Part of the Elk River Chain of Lakes — the farthest upstream you can go by boat in the chain. Sinclair River flows out to St. Clair Lake through the St. Clair Lake / Six Mile Lake Natural Area. The Dingman River flows in from Scotts Lake but is small and unnavigable. With portages around dams in Bellaire and Elk Rapids, a paddler could make it all the way to Grand Traverse Bay — over 40 water miles.
Six Mile Lake is the farthest upstream you can go by boat in the Elk River Chain of Lakes — despite the name, it's actually only four miles long. At 370 acres and 31 feet deep, it's a modest lake with profuse aquatic plant growth, especially pondweeds and watermilfoil along the dropoff. Eurasian watermilfoil was first documented in 2008 and the Six Mile Lake Association has been working to manage it.
The Sinclair River flows out to St. Clair Lake through the protected St. Clair Lake / Six Mile Lake Natural Area. Northern pike, walleye, largemouth bass, perch, and bluegills are the mainstay of the sport fishery. Stay away from the southernmost portion — too much boat traffic according to locals. Water levels dramatically affect this lake. More tributaries than any other lake in the chain, though most are small and unnamed.