Beautiful 5 bedroom Clam Lake home with access to Torch Lake!

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Entire home

Peaceful views of the lake from most rooms and the back deck! Evening fires!

Torch Lake crystal clear water is just minutes away! The sand bar is amazing!

Watersports are great on Clam Lake, not as choppy as Torch!

Overview
Amenities
Policies
Location
Host

Exceptional

5 bedrooms3+ bathroomsSleeps 12232.3 sq m

Popular amenities

Dryer
Hot tub
Washer
Barbecue grill
Parking available
Fireplace

Explore the area

Bellaire, MI

Clam River
‪14 min walk‬
Torch Lake
‪15 min walk‬
Lake Bellaire
‪10 min drive‬
Traverse City, MI (TVC-Cherry Capital)
‪50 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

5 bedrooms (sleeps 12)

1st Floor Spare

1 Queen Bed

Cherry Room

1 King Bed

Duck Room

1 Queen Bed

Master

1 King Bed

Sailor Room

2 Single Beds

3 bathrooms, 1 half bathroom

1st Floor

Bathtub or shower · Toilet · Jetted bathtub

2nd floor 1/2 bath

Toilet

2nd Floor bath

Bathtub or shower · Toilet

Master bath

Toilet · Shower only

Spaces

Deck or patio

Kitchen

Balcony

Garden

Dining area

About this property

We've owned our home for over 30 years and love vacationing in northern Michigan. Torch Lake is a hidden gem, the water is Caribbean blue! Plenty of room for a large family, grandparents or friends with 5 bedrooms. 3 bedrooms have lake views! Quaint towns of Bellaire and Alden are just 10 minutes with restaurants like Shorts and nice shops. Charlevoix and Traverse City only 40mins! Memories await with a dock for your boat, firepit, kayaks, grilling on the deck, and a hottub!

Beautiful pine vaulted ceilings in the open kitchen, dinning and living area, loft, 3 full baths, 2 laundries! Master has a King, Duck room, Cherry room, & 1st Floor Spare room all have Queens, Sailor room has 2 twins. Room for kids to sleep in TV room on blow up mattresses and two couches.

Renter is responsible for replacing all paper products and washing all linens. Email with any questions!

Details of checkin & checkout will follow reservation.

Property manager

Fred Bays

Languages

English

Add dates for prices

Amenities

Hot tub

Kitchen

Washer

Dryer

Air conditioning

Outdoor space

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Hot tub
Kitchen
Washer
Dryer

House Rules

Check in after 4:00 PM

Minimum age to rent: 30

Check out before 10:00 AM

Children

Children allowed: ages 0–17

Events

No events allowed

Pets

No pets allowed

Smoking

Smoking is not permitted

No college groups allowed, only families!

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy

Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges

Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed

On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited

Host has indicated that there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property

Host has indicated that there is a smoke detector on the property

Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher and a first aid kit

About the area

Bellaire

Located in Bellaire, this holiday home is on the waterfront. The area's natural beauty can be seen at Torch Lake and Grand Traverse Bay. Take in the nearby slopes with cross-country skiing and snowboarding, or try out other outdoor activities such as sledging and snowmobiling.

Bellaire, MI

What's nearby

Clam Lake - 1 min walk - 0.1 km
Clam River - 14 min walk - 1.2 km
Torch Lake - 15 min walk - 1.3 km
Lake Bellaire - 10 min drive - 5.9 km
Torch Lake Park - 14 min drive - 10.7 km

Getting around

Traverse City, MI (TVC-Cherry Capital) - 50 min drive

Restaurants

‪McDonald's - ‬15 min drive
‪Oasis Red Bull Tavern - ‬28 min drive
‪Short's Brewing Company - ‬14 min drive
‪Bellaire Bar & Restaurant - ‬14 min drive
‪M88 Morning Grind - ‬15 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Is Beautiful 5 bedroom Clam Lake home with access to Torch Lake! pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

What time is check-in at Beautiful 5 bedroom Clam Lake home with access to Torch Lake!?

Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.

What time is check-out at Beautiful 5 bedroom Clam Lake home with access to Torch Lake!?

Checkout is at 10:00 AM.

Where is Beautiful 5 bedroom Clam Lake home with access to Torch Lake! located?

Situated on the waterfront, this holiday home is within a 15-minute walk of Clam Lake and Torch Lake. Clam River is 0.7 mi (1.2 km) away.

9.6

Exceptional

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.

Learn more

9.2/10

Cleanliness

9.8/10

Check-in

9.8/10

Communication

10/10

Location

9.8/10

Listing accuracy

10/10 Excellent

Mark T.

28 August 2024

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great weekend getaway

Fred was a great host and the property was very “homey”. Located directly on Clam Lake connecting directly to Torch Lake. Well kept property with corn hole boards, a ping pong table, and spa. Great weekend getaway with friends and family. A very short drive to downtown Belle Aire as well as the beautiful golf courses. Enjoyed every second.

Stayed 5 nights in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Nicole S.

22 August 2024

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Amazing location with lots of space!

We loved our stay at this Clam Lake cabin! The location can’t be beat: walking distance from Dockside, a short drive to Alden, Bellaire, and Traverse City, and right next to the Clam River entrance to the beautiful Torch Lake! The house had plenty of space to fit our family, and the deck, and our dock were very well appointed. Fred was a great communicator, very responsive, and the local property manager was timely and very kind.

Stayed 5 nights in Aug 2024

8/10 Good

Ashley V.

1 August 2024

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great location for a large family vacation in Northern MI.

We had a great stay here! The house had everything we needed. It was very well stocked. We loved that we were able to dock our boat at their dock and take the short ride to Torch Lake sandbar. The deck views and backyard were perfect for this 'family reunion' trip of ours. We had morning coffee on the deck, kids fished off the dock, torch lake sandbar during the day, grilled dinner, and roasted s'mores over the bonfire. It was a lovely trip!

Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Meaghan S.

29 July 2024

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Excellent host and location!!

This was an excellent location for our visit to northern Michigan. The Torch Lake Sandbar was easily accessible by water, and we took two day trips to Sleeping Bear Sand Dune and Mackinac Island. Couldn’t have asked for a better location or host! Fred was quick to answer my questions and offer suggestions on restaurants and attractions. The house was the perfect set-up for two separate families, and all of us thoroughly enjoyed our week away here!! Thank you, Fred!😄

Stayed 6 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Andrea A.

23 June 2024

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Arends/Garner’s vacay

We stayed with another family that we vacation often with. It was very accommodating for 7 teens and 4 adults. Plenty of space, close to a great restaurant, Torch Lake, wineries, and Alden. Spent a day in Traverse City as well. Getting our boat in was simple and close to the house. Overall, HIGHLY recommend this rental.

Stayed 6 nights in Jun 2024

10/10 Excellent

William M.

17 June 2024

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Lovely house

The house was nice and comfortable and fit our group nicely, everything was as advertised.

Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2024

10/10 Excellent

Paul J.

17 June 2023

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Annual Fishing Trip

Group of guys and our boys have been going on an annual fishing trip for about 20 years. This year we decided to stay on Clam Lake. Place was fantastic. Great location, awesome accommodations, wonderful and easy checkin/checkout, host was easy to work with. Would recommend to anyone!! Loved it!

Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2023

10/10 Excellent

Madeline B.

30 August 2022

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great place!

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay! The property is in a great location right on a beautiful lake, and the backyard is unbeatable. Thanks for a great stay!

Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2022

10/10 Excellent

Georgetta R., Westminster, Colorado

25 June 2022

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Clam Lake

The house on Clam Lake was awesome! We had a great time! My kids and grand kids loved staying on the lake! It wail always have a special place in our family because my son proposed on the dock! We will be back for sure!

Stayed 5 nights in Jun 2022

6/10 Okay

Hannah A.

19 June 2022

Liked: Check-in, location

Disliked: Cleanliness, communication, listing accuracy

Horrible owner with false accusations

Our large party of friends and family opted to stay at this "newly renovated" home on Clam Lake. Upon arriving, there was trash already in the bins, debris on the porch, a blind that was not working in the spare bedroom, heavily worn brown shag carpet, and dirty dishes in cabinets that had to be washed prior to using them. There were multiple outlets in the home that did not work and a collection of bugs and spiders in the corners of the home. We did not complain initially, as I am not the type of person to require perfection in a vacation rental. During the stay, a storm caused an outdoor spotlight cover to fall and break, and I alerted the homeowner immediately. We brought the trash cans to the curb on Thursday as directed, but had three days of additional trash for 12 people that had to go in the bins. Finally, one child tripped over the lamp cord in the bedroom and broke the lamp shade (not the lamp) and I reported this to the owner. Within 6 hours, he had charged my credit card $500.00 for "damage" and "trashing the house". He is difficult to communicate with, as he will not provide pictures or examples of how our party "trashed the house". The check out directions were followed explicitly, the towels were washed, dried, and folded, trash taken out, dishes cleaned, beds stripped, and all food thrown away. I am currently disputing this charge with VRBO and my credit card company, but wanted to make anyone who rents from him to be aware of what I am currently going through. I am sure this could have been resolved a different way, but he was not amenable to that. Beware.

Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2022

10/10 Excellent

Carla A.

11 June 2022

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great place to stay

Great house, beautiful lake. We had a great trip and this was the perfect place to stay. Highly recommend.

Stayed 8 nights in Jun 2022

10/10 Excellent

Deb R.

7 September 2021

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Highly recommend

Beautiful home and lake highly recommend!

Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2021

8/10 Good

Kathy G.

20 August 2021

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Enjoyable Stay on Claim Lake

This home was very nice. It was a very spacious with all the necessary amenities. It was in an awesome location with access to many rivers and lakes. It was located close to dockside which is at the channel that leads to Torch. Claim is very nice lake for water skiing and kayaking. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay even with the rain. The garage had a ping pong table and corn hole for those rainy evenings. We would definitely recommend this home.

Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2021

10/10 Excellent

Christie C.

12 August 2021

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great Vacation Home

We had 2 families of 4 with kids ranging from 10-16 and we all had a great time. The house was clean, spacious, cozy and the kitchen had everything we needed. The kids loved the ping pong table, hot tub and roasting marshmallows in the fire pit. We also enjoyed getting up early every morning and kayaking on Clam Lake. It was so peaceful. The location was great and we loved being so close to Torch Lake and Dockside where we rented our boat. We had such a fantastic time, we already booked our trip for next year.

Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2021

10/10 Excellent

Heather W.

1 August 2021

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

We had a great week.

Everything we needed to enjoy the lake and outdoors. 6 adults and 6 kids ( ages 4-16). Plenty of space for everyone.

Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2021

10/10 Excellent

Lisa S.

7 July 2021

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Family get together at Cottage on Clam

The homes size and location was great! Enough space for our family of 6 adults and 6 kids ages 4-9. We loved how the fire pit and pier were close enough to the house to for easy access. There was plenty of flat yard space to provide for the kids to run around. Even though the weather was a bit chilly some days, the lake water was warm enough for the kids to kayak, swim and tube. Much warmer and calmer than Torch Lake! The Marina was close to rent the Pontoon from. So many places we looked at had no yard or steep steps down to the lake. The owner/Fred was easy to reach that second day with some questions we had. The reason we gave the cleanliness a rating of 4 was for 3 things: the gas grill was extremely dirty and greasy (we cleaned it)only enough propane to cook one meal and no spare propane tank. The hot tub needed daily monitoring to get the Ph levels in the correct range. The garage, where there is a ping pong table (which the kids enjoyed and hung out in there)needed to be swept out and the cabinet counter washed down (we took care of that). All in all, we had a great time. Never have been to northern Michigan, it’s very pretty. The town of Bellaire is charming as is Alden. Another find we had was Coyote Bills in Bellaire. Our 7 year old grand daughter wanted to try horseback riding and this was a perfect place to take her. We would defiantly recommend “Cottage on Clam”!

Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2021

10/10 Excellent

Gavin S., Pleasant Hill, Ohio

24 June 2021

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Amazing

We booked our trip with Fred several months ago as a surprise trip for our moms 60th birthday! He made sure to answer all the questions we had and was very easy to reach with any addition things that we needed. The property was amazing! The house has everything you can think of. We loved how calm Clam river was and how we could sit on the back porch or dock and watch the kids swim/kayak. The house was huge and accommodated our big family. It was very clean. There was also firewood left behind for us to use which was great. The location is perfect, we even went to Mackinac island and Traverse City. We recommend this property and hope to be back next year!

Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2021

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

17 June 2021

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Terrific house for Vacation

The property is well maintained and the house is well stocked. Enough bedrooms for eveyone. It is right on the lake. We had kayaks and perfect weather. We had alot of fun and will definitely be back.

Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2021

8/10 Good

ERIN D., Denver, USA

3 November 2020

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Birthday Celebration for twin 27 yr olds

really lovely site for the quiet celebration we were looking for as we had a 3 month old with us. The colors were out in full glory allowing nice walks in the beautiful neighborhood and every night a fire around the outdoor pit was magical. the hot tub was a key for us and after some difficulties due to the age of the tub got it working every night.

Stayed 5 nights in Oct 2020

10/10 Excellent

Christine H.

11 October 2020

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Lake house for all ages!

This lake house has an adorable up north feel, but with the luxury of being on a quiet lake with a 5 minute kayak ride through the canal to the big open and busy Torch lake. We really enjoyed using the kayaks, hot tub, fishing off the dock, and enjoying the view. We had plenty of space for little ones to sprawl out in separate bed rooms and preserve precious nap time. A nice den off the garage was great for those who needed to work from “home” while on vacation and still enjoy the lake view. We ventured into Bellaire which is Home to Shorts Brewery and the beer and food was so yummy we went twice in our week stay. The grocery store was 10 mins again in Bellaire too and also did online ordering for pick up which made our first night a breeze to check in and get settled. I would definitely stay here again.

Stayed 6 nights in Sep 2020

10/10 Excellent

Gary W.

11 September 2020

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Labor Day Trip

This house was perfect for our group, plenty of room for everyone. Perfect location on Clam lake for boating. The weather was a bit windy and wet, but the cove and trees protects the area.

10/10 Excellent

Eric M.

10 September 2020

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great house with lake access for boating!

house was nice and big! Very pretty property. Would stay again

Stayed 5 nights in Aug 2020

10/10 Excellent

Carrie L., Kalamazoo, MI

3 August 2020

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Excellent place to enjoy the summer!

We enjoyed our stay very much. Rented a pontoon from M&K marine and was so nice to have the dock. Very easy with lots of room in the kitchen and living area, with plenty of space to have privacy in the bedrooms. Spent lots of time outside on the deck, enjoying the fire pit, and on the water. Great location close to Dockside. Thank you for sharing the home with us!!

Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2020

10/10 Excellent

Kimberly M., Swartz Creek

16 July 2020

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Perfect family retreat

The property is exactly as described and more! Perfect for our family of 11. We had room to spread out and the hot tub/deck/firepit views of Clam Lake are beautiful. There was plenty of parking, beds were very comfortable, and the provided kayaks were a great bonus! The master bedroom located on the main floor was great for my parents and very quiet when they wanted to go to bed early. Check in/out process was very easy and we can't wait to return!

Stayed 5 nights in Jun 2020

10/10 Excellent

Christena K.

11 July 2020

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great place to stay

The house had everything we needed and then some. My family and I had a very relaxing week and definitely cant wait to go back!! Owner was extremely helpful and accommodating.

Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2020

About the host

Hosted by Fred Bays

Our parents purchased the home back in the late 80's, had a complete remodel of the interior and exterior in the 2000's and we've spent every summer of our married life up north! Along with many winters! Our kids are now grown and married and still feel like the Lake House is their favorite place in the world!

Why they chose this property

Clam Lake is the perfect location! It's a smaller lake that is warm and great for watersports! Yet we can be on Torch Lake in 5mins, which is huge and Carribean blue! The small towns are so quaint with great restaurants and shops! And Lake Michigan towns with ports are just 40mins away!

What makes this property unique

We have many long time family renters who enjoy the comfort of a vacation home that is special to everyone! It's great to know what you are getting and to be able to look forward to time away doing the things you love with family creating memories that you'll talk about for years to come!

Languages:

English

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Beautiful 5 bedroom Clam Lake home with access to Torch Lake!

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Reviews

Popular amenities

Explore the area

Rooms & beds

5 bedrooms (sleeps 12)

1st Floor Spare

Cherry Room

Duck Room

Master

Sailor Room

3 bathrooms, 1 half bathroom

1st Floor

2nd floor 1/2 bath

2nd Floor bath

Master bath

Spaces

About this property