Dam Beach is a small sand beach on the East Arm of Grand Traverse Bay in Elk Rapids, Michigan, sitting right beside the brick powerhouse of the Elk Rapids hydroelectric dam. The Village of Elk Rapids lists it among its parks and describes it as a natural-feeling spot next to the Hydro Power Plant that local families use, close to a well-known fishing area. The dam itself belongs to Antrim County and is run under contract by Elk Rapids Hydroelectric LLC. It holds back Elk Lake and the rest of the Elk River Chain of Lakes, and the short stretch of river below it empties into the bay a few steps from the sand.

The beach is on the north edge of downtown Elk Rapids, a short walk from River Street and the shops. Follow Dexter Street to the dam and turn onto Dam Road, which leads to a small gravel lot with restrooms and a picnic area by the tailrace. The Village describes the park as off Ames Street. The sand runs west from the river mouth toward the breakwater of the Edward C. Grace Memorial Harbor, and dune grass backs the upper beach. If the lot is full, there is public parking downtown and at the harbor.

Swimming here is in open Great Lakes water. The bottom is sand and shelves gradually, so you can wade out a fair distance before it gets deep, and a few old pier pilings stand offshore that strong swimmers sometimes head out to. East Bay is cold early in the season and usually warms into the upper 60s or low 70s Fahrenheit by late July and August. Expect waves and some longshore drift on windy days. The Village lists no lifeguard and no posted swim season for this beach, so you swim at your own risk.

There is no entry fee. The Village does not list Dam Beach among any paid or reserved facilities, and its parks are used first come, first served. No posted hours were found for the beach itself, so treat it as a daytime park and follow any signs at the lot.

The main hazard is the dam outflow. Water leaving the turbines and spillway moves fast through the channel below the powerhouse, and flows can change when the operator adjusts the gates, so keep out of the river channel and swim on the bay side well west of the mouth. The tailrace is one of the busiest shore fishing spots in the area, which means lines, hooks and lures in the water near the dam. Dam Beach does not appear on the Health Department of Northwest Michigan's list of sampled Antrim County beaches, so there is no regular E. coli testing here. Avoid swimming for a day or two after heavy rain, and check the state BeachGuard map for nearby Elk Rapids results before you go.

Anglers work the water below the dam for salmon, trout, walleye and smallmouth bass in season, and kayakers launch from the harbor and the boat ramps beside the dam to paddle the bay or portage up into Elk Lake. The beach looks north and west across the bay, so evenings here bring sunsets over the water. Downtown Elk Rapids, the marina and Veterans Memorial Park, the Village's main swimming beach, are all within a few blocks.