45TH PARALLEL PHOTO BY LISA DRAPER; FISH PHOTO COURTESY OF FISH WITH JIM; SKEGEMOG PHOTO BY SCOTT SMITHSON; TORCH LAKE PHOTO BY JEN VAN KAAMmammoth fish that draw people in. Record-sized muskies (nearly
5 feet and 60 pounds) have been caught in the Chain. Elk Lake
offers some of the purest lake trout in the Midwest, Drake notes,
because its separation from Lake Michigan kept the trout isolated
from invasive species that decimated the population elsewhere.
For the ultimate fishing adventure, check out Fish With Jim
Outfitters. Choose from a variety of expertly-guided fishing trips
to catch prized freshwater game fish. Jim’s knowledge and love of
the sport will ensure a successful and memorable fishing experience.
More natural treasures await — including nesting swans and
eagles — as boaters navigate into Lake Skegemog. But take caution
while underway; floating tree stumps can make this waterway
sometimes tricky to navigate.Torch Lake to Grass River
The Ojibwa Native Americans who first populated the Chain used
torches to attract fish, then harvested them with spears and nets,
inspiring the name “Torch Light Lake” — shortened to Torch Lake.
Today, Torch Lake is Michigan’s longest inland lake at 18 miles and
its deepest at an average depth of 111 feet. It’s arguably the prettiest,
too. Locals often repeat the claim that National Geographic once named
Torch Lake the third most beautiful lake in the world, but no one is
quite sure if that’s truth or urban legend. Even Alden Outfitters, which
rents water equipment along the lake’s southeast edge, hedges its bets,
making the statement on its website under the heading, “Rumor Has It.”‘Boat’ the Polar-Equator Trail
If you follow the 45th parallel north, you pass through the French wine
regions of Bordeaux, the deserts of Mongolia, the northernmost tip of Japan
— and Michigan’s Torch Lake. Here, you’re standing (or boating, depending
on your locale) atop the imaginary line marking the halfway point between
the North Pole and the Equator.
Near Elk Rapids, a 12-foot cairn of
stones built in 1938 marks part of the
state’s 140-mile long Polar-Equator Trail.
A university club attempted to create
a rival to more popular trails like the
Appalachian trail — the way it meandered
through beautiful natural areas full of
wildlife. But people kept stealing their
signs and travelers got easily lost.
Today, few trail markers remain, but
lore about it does. The famous silk trade
route followed the line, and a legendary
belief claims that anyone who bathes
in a lake or river crossed by the 45th
parallel would be cured of ailments. So
dive right in!Lake trout Lake SkegemogTorch Lake sandbar Providence Farms46 SEPTEMBER 2016 | LAKELANDBOATING.COMPOC_LowerChain_SEP16.indd 46 7/27/16 11:43 AM