Pickerel Lake
& Crooked Lake

Crooked Lake, along with Pickerel, Round and Spring lakes, are part of the Headwaters of the Inland Waterway, providing abundant clean water that sustains a transportation, recreation, and wildlife corridor that extends across the Northern Lower Peninsula. Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council has worked for decades to ensure that it remains a magnificent resource.  

Headwaters of the Inland Waterway Map

Volunteer Lake Monitoring Results for Crooked Lake

The data below is essential for discerning short-term changes and long-term trends in Crooked Lake and we thank the volunteers profusely for all their hard work. Ultimately, the dedicated effort of volunteers and our staff will assist in lake management and thereby, protect and enhance the quality of Northern Michigan’s waters.

Click here for a complete report on the Headwater Lakes of the Inland Waterway is available for download.

Partnering to Protect Crooked, Pickerel, Round, and Spring Lakes

Keeping the headwater lakes of the Inland Waterway healthy and clean depends on the Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council and the Pickerel-Crooked Lakes Association working together. Whether it’s doing water quality monitoring, managing Purple Loosestrife, educating the public, or commenting on development proposals around the watershed to reduce their impacts, the Pickerel-Crooked Lakes Association’s participation has been key to the success of those efforts. With the Watershed Council providing technical assistance and scientific review and the Lake Association providing volunteer time, much has been accomplished on behalf of these important headwaters to the Inland Waterway.

Aquatic Invasive Species on Crooked Lake
Purple Loosestrife

Looks are truly deceiving when it comes to the purple loosestrife plant. Its appearance is beautiful, with tall purple spires, but its presence takes a toll on our wetlands. Due to a lack of predators and diseases, this European plant out-competes native wetland vegetation, easily becoming the dominant plant. 

In the summer of 2005, the Watershed Council and Pickerel-Crooked Lakes Association conducted a thorough inventory of purple loosestrife in the Pickerel-Crooked Lakes Watershed and developed a strategy to manage this purple plague. The field inventory used a GPS to record specific locations of purple loosestrife growths. Additional data was collected about the size of the purple loosestrife beds (e.g., 10 feet by 25 feet); the density (how many other plants were present); proximity to surface water; and other site-specific information. A full report can be obtained by contacting us at info@watershedcouncil.org.

One of the most effective methods for controlling purple loosestrife involves introducing a beetle (Garucella) that forages on the plant at different stages during its life cycle. The beetle has been very effective at reducing the growth of purple loosestrife at Spring Lake (near the intersection of M-119 and US 31). The Watershed Council, with volunteer assistance from Bev Osetek, introduced the beetle in the late 1990s to the site. Purple loosestrife was the dominant plant then, but today it occupies only 10% of the wetland adjacent to the lake.

With the help of these little beetles and the Volunteer Purple Corps, we have been able to reduce purple loosestrife dominance and improve the overall health of our wetlands and lake ecosystems.

Additional Resources

Headwater Lakes of the Inland Waterway
2005 Report

Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council
8 pages

The report contains specific data for Inland Waterway headwater lakes from two of our cornerstone water quality programs - Comprehensive Water Quality Monitoring and Volunteer Lake Monitoring. These two programs have provided valuable data on the overall health of our waters. The report also contains information about Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council's work with shoreline property owners to correct erosion along Pickerel, Crooked, Round and Spring lakes, as well as partnership efforts with the Pickerel-Crooked Lakes Association.

Aquatic Vegetation Survey 2008
for Crooked and Pickerel Lakes

Partnership Organizations

Pickerel-Crooked Lakes Association

Mission: Promote and endorse projects that enhance water quality; help create and urge compliance with laws and regulations relating to water quality; oppose activities which adversely affect water quality; educate all users of the lakes about the proper care and management of water resources.

Contact: Ray McMullen, President
Phone:   (231) 347-8073
E-mail:   mcmullens2@gmail.com

Mailing Address: PO Box 511  
                           Alanson, MI 49706

Website: www.Pickerel-CrookedLakes.org

Oden Island Association

Description: Small association of mostly seasonal homes on Oden Island in Crooked Lake.

Contact:  Bob Humphrey, Assoc. President
Phone:    (231) 347-4574
Fax:        (231) 526-2750
E-mail:    bob@grahamre.com

Mailing Address: 3130 Leeward Drive
                           Petoskey, MI 49770

Website:  N/A