On the east shore of Grand Traverse Bay, in Antrim County, eighteen miles north of Traverse City, on the Chicago and West Michigan Railroad, and at the foot of that network of inland lakes and small rivers which reach from below the southern line to almost the northern boundary of Antrim County, lies Elk Rapids. The village, with a permanent population of about fifteen hundred, which is increased by an average of one hundred resorters in the summer months, is rather the centre of the fishing grounds than a resort itself. It is nearly surrounded by water, the western limits being the shore of Grand Traverse Bay and the east and north sides lying on the Elk River, which is the outlet of the neighboring system of lakes and rivers into Lake Michigan. The facilities for accommodating visitors are hotels and cottages. The water supply is taken from Elk Lake and the drainage is into Grand Traverse Bay. The lakes and rivers within easy access of Elk Rapids , and in which the fishing and, in the proper seasons, shooting is excellent, are:

ELK LAKE, which is nine miles long, and its waters empty into Grand Traverse Bay at Elk Rapids. It has an abundance of trout; the bass being found in the neck connecting the Lake with Traverse Bay, and the trout more particularly along the western shore. Starting from Elk Rapids, the second lake in this chain is:

ROUND LAKE, about three miles long and the basin into which a large number of small trout streams empty, the most notable, the one which empties east of Southerland's landing. The route from Round Lake to Torch Lake, which is next in the chain, is through the Torch RIver, into which flows Rapid River, an excellent front stream.

TORCH LAKE is a beautiful body of fresh water eighteen miles long and two miles wide, its northern end being parallel with and only a third of a mile from, but not connected with Grand Traverse Bay. Torch Lake is a most excellent fishing and boating locality, besides being a beautiful body of water. A large number of small streams empty into it, and each abounds with trout, which are generally found near the months of the streams. The next in the chain is:

CLAM LAKE, about four miles long, connecting Torch Lake with:

GRASS LAKE, which is about five miles long, and from one to two wide; and both it and Clam Lake are excellent fisher grounds, the principal varieties of fish being bass and mackerel, and in the tributary streams trout. Some of the most prominent points along this system of lakes, and those at which the inland line of steamboats touch are Skegennog Point, Torch River Bridge, Alden, Lone Tree Point, Clam River and Balls Landing.