Is There a Wall Somewhere at the Bottom of Michigan’s Walled Lake?
Did ya ever wonder why Walled Lake was given that name?
Do you think it was because it had a wall?
Or that it was named after the walleye fish?
Or just named after somebody?
If you thought it was named because of a wall, you’d be correct.
It’s believed by many that the remains of a wall lie somewhere on the west coast of the lake. But where? No one has been able to correctly pinpoint the area. There are a few explanations as to this underwater ‘wall’.
According to legend, there were two Native American tribes that lived on the lake: one on the west side, the other on the east. They lived in peace until the west tribe built an underwater makeshift wall to help trap and catch fish. When the east side saw this, they were angered and prepared for war. Realizing they were in deep you-know-what, the west side packed up and fled. The east side therefore tore down the wall and the remains are said to still be there…somewhere.
Another tale is that of a tribesman who drowned in the lake while spearfishing. His wife asked the tribe to build a wall to hold fish as a memorial to her husband.
Then there’s the theory of glacial activity. Glaciers formed the lake millions of years ago and huge boulders were pushed to the west end, creating a kind of ‘wall’. It’s said to have been four feet high, one hundred and fifty feet long, and five feet thick.
Walled Lake has been named since 1829; the ‘wall’ was first discovered in 1825. There are records of the wall but so far nobody has had the foresight to go scuba diving and try to locate it…and take some underwater footage. How come? Where is it?
Another interesting thing about Walled Lake is an abundance of sunken boats. There is approximately a dozen or more resting on the bottom, as you’ll see in the photo gallery below. There are also a few satellite photos of some strange boulder-like structure underwater…could this be a hunk of the old boulder wall? Take a look and see what you think!
Walled Lake: Boat Wrecks & Vintage Photos
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