Beaver Island ArchiveA primary-source archive & encyclopedia45°40′N 85°33′W · Lake Michigan
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Lake

Round Lake

Draft — sources verified, prose evolving

Locator map: Round Lake highlighted within the Beaver Island archipelago
Locator plate © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0); depths NOAA; names USGS GNIS. How the plates are drawn.
TypeLake
Coordinates45.7156° N, 85.5312° WGoogle MapsDownload KML
WithinBeaver Island
ErasModern era
On this page
Locator map: Round Lake highlighted within the Beaver Island archipelago
Locator plate © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0); depths NOAA; names USGS GNIS. How the plates are drawn.
LakeGNIS 636313
Coordinates
45.7156° N, 85.5312° WGoogle MapsDownload KML
Eras
Modern era
Concepts
environmentwetlandsconservation
Within
Beaver Island
Media
Plat of Big Beaver Island, 1901 · Plat of the north end of Beaver Island, 1930s

Summary

Round Lake is a small inland lake in Beaver Island’s northern interior. GNIS classifies it as a lake, and the 2023 Beaver Island Master Plan describes it as approximately 24 acres and privately owned, with public access allowed by Central Michigan University.

The Master Plan gives Round Lake an unusually specific ecological profile: it holds water only seasonally, does not support fish populations, connects to a wetland complex called “Cornelius’ Swamp,” and serves as a spring stopover for ducks, sandhill cranes, and geese. A December 1961 Beaver Beacon report independently places local goose hunting at the northeast end of Round Lake and names the nearby Welke farm. The sources support the lake’s hydrological and wildlife significance, but do not establish the origin of the Cornelius’ Swamp name or the terms of the current public-access arrangement.

Open questions

  • Can the Master Plan’s “Cornelius’ Swamp” be matched to a mapped wetland or a separate historical place record?
  • When did Central Michigan University acquire or begin allowing access to Round Lake, and what restrictions apply?
  • Can historical surveys establish the lake’s seasonal water regime and any earlier use beyond the 1961 hunting report?

Maps for this place

These Atlas plates provide regional context. They do not establish a precise boundary, current ownership, access right, operating status, or field condition.

  • EnvironmentSoils, wetlands, hydrography, and terrain
  • GeologyGeneralized geology and landforms
  • HydrologyMapped water and wetland context
  • AccessMapped routes, facilities, and protected areas
  • Land surveyPLSS geometry and historic GLO patent-location context

The dated record

3 dated events · 1961–1966These years on the timeline →

Sources

  1. GNIS feature 636313; feature class 'Lake'.
    federal · gnis · gnis_names
  2. Describes Round Lake as a roughly 24-acre private seasonal lake in the northern interior, connected to Cornelius’ Swamp, used as a spring stopping point by ducks, sandhill cranes, and geese; the plan also notes public access through CMU.
    internet_archive · beaver-island-master-plan-20231113
  3. Reports Rogers Carlisle hunting blue geese at the northeast end of Round Lake and identifies the surrounding Welke farm context on Beaver Island.
    data1 · beaver-island-archive · beaver_beacon · 1961-12_Beaver-Beacon
  4. The held six-page issue scan is paired with the OCR source and confirms the published notice or report; it does not expand the source-specific identity, event, or outcome claims.
    data1 · beaver-island-archive · scans · beaver_beacon · issues · 1961-12_Beaver-Beacon

Added 28 July 2026 · revised 3 August 2026. Recent changes

Cite this article

Beaver Island Archive, “Round Lake”, https://beaverislandarchive.org/places/round-lake/, accessed [date], citing U.S. Geological Survey, Geographic Names Information System, Domestic Names (Michigan), retrieved 2026-07-28. (and 3 further sources listed on the page).

Last revised 2026-08-03. Fill in [date] with the date you read it — this page is static and cannot know that.

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