YANKEE SPRINGS
AUGUST 14, 2026 NEWS
The boat landing at Hall Lake has been closed. The lake has been drawn down about five feet. I visited the Key Project Updates on the MDNR website. The dam is considered unsafe. Instead of the dam and standpipe, the outlet will be channeled through a culvert under the road without any kind of water level control structure. It was unclear what the final water level will be. A new boat landing was mentioned. I observed an excavator sitting idle next to the standpipe. Most of the standpipe had been removed. No workers were present. These photos were taken today.
I will visit the lake with my kayak when the project is finished. The post will be updated with new information and photos. The post will be kept as is until then. The future of Hall Lake is uncertain. The lake might be gone forever.
Besides Gun Lake, Hall Lake is one of the most visited lakes in the Yankee Springs area. I kayaked the lake on a weekday morning in August and I was surprised to have the whole lake all to myself. Hall Lake is located on the north side of Gun Lake Road, just east of Gun Lake. The small lake is surrounded by forested hills. The primitive landing is on the south side of the lake, just east of the dam.
It’s also a good place for a swim. The lake has three islands. A small island lies next to the shore on the east side of the lake.
The other two islands are more toward the middle of the lake.
A nature note: there is a sizable population of freshwater jellyfish in the lake. These delicate creatures are about a half inch in diameter and can be clearly seen along the shoreline.
Once you’re on the water, you’ll see why Hall Lake is one of my favorites.
KAYAKING SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN 