Community Area

White Lake Trivia:

White Lake is classified as a "Drowned River-mouth Lake".  The former channel to Lake Michigan flowed north of the present channel through Sadony Bayou (next to the "Old Channel Inn").

White Lake has a surface area of 4 square miles, or 2,571 acres.

The Lake is 5.1 miles long, along the center of the lake from the White River Bridge (US31BR) to the Lake Michigan Channel (the "straight line" distance is 4.45 miles), and 1.27 miles wide at its widest point, at the Indian Bay shoreline across to the vicinity of the White Lake Yacht Club (although most of the Lake averages about 1 mile in width.

Mean depth is 23 ft (7m). Maximum depth is 70 ft. (22m).

Volume is 20 billion gallons.

Water retention time is 56 days.

Tributaries are: White River, Buttermilk Creek, Carlton Creek, Mill Pond Creek, Pierson Creek, Silver Creek, Bush Creek, and Raccoon Creek.

The immediate drainage area of White Lake is 24 square miles. The entire White River watershed is over 500 square miles (an equivalent of all of Muskegon County).

Surrounding political subdivisions on White Lake include the City of Montague, City of Whitehall, and townships of Fruitland, Montague, Whitehall, and White River.  The City of Montague was incorporated as a city by election held on March 29, 1935 with a vote of 234 for, and 104 against.  The City of Whitehall was incorporated as a city by election held on December 14, 1942 with a vote of 102 for, and 100 against (this was a low turnout for the election as a very heavy early snowfall had hit the city and it was virtually impossible to go to vote).

The political subdivisions on White Lake have a combined population of 13,837 persons (1990 census), although summer season population with seasonal residents and boaters is estimated at 18-20,000 persons.

Property records show there are 441recorded parcels of property on White Lake (not counting condominium or association owners with "joint access") with 375 separate property owners (some own more than one parcel) .