Carp Lake is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Emmet County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, Carp Lake had a population of 356. It is located within Carp Lake Township.
It was founded by Octave Terrian and later became a station on the Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad in 1880.
Carp Lake is located in northeastern Emmet County, surrounding Lake Paradise, historically known as "Carp Lake". The community is in the eastern part of Carp Lake Township. U.S. Highway 31 (US 31) passes through the west side of the CDP, leading northeast to Interstate 75 and to Mackinaw City, and south to Pellston. Petoskey, the Emmet County seat, is south on US 31.
The community of Carp Lake was listed as a newly-organized census-designated place for the 2010 census, meaning it now has officially defined boundaries and population statistics for the first time.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Carp Lake CDP has a total area of , of which is land and , or 56.90%, is water.