Standing Tall at Sunken Island

Just imagine what this must look like to people on shore? Yet the short area of Sunken Island is only three feet deep and in the summer pontoon boats surround this small area to allow their children to swim in the middle of Big Bass Lake! This fellow is looking in the direction of where the channel between Big and Little Bass Lakes is located.

At nearby Wolf Lake this would not be something so unusual as the greatest depth of that lake is but seven feet no matter where you are.  Even Sand Lake is not all that deep.  Yet not far from this location at Big Bass Lake is where the lake reaches its greatest depth at about sixty feet deep.  Even more amazing is that its little sister, Little Bass Lake, goes to  depth of ninety feet at its deepest!

What a wonderful feeling it must be to greet the day standing in the middle of Big Bass Lake for all to see.  Yes, standing tall in three feet of water! 

Family Outing on Big Bass Lake

The family that boats together stays together. At least on Big Bass Lake. What a way to spend a day! How about a cruise around te whole lake? Or what about dropping anchor at Sunken Island for a quick swim in three feet of water even if tis section of the lake appears to be in the middle of that lake?

Or what about cruising around each island on the lake?  You might want to eat a picnic lunch on Turtle Island.  What about checking out the channel between Big and Little Bass Lake while you’re at it as it is just east of Sunken Island. 

Maybe get out the water skis for a few laps around the lake with a family member?  Or even tubing for those a tad younger?  And, then there’s always time for a little fishing for who knows, one of you might get lucky and bring supper home with them? 

Any other ideas for a day out on the lake?

The Islands of Big Bass Lake Transitional Names

By way of a reference point, the island names on Big Bass Lake were given to me by my grandmother, Barbara Noreika, who homesteaded the land in the 1020′s. She provided me the island names in the 1970′s when I was taking camping trips with Boys Clubs of America to our property. By the way, you had better keep a scorecard handy.

1.  Sunken Island:  North central part of the lake near the channel between Big and Little Bass Lake.  I call it that because of the three-foot depth there in the middle of the lake making it ideal for swimming and it is usually surrounded by pontoon boats doing just that.

2.  Turtle Island which is also sometimes known as Pirates Island.  I kind of like that latter name and it is the twin of Four Winds Island.  It was once owned by the Manistee National Forest but is now privately owned.  It is located just past the narrows of Big Bass Lake to the north.

3.  Four Winds Island is now privately owned but was at one time the property of Camp Martin Johnson.  To my knowledge it has always been known as Four Winds and it also is just past the narrows to the north.

4.  Grandma’s Hat Island is also known as Tiny Tim and Loon Island.  It is the smallest island on the lake and is in the southeast portion of the lake.

5.  The Big Island was formerly known as Waite Island.  Clyde Waite put up the bridge in the 1950′s.  It is now known as Isle of the Wilds.  It is located in the south central part of the lake.

6.  Haunted Island is a term I gave Matson’s Island because of the old house in the middle of the island which made midnight visits to the island ideal with various boys clubs.  It is located in the southwest part of the lake.

Have any of these islands also known other names over the years?  Let us know by way of a comment.

Sunken Island

Does Big Bass Lake indeed have a sixth island? This satellite phtograph shows another form of an island that I believe is Sunken Island and I have encircled it in orange. Can anyone that currently lives on Big Bass Lake confirm this? And how close is this position to that of the channel between Big and Little Bass Lake?

To the Sunken Island’s west are both Turtle and Four Winds Island, which are also clearly shown here. Does anyone remember a time when Sunken Island was above water? Leave us a comment if you know more about Sunken Island. I understand now that it is a very popular swimming area on Big Bass Lake.

How shallow is the water there? Let us know.

The Sunken Island at Big Bass Lake

The Sunken Island of Big Bass Lake is quite a harbor these days. This former island is now underwater by several feet and has become a popular place to lay anchor and swim. What’s unusual about this island is that its in the middle of the north side of the lake. You can actually stand up so that people on shore think you’re standing up in the middle of the lake, which you are! My thanks to John Ennenga for providing us with this photo.

In the background you can observe Turtle Island which some people are now calling Pirate Island. What used to be a popular place for tent camping is now off limits as per a new sign on that island.

In effect, then, Big Bass Lake has five actual islands and one sunken island. Does anyone out there know if that area was ever actually land and when it began to go underwater?

Aerial Big Bass Lake and Noreika Property

This is an excellent aerial photograph of Big and Little Bass Lakes as well as the one time Noreika property (to the left and three-fourths to the top of the page).  The southern islands, left to right, are the Haunted Island, The Big Island (complete with a bridge leading to it), and tiny Grandma’s Hat.  Just to its left is Bluegill Lake.  In the lower left of this picture is the Softball Field and a new church in the area.

The two northern islands are Fou Winds Island and Turtle Island.  To their left is a small greenish area in the lake which  refer to as Sunken Island as the water is only three feet deep there and in the middle of the lake.  Just to its east and slightly north is the channel leading to Little Bass Lake which you can locate in the upper left side of this photograph. 

My grandparents, Joseph and Barbara Noreika, purchased their land in 1912 and part of the original deed included one-half of the Haunted Island.  Of their 256 acres some was farm land extending from what is today the public landing site all the way to Noreika Road and along side Big Bass Lake Road.  To its north and all the way back to Big Bass Lake was our forest land which included many swamp marshes. 

This land was a natural setting for many boys club camping trips which I took with three separate clubs in the 1970′s and 80′s.