Grand Traverse Bay
| Grand Traverse Bay | |
|---|---|
Close-up satellite view of the Grand Traverse Bay, oriented with north at the top. Note the East and West arms of the bay, divided by the Old Mission Peninsula. | |
Grand Traverse Bay Location within the state of Michigan | |
| Location | Antrim, Charlevoix, Grand Traverse, and Leelanau counties, Michigan, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 45°04′N 85°29′W / 45.06°N 85.48°W |
| Type | Bay |
| Part of | Lake Michigan |
| Primary inflows | Boardman River, Elk River |
| Surface elevation | 581 feet (177 m) |
| Islands | Bellow Island, Power Island |
| Settlements | Elk Rapids, Suttons Bay, Traverse City |
Grand Traverse Bay (/ˈtrævərs/ TRAV-ərss) is an arm of Lake Michigan, located along the west coast of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. The bay is separated from the rest of Lake Michigan by the Leelanau Peninsula. The bay is some 32 miles (51 km) long, ranges from 7 to 10 miles (11 to 16 km) wide, and up to 620 feet (190 m) deep in spots. It is the second-largest bay of Lake Michigan, behind Green Bay. Grand Traverse Bay is further divided into an East Arm and West Arm (colloquially East Bay and West Bay) by the 18-mile-long (29 km) Old Mission Peninsula.
The primary inflows to Grand Traverse Bay are Boardman River, which flows into West Bay, and the Elk River, which flows into East Bay. Notable communities that lie along the shore of Grand Traverse Bay include Traverse City, the largest city in Northern Michigan and at the head of both arms of the bay, and the villages of Elk Rapids, Northport, and Suttons Bay. The area surrounding the bay is renowned for its fruit production, especially for cherries and viticulture.
The bay is located within parts of the Michigan counties of Antrim, Charlevoix, Grand Traverse, and Leelanau.