimming spot good for families, praised for kayaking and paddleboarding since gas-powered motors are banned lakewide. One visitor's caveat was 'nice but very polluted,' a pollution concern that has come up more than once. No dedicated kayak/paddleboard/canoe rental outfitter was found serving Teal Lake itself; regional Marquette-area guide/tour services (about 15 miles away) focus on Lake Superior and Presque Isle rather than this small inland lake, so visitors appear to bring their own watercraft.
Backstory
Teal Lake was reserved as Negaunee's municipal drinking-water source and closed to swimmers for over a century before the city opened its western shore to public swimming on June 6, 1995. The beach was substantially expanded (from 1,000 to 1,800 square feet) in a roughly year-long, $107,700 city/state-funded project completed and reopened with a ribbon-cutting on June 19, 2023.
Teal Lake Public Beach: FAQ
Does Teal Lake Public Beach charge a fee?
No entry fee is indicated for general public swimming; the annual Swim Teal Lake charity event charges participants a separate registration fee (around $75) unrelated to beach access.
Is Teal Lake Public Beach kid friendly?
Sand-bottomed, calm, motor-free lake beach that visitor reviews call good for family swimming and kayaking, but the city beach has no lifeguards on duty (per aggregator listing) and one reviewer flagged general water-pollution concerns, so caution is warranted rather than unsupervised free play.
Do I need to hike to reach Teal Lake Public Beach?
No significant hike is required. The swimming area is close to parking and access.
Where do I park for Teal Lake Public Beach?
No dedicated parking lot; street parking near the beach entrance on Croix Street. The city's use policy notes vehicle parking is 'designated and directed from time to time through traffic orders,' implying informal/seasonal roadside management rather than a fixed lot.
Can I bring a kayak or paddleboard to Teal Lake Public Beach?
Visitor reviews (Wanderlog) specifically praise Teal Lake as 'an excellent spot for SUP and kayaking' due to the no-motor rule keeping the water calm.
When is the best time to visit Teal Lake Public Beach?
May through September, per the official city swim-season restriction.
What are the rules at Teal Lake Public Beach?
Per the City of Negaunee beach/park use policy: swimming in the designated area is limited to May-September, 7:00am-12:00am; no alcohol, no glass containers, no pets/domestic animals, no motorized vehicles or overnight camping in the park/beach area; watercraft may launch only at the designated site; no swimming/wading in the boat mooring area.
What water body is Teal Lake Public Beach on?
Teal Lake Public Beach is on Teal Lake, a natural lake verified in USGS hydrography data.
