Summary
Gull Island Reef is a named offshore hazard in the Beaver Island archipelago.
GNIS classifies feature 627516 as a “Bar”; the KB retains the seeded Reef
type because the official name and the local reporting use “reef.” It lies near
Gull Island and is treated here as a maritime feature distinct from the island
itself.
The reef appears in local fisheries and conservation-enforcement reporting. In November 1928, the Charlevoix Courier reported that 800 pounds of trout had been taken in illegally set nets off Gull Island Reef and described conservation officers’ spawn-taking work. A 1929 report on the Martin fishing family again identified illegal netting at the reef and fishing without buoys. These sources show the reef as a working fishing ground and enforcement reference, but do not provide a charted depth or exact navigational hazard description.
Open questions
- What chart or hydrographic survey establishes the reef’s depth, extent, and relationship to Gull Island?
- Can the 1928–29 enforcement reports be connected to a specific state fishery regulation or case record?
- Why does GNIS classify this feature as a Bar while the official name uses “Reef”?
Sources
- U.S. Geological Survey, Geographic Names Information System, Domestic Names (Michigan), retrieved 2026-07-28.GNIS feature 627516; feature class 'Bar'.federal · gnis · gnis_names
- Charlevoix Courier, November 7, 1928, "Spawn Taken So Far Very Light."Reports 800 pounds of trout lifted in illegally set nets off Gull Island Reef and describes conservation officers supervising spawn-taking.
- Charlevoix Courier, April 1929, "Officers Take Martin Fishtug."Reports warrants charging James Martin with illegal netting at Gull Island Reef and fishing without buoys; the article is legal/enforcement context, not a survey of the reef's physical form.