Lake Lansing is a lake in Haslett, Michigan, just a few miles northeast of the state's capital city of

Lansing Lansing () is the capital city of the U.S. state of Michigan. The most populous city in Ingham County, parts of the city extend into Eaton County and north into Clinton County. It is the sixth-most populous city in Michigan with a popul ...

Overview

Lake Lansing was originally known as Pine Lake, and was a highly popular recreation site in the early 1900s. The name was changed to Lake Lansing in 1930. The lake soon began to decline in recreational popularity, and was neglected for many decades until it was dredged in 1978, restoring the health of the lake. Around 280 residential homes surround the lake. Two

sailing Sailing employs the wind—acting on sails, wingsails or kites—to propel a craft on the surface of the ''water'' (sailing ship, sailboat, raft, Windsurfing, windsurfer, or Kitesurfing, kitesurfer), on ''ice'' (iceboat) or on ''land'' (Land sa ...

clubs also have property on the lake. In addition there are two public parks.Lake Lansing History
/ref> A special assessment district created by the township enables education, ongoing testing, evaluation and management of the lake to control weeds, encourage phosphorus free fertilization, round up

geese A goose (: geese) is a bird of any of several waterfowl species in the family Anatidae. This group comprises the genera '' Anser'' (grey geese and white geese) and ''Branta'' (black geese). Some members of the Tadorninae subfamily (e.g., Egyp ...

and other activities to keep the lake healthy and safe for recreational use. The Lake Lansing Property Owners Association maintains a communication system for property owners, works for safety on the lake, sponsors numerous social activities and advocates on behalf of its members on riparian rights and other issues.

Dam

On the northwest side of the lake is a small dam and level control structure which regulates discharge to the Pine Lake Outlet Drain. The structure consists of a gravity low-head dam in height with a concrete

spillway A spillway is a structure used to provide the controlled release of water downstream from a dam or levee, typically into the riverbed of the dammed river itself. In the United Kingdom, they may be known as overflow channels. Spillways ensure tha ...

wide, and next to it a 24-inch valved drawdown pipe. Stoplogs are placed at the top of the spillway during the summer months to maintain a higher lake level. A 2003 court order specifies that the lake shall be kept at above

sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an mean, average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal Body of water, bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical ...

in summer and in winter. Though the dam and spillway were originally constructed in the 1920s, the current structures were completed in 1976. An inspection of the control structure by the county drain commissioner in December 2022 found the drawndown pipe inoperable, and an

alternatives analysis Alternatives assessment or alternatives analysis is a problem-solving approach used in environmental design, technology, and policy. It aims to minimize environmental harm by comparing multiple potential solutions in the context of a specific proble ...

of options to fix the control structure was ordered and then completed and published in December 2023.

Sailing clubs

The Lansing Sailing Club sponsors an active program of racing and day sailing for sailboat owners as well as "learn to sail" programs for adults and junior sailing camps for students grades 5 thru 12. The

Michigan State University Michigan State University (Michigan State or MSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan, United States. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State o ...

Sailing Center offers a "Learn to Sail" class, as well as other classes. The center also offers a variety of memberships that enable individuals to sail MSU Sailing Center boats.

Public parks

Three public parks, one with trailer launching access, are operated by the Ingham County Parks Department. Lake Lansing Park South includes a band shell, boat rental, fishing dock, swimming beach, bath house, beach, volleyball courts, summer snack bar, horseshoe pits, picnic grounds, and shelters. Lake Lansing Park North is a 530-acre park with multiple hiking trails, playgrounds, and

picnic A picnic is a meal taken outdoors (Al fresco dining, ''al fresco'') as part of an excursion, especially in scenic surroundings, such as a park, lakeside, or other place affording an interesting view, or else in conjunction with a public event su ...

areas. The Lake Lansing Boat Launch, located on the north side of Lake Lansing provides two boat launch ramps, a picnic area, basketball court, a powerboat washer and paved parking.

Alcoholic Alcoholism is the continued drinking of alcohol despite it causing problems. Some definitions require evidence of dependence and withdrawal. Problematic use of alcohol has been mentioned in the earliest historical records. The World Hea ...

beverages are prohibited in all of the parks.

Fishing

Lake Lansing is home to several types of fish including:

largemouth bass The largemouth bass (''Micropterus nigricans'') is a carnivorous, freshwater fish, freshwater, ray-finned fish in the Centrarchidae (sunfish) family, native to the eastern United States, eastern and central United States, southeastern Canada an ...

smallmouth bass The smallmouth bass (''Micropterus dolomieu'') is a species of freshwater fish in the Centrarchidae, sunfish family (biology), family (Centrarchidae) of the order (biology), order Centrarchiformes. It is the type species of its genus ''Micropterus ...

northern pike The northern pike (''Esox lucius'') is a species of carnivorous fish of the genus ''Esox'' (pikes). They are commonly found in brackish water, moderately salty and fresh waters of the Northern Hemisphere (''i.e.'' holarctic in distribution). T ...

carp The term carp (: carp) is a generic common name for numerous species of freshwater fish from the family (biology), family Cyprinidae, a very large clade of ray-finned fish mostly native to Eurasia. While carp are prized game fish, quarries and a ...

, crappie,

bluegill The bluegill (''Lepomis macrochirus''), sometimes referred to as "bream", "brim", "sunny", or, in Texas, "copper nose", is a species of North American freshwater fish, native to and commonly found in streams, rivers, lakes, ponds and wetlands ea ...

redear sunfish The redear sunfish (''Lepomis microlophus''), also known as the shellcracker, Georgia bream, cherry gill, chinquapin, improved bream, and sun perch, is a freshwater fish in the family Centrarchidae and is native to the southeastern United States ...

perch Perch is a common name for freshwater fish from the genus ''Perca'', which belongs to the family Percidae of the large order Perciformes. The name comes from , meaning the type species of this genus, the European perch (''P. fluviatilis'') ...

, and several types of

catfish Catfish (or catfishes; order (biology), order Siluriformes or Nematognathi) are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Catfish are common name, named for their prominent barbel (anatomy), barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, though not ...

References

External links

Lake Lansing Property Owners Association

Lansing Sailing Club

Michigan State University Sailing Center

Lake Lansing Park North

Lake Lansing Park South

{{authority control Bodies of water of Ingham County, Michigan Geography of Lansing, Michigan