Looking North from The Big Island

Big Island is the only island on Big Bass Lake that is highly populated. Of the remaining four, Haunted Island now has a lone tenant while Four Winds Island’s onwer maintains the buildings that were once owned by Camp Martin Johnson. Grandma’s Hat and Turtle Island are not inhabited by people.

This is a view from Big Island looking north through the “narrows” of Big Bass Lake. In the distance would be both Four Winds and Turtle Islands which are in close proximity one to the other. This is the corridor that speedboats use to get to the southern parts of the lake be it southeast or southwest.

This is one great view of the narrows of Big Bass Lake. Do any of our readers live on Big Island? Let us know by way of a comment. This island used to be known as Waite Island, named after its founder. The bridge leading to the island is named after him.

Motoring Around Big Bass Lake

I used to enjoy taking out our motor boat for a spin on Big Bass Lake.  From our dock I used to head due east toward the bridge to the Big Island.  But as soon as I passed the tip of the Haunted Island I turned due north and motored between both the Big Island and Haunted Island.  This is what you see here between those two islands. 

I moved close in to shore to the Big Island (right) and proceeded past their inlet on the north side of the island and then turned due east again until I passed that island.  I then made a sharp turn south and headed toward my destination, that being the Big Bass Lake Store docking area.  Enroute to that location I would pass by Grandma’s Hat Island on my left.  Just a few yards south of that, on my right, was the entry way to the bridge under the road to the Big Island. My route covered basically the entire south side of Big Bass Lake from southwest to southeast.

 The entire course of the trip took about 15 minutes.  Just north of the Big Island is the corridor to the north side of the lake through the narrows and past the other two islands on the lake.  I’ll describe that for you another time and that area also includes the channel between Big and Little Bass Lakes.

Tubing Landmarks on Big Bass Lake

Tubing has become quite the past time on Big Bass Lake yet in these two photographs there are two interesting landmarks that are found on the lake. The first is the bridge that leads to the Big Island. That was put in during the year 1954 by Clyde Waite. Then that island was named after him.

The second landmark is the Big Bass Lake Campground Lodge which is almost in the exact same position that the Peacock Resort once had.  And it is just west of where the bridge to the Big Island is located.  Just west of the lodge is the Public Landing.  And directly across from that campground is the Haunted Island. 

Maybe some day soon another tuber will take us past the twin islands or come near the channel between Big and Little Bass Lake?

Bridge to Nowhere

The bridge to Big Island was perfect for those who wanted to avoid going around that island to get to the Big Bass Lake store. I personally know that rowing our boat under that bridge was a massive time saving in contrast to having to row completely around Big Island to get to the store.

Now, however, there is no Big Bass Lake store to go to as it has been closed down for several years. For boats needing gasoline that has also made getting that fuel more difficult as there was always a pump just below the store.

One might call that bridge now a bridge to nowhere. I would say that the majority of boats that use that shortcut were heading to the Big Bass Lake store. I wonder if it still has high usage today?

Natahki Drive on Big Bass Lake

My new blog friend, Joan, from “My Quality Day (Blogroll)” recently featured the northern two most islands (Turtle and Four Winds) on Big Bass Lake which she mistakenly thought were the two largest islands. She snapped the picture from Natahki Drive or Road on the land that used to be owned by Camp Martin Johnson. The area she outlined in yellow bears that out. In fact, Four Winds Island was owned by the camp.

From Joan’s satellite view you can observe the two islands in question just off the shoreline of what used to be Camp Martin Johnson.  However the two largest islands are south of there and can be photographed by either the Public Landing or by taking the bridge to the Big Island and gaining view of that island as well as Haunted Island to its west. 

I personally believe Haunted Island to be the most fantastic of all the islands on the lake.  Natahki is what Big Bass Lake used to be called in its early days.  There was even a girls camp under that name once on the lake. 

Here now are Joan’s two islands on the north side of the lake.

All of the islands on Big Bass Lake can be found in our Categories on the sidebar. And that even includes Sunken Island which is just east of the two islands pictured here. That underwater island is between the two islands here and the channel between Big and Little Bass Lake. Last December I did a multi-part series on Turtle Island featuring pictures around and on that island.

Its twin, Four Winds Island, can also be found in Categories and features many pictures of the remains of Camp Martin Johnson.  Also check out Grandma’s Hat Island, Haunted Island, The Big Island, and Sunken Island.  Of the latter one in a few days I will have a great shot of that submerged isle.  You also might want to check out the Category about The Big Bass Lake Channel for some excellent photographs. 

Big Bass Lake Bridge From Noreika Pier

This is the wonderous view from our pier on Big Bass Lake looking eastward. There in the distance is the bridge leading to The Big Island. That bridge was built in 1956 linking that island to the mainland. Just to the left of that bridge was the home of Clyde Waite and that island was first known as Waite Island.  It’s newest name is Isle of the Wilds.

To get to that island from our dock one had to first pass by Haunted Island and then just under that bridge, to your left, is the smallest island, Grandma’s Hat which today is known as Loon Island.  It was a pleasant row from Labor Day to Memorial Day but in the summer one is always dodging speedboaters along the way.

I used to take that course daily as the Big Bass Lake store was just past that bridge to your right.  By the way, does anyone know how many homes are found on The Big Island?  Also the view is quite the same in either direction from the Waite Bridge. 

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.

Looking South at the Big Island

This photograph was taken on the north end of the Big Island. A few times in my younger days, I took the long way around the Big Island enroute to the Big Bass Lake store but always in our motor boat. If in our rowboat, I always took the route under the bridge leading to this island as it was a much shorter distance than going all the way around the Big Island.

Going around the island offered me the chance to view each and every house on that island.  There are several inlets around that island and the houses vary in size one from the other.  I usually took this route after Labor Day or before Memorial Day.  At any other time, this stretch of the lake was more than a little busy with speedboats coming and going faster than lightning.

I didn’t get that many opportunities to visit this side of the Big Island so I really enjoyed those times.  One thing that I regret is that I never took the time to view that island from the road leading to it over the bridge.

Winter at Big Bass Lake

Well, here is Big Bass Lake without swimmers, speed boats, water skiers, or jet skies. You might find a few snowmobiles making their way about the lake and maybe even a dog sled. Perhaps there are a few ice skaters gliding about various parts of the lake? Maybe even some that are ice fishing for the frozen catch of the day?

Big Bass Lake looks so desolate in this picture. Yet I can well imagine many a house around the lake ablaze with a warm fire in their fireplaces. Big Bass Lake has been described as an all seasons lake so does that include ice fishing? This stretch of the lake is looking from south to north.

It should be pointed out that the Haunted Island (left) now has a residen on it and this is his dock.  To your right is the Big Island and I wonder how many of the homes there are inhabited in the winter?  Anyone know?

Around the Next Island at Big Bass Lake

One of my favorite past times at Big Bass Lake was to go “Island Hopping” and since there were five to choose from, it was a great deal of fun.  I would take our motor boat and first encircle Haunted Island before turning slightly northeast and travel the shoreline of the Big Island.  As I finished that course, I circled Grandma’s Hat which took all of 30 seconds to do since it was the smallest island on the lake.

Then I turned northward and traveled through the narrows of Big Bass Lake to get to the two islands on the north side of the lake.  Four Winds Island was once home to Camp Martin Johnson and still has all the buildings that were used at camp yet today.  Then I took a turn around Turtle Island which is the only island on the lake owned by the Manistee National Forest. 

Then it was back through the narrows again to Haunted Island on the southwest side and back to our dock.  Private homes are today found on the Big Island, formerly Waite Island, and on both Haunted Island and Four Winds Island.  I’ve always loved going around the next island at Big Bass Lake and would recommend that journey to anyone.

The Big Island Overview

The Big Island, formerly Waite Island, is the only island that is inhabited with multiple dwellings on two streets, North Bayshore Drive and West Isle Park Drive. On the northwest portion of the island is a small harbor.  The island is tucked neatly between Haunted Island (to the west) and Grandma’s Hat (to the east). 

There is one rather large mansion on the island painted in yellow which makes it stand out somewhat.  The Big Island is also the only island on Big Bass Lake to have a bridge leading to it off of Big Bass Lake Road.  Our first picture shows you the lake from West Isle Park Drive.

From the northern most point of the Big Island one can observe the narrows of Big Bass Lake and most likely, in the distance, also observe the two most northern point islands, those being Four Winds Island and Turtle Island.  As to the latter, this month we are already into  five-part series on that island.

 

The Narrows of Big Bass Lake

What a vista to behold as the camera takes in the view of the narrows of Big Bass Lake from the northeast tip of the Big Island. This area is difficult to row as one hits the winds from the north head on. I’ve been there and done that rowing toward the channel to Little Bass Lake which is quite a chore with the north winds blowing. I have also added a southward vista of Big Bass Lake from the old Camp Martin Johnson through those same narrows.

Coming back home to our wooded beach was much faster and simpler as then I was going with the wind. Enroute I skimmed past the twin islands and headed for the channel. This is the time I went through the channel and briefly into Little Bass Lake. The stay was ever so brief as it took some time just to get to that point.  Another factor to contend with us is the number of speed boats coming down the narrows and back again to the north side of the lake which is almost a continual problem so in rowing one has to be close to shore. 

Those that live in this area of the Big Island have a panoramic view of Big Bass Lake both to the north and again to the southeast.

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. 

The Big Island Was Once Waite Island

In 1954, technically, Waite Island lost their status as an “island” as a bridge was constructed from a land mass leading to the island. Or could it be that the bridge MAKES the Big Island an official island?

Clyde Waite was the genius behind the idea to construct a bridge that would lead to his island, the largest of the five on the lake. As well, those that live on that island don’t need a boat to reach their home. I had asked for some help on this post from some of Waite’s relatives but did not receive a reply to my request.

On our Big Bass Lake History page there is a small reference to Waite and his island. Perhaps, by way of a comment, someone else might know something more about Clyde Waite and how all this came about? As you can tell, his name imprint can be found on the foundation of that bridge as one passes under it.

Rowing Under The Big Bass Lake Bridge

Rowing under the bridge leading to The Big Island on Big Bass Lake can be taxing to young boys as the opening is large enough for only one boat at a time. The challenge, of course, is not to hit the sides of the bridge as one makes their way under it. On each way to the Big Bass Lake store and back, both Keith Hansel and Andrew Freshwater tried their skills at getting through this gap.

Each youngster managed to hit one of the sides of the bridge instead of getting through the area smoothly. Andrew was distracted by a birds nest lodged under the bridge while Keith tried to turn to the right before he was clear of the bridge in the direction of the store.

Our view in this picture is looking westward which would be on the way back from the store. In the distance is the Haunted Island and our usual course was to go straight west from the bridge almost to my families home pier and then proceed north to our camping location.

On each trip to the store a different set of boys tried their best to row under that bridge. On one occasion the kids got a minor thrill when a car went across that bridge as they were rowing under it. This is the only island, of the five, on the lake that has a direct road access to it. As with the channel between Big and Little Bass Lakes, the bridge adds just another feature to this marvelous lake with five islands on it.

North of the Bridge to The Big Island

This is a wonderful photograph just past the bridge that leads to the Big Island. It clearly shows the narrow piece of land separated on both sides by Big Bass Lake. To the west of that bridge, which you can see in the upper right side of this picture, is the southwest portion of Big Bass Lake, while just across this narrow strip is the southeast corner of the lake.

The Big Island is the only one of the five islands on the lake that has a bridge connected to it making for easy access in and off the island. It was put in around 1956.

The Big Island has the most homes on it of any island on the lake with Four Winds Island on the north side of the lake second. What I term the Haunted Island now has one home on it. Turtle Island and Grandma’s Hat (Tiny Tim) are too small for any home.

Isn’t this a great photograph of sunset at Big Bass Lake?

Between the Islands

This is the “gap” between the Haunted Island and Big Island at Big Bass Lake. The Haunted Island is to your left and in the 1970′s it was all forest except for the haunted house in the middle of that island. Big Island, on the other hand, is largely populated and has a bridge leading to it off of Big Bass Lake Road.

This “gap” was the northern route for speedboats operating around he Haunted Island. The western side of the island was the southbound route for those same boats. These two islands were located on the south side of the lake along with the unseen Grandma’s Hat which was the smallest island on the lake. It was just to the east of The Big Island.

The north side of the island had the other two islands those being Turtle Island and Four Winds Island, the latter of which was once owned by Camp Martin Johnson. Today houses are located on Four Winds, The Big Island, and Haunted Island. Turtle Island is owned by the Manistee National Forest.

The Big Island

Just to the left of the Big Island is the Haunted Island (Matson’s Island). A charming lady by the name of Shirley, who resides on the Big Island, provided me the information about that island.

“Our island is always called Big island but it was originally called Waite island after the man who was first on the island. He also built the bridge in 1954 and his name and date can still be seen on the cement on the SE bay side. There are 20 cottages ( homes) on the island. Right now 4 of them are for sale, One is empty due to foreclosure…sad. One right behind us, the 3/4 of a million dollar yellow monstrosity right across from the former Noreika property. 2 deaths in the last year, one last week”.

The other three islands are Grandma’s Hat, which is just east of Big Island, and then the two islands on the North side of Big Bass Lake, those being Four Winds and Turtle Island. As said before, Big Bass Lake is unique in that it has five islands among its body of water. In addition, on the North side of the Lake, is a channel that leads to Little Bass Lake.