Lake County is a county located in Michigan. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 12,096. The county seat is Baldwin.
The county was created by the Michigan Legislature in 1840 as Aishcum County, then renamed Lake County in 1843, for its many lakes. It was administered by a succession of other Michigan counties prior to the organization of county government in 1871.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 574 square miles of which 567 square miles is land and 6.9 square miles (1.2%) is water.