If you've never been to Torch its easy to draw an opinion of it by doing a google search, especially if you add "sandbar" to your inquiry. Past years have been a little while but it has been very mild for the last couple years as far as the parties go. It is really only like that on the 4th of July anyway and maybe a day before/after.

The lake is 19 miles long and about 2 across, plenty of room IMO to run pretty hard.

However, the police presence has been brutal this year as of late. The sheer number of police out on the water is way more than it needs to be. The circle that sandbar like sharks, when 95% of the people on that sandbar on normal weekends are families in their pontoon or small runabout. I know a few people (families) who used to slip their boats on Torch and no longer do so due to the feeling of being a criminal by just going out on their boat. The only thing I can really compare the police presence to would be Jobbie Nooner on Lake St. Clair.

Yeah, Torch is by no means a pond, plenty of room to run, and Elk Lake (which it connects to) is not small either. I usually make one rip across the lake in the mid day and park it at sand bar, a few beers and idle it back in.

Same thing I do. Usually not hard to find someone to make a blast up the Lake. Its a good all-around lake IMO. Big enough to have fun and run hard yet small enough to not have the worries of a big lake like Lake Michigan (wind, waves, weather, distance, etc.)

Plus the sandbar is a very convenient place to go to to hang out, very clean and knee/ankle deep water.

That bleeding heart biatch can stop at any time, I had never seen this video until tonight, it is laughable. There was a study done on the impact of the people and boats on the sandbar and it did not show any discernible impact. What a crock of shiitt, wonder who she voted for?

BTW the lake association paid for the study.

I've been to Torch twice. Got pulled over the second time for loud exhaust and got away with a warning. Won't ever go back. Who needs that harassment? Too many other great lakes in Michigan to boat on that enjoy me spending my money there.

That is beautiful water ...

Her family came to the lake "In 1987" ? Where I come from she'd be considered a newbie and I'd be telling her to leave.

Michael Moore and Eminem used to have homes there....she probably got it from one of them, which means liberalism is contagious, and possibly waterborne. Stay away from there!

Still be careful... that something wrong could be possiblly be, "There is a lot of people on that boat, they don't have enough life jackets."
I boat there for poker run and raft up with no problems. I live in east KY and boat mostly at local lakes. My main lake no problems at all. The other lake, I hear they check like crazy. Now if someone was to fight it (I've heard of the law you speak of), I don't know how well it would go after finding something negative on a random check.

Back to the op... I'm a law enforcer. Educate yourself on the situation and be civil/polite when approached with the situation. Question exactly what you are in violation of. Ask if the calibration is up to date on the instrument used to check you db level. I'd need something in writing for me to leave a lake. Have your buddy record the situation and again, be civil no matter how the water patrol acts.