Scenic Views- nice veiws of this small lake from the hill on the north side
Swimming
Swimming- no actual beach, but it should be possible
Rest Rooms and Potable Water
Rest Rooms- none
Potable Water- none
Details
Access- From 3-Mile Road, turn south on Mack Road and in 0.7 mile turn left on an unmarked sand road. Reach the lake in 1 mile.
Restrictions- National Forest regulations.
Seasonality- road not plowed in winter
Ecosystem- small inland lake surrounded by sandy wooded hills
Other points of interest- North Country National Scenic Trail passes by the lake
Most recent date this info personally checked - May 2019
Maintained by- Baldwin District of the Manistee National Forest 650 N. Michigan Avenue
P.O. Box D
Baldwin, MI 49304
231-745-4631
More- Michigan DNR Lake County Lakes Back to map
Locator
Driving Directions
It is easiest to reach McCarthy Lake from US 10 by turning north off US 10 at Branch on Tyndall Rd. This jogs right then left and becomes Hamilton. Continue till you come to 3- Mile Road (dirt) and turn right (east). Turn south on Mack in 1.5 miles, a dirt road, and in 0.7 miles turn left on a very poor sand road. Reach the lake in about 0.5 mile.
You can also reach 3-Mile Road by going south on Hamilton from 5-Mile Road, a main road through the Bass Lake area.
Or from US 31, turn east on Fountain or Freesoil Road till you reach Custer Road. Turn south. Turn east on Millerton Rd (dirt). This becomes paved after you cross Reek Rd. for about the next 8 miles. 11 miles from the junction with Custer Rd you will cross Hamilton Rd. Turn right on Mack in another 1.5 miles, and left into McCarthy Lake after 0.7 miles on a very poor sand road. Reach the lake in about 0.5 mile.
![[Counties]](lakepix/loclcnct.gif)
